SOX Center

While Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance costs decreased overall in 2006, the out-of-pocket costs associated with compliance rose from 2005 to 2006, according to a study planned for release on Thursday.
Foley & Lardner’s fifth annual study measuring the financial impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on public companies finds that the cost of audit fees, board compensation, and legal fees […]

As U.S. regulators and industry recognize Sarbanes-Oxley’s fifth year this July 30, most investors (57 percent) in a new survey by Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management believe the requirements imposed by the law, holding CEOs and senior management personally accountable for the accuracy of their companies’ financial disclosures, are about right, while […]

Study finds small firms hit especially hard
A new University of Georgia study finds that the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related rule changes of the major stock exchanges have dramatically altered the makeup of corporate boards, making them larger and more independent. The legislation also had the unintended effect of increasing director pay by […]

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act hasn’t helped in the long-running battle against corporate fraud, according to a recent survey of certified fraud examiners — a staggering 76 percent of whom reported that fraud is more prevalent today than five years ago.
The 2007 Report on Corporate Fraud, conducted for governance software vendor Oversight Systems Inc., noted that that […]

Research and Markets has announced the addition of “A Focus on Law Analysis: The Intricacies and Effects of Sarbanes-Oxley Legislation” to their offering.
This 25-page research report written for all executives examines in-depth, the intricacies and effects of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. From pre-Sarbanes obstruction of justice statutes to new Sarbanes-Oxley provisions; from a point-by-point look at several […]

To help CFOs of smaller companies navigate wisely through the Sarbanes-Oxley compliance process, Lord & Benoit has published a study, “10 Threats to SOX Compliance for Smaller Public Companies.”
The study comes on the heels of actions by the SEC and PCAOB to require smaller public companies to comply with SOX this year.
In summarizing the results, […]

Teamwork counts, especially when it comes to committing crimes at a corporation.
In a new examination of 374 companies accused of securities fraud between 1997 and 2002, an average of seven people were implicated in each case, including CEOs, chief financial officers, chief operating officers, general counsels, board directors and auditors.
“Far from being a solitary act, […]

FEI announced the results of its sixth Sarbanes-Oxley compliance survey, which found that Section 404 compliance cost Corporate America less in year three of adoption than in each of the first two years. FEI polled 200 companies to gauge experiences in complying with Section 404. Responding companies have average revenues of $6.8 billion.
According to […]

Few Give Stock Options a Second Look ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oversight Systems Inc. today released the results of the 2007 Oversight Systems Financial ExecutiveReport on Sarbanes-Oxley. The survey of 168 financial executives identifies growing benefits of continuous monitoring, improved management of year-three compliance costs and a positive jump in shareholder value.
The 4th annual survey found financial […]

From University News Services:
While corporate executives say their businesses are groaning under the weight of complying with Sarbanes-Oxley regulations, two University of Iowa business professors have found that most investors cheered the law during its early days.
Research by Sonja Rego and Haidan Li in the Tippie College of Business shows that stock market values increased […]