FIRM AFFILIATIONS

CF&W is committed to bringing the highest quality of services it can offer.  We maintain a high-level of services and expertise through continuing education and partnerships with other organizations, including:

• IGAF
• AICPA
• PCAOB
• GHP
• IIA
• ISACA
• Oracle
• Doublecheck 

CF&W is a member of IGAF Worldwide, an international association of certified public accounting firms.  Through our affiliation with IGAF Worldwide, CF&W is able serve the multi-national needs of our clients throughout the world with local resources and still maintain our commitment to personal service and individual attention.

IGAF Worldwide is one of the oldest, largest, and most well respected accounting associations in the world. It was founded for the purpose of providing member firms with the tools and resources they need to furnish a broad spectrum of efficient, cost-effective accounting, auditing, and management services to clients around the globe.

Our IGAF Worldwide membership benefits our clients by providing:

International presence

CF&W has access to the resources of an association that spans 60 countries and over 150 firms – an association comparable to members of the Big Four in size, scope, and level of expertise.

Because IGAF Worldwide is one of the largest associations of its kind in the world, it provides member firms with the strength and capabilities of a large, worldwide organization with diverse technical skills and geographic representation not possible for a local firm alone. Members exchange technical advice and assistance in every service performed by the profession.

Quality and expertise

IGAF Worldwide members are selected based on exacting requirements for size, reputation, areas of practice, diverse technical capabilities, and geographic location. These requirements must be met not only to gain admission but also to retain membership. Periodic inspections ensure that member firms continue to meet these membership requirements.

CF&W is registered in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) peer review program. The partners of CF&W are members of the AICPA and the Texas Society of CPAs, Houston Chapter.

The AICPA is the national, professional organization for all Certified Public Accountants. Its mission is to provide members with the resources, information, and leadership that enable them to provide valuable services in the highest professional manner to benefit the public as well as employers and clients.

In fulfilling its mission, the AICPA works with state CPA organizations and gives priority to those areas where public reliance on CPA skills is most significant.

The AICPA Peer Review Program is dedicated to enhancing the quality of accounting, auditing and attestation services performed by AICPA members in public practice.

Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)

 

CF&W is registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB or the Board). This means that CF&W follows the audit standards established by the Board for audits of U.S. public companies and is subject to inspections by the Board.

Section 102 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 prohibits accounting firms that are not registered with the Board from preparing or issuing audit reports on U.S. public companies and from participating in such audits. Section 106(a) of the Act provides that any non-U.S. public accounting firm that prepares or furnishes an audit report with respect to any U.S. public company is subject to the Board's rules to the same extent as a U.S. public accounting firm. Section 106(a) further authorizes the Board to require that non-U.S. public accounting firms that do not issue such reports, but that play a substantial role in the preparation of the audit reports, register.

Section 103 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 directs the Board to establish auditing and related attestation, quality control, ethics, and independence standards and rules to be used by registered public accounting firms in the preparation and issuance of audit reports as required by the Act or the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Section 104 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires the Board to conduct a continuing program of inspections of registered public accounting firms. In those inspections, the Board assesses compliance with the Act, the rules of the Board, the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and professional standards, in connection with the firm’s performance of audits, issuance of audit reports, and related matters involving issuers. The Act requires the Board to conduct those inspections annually for firms that provide audit reports for more than 100 issuers and at least triennially for firms that provide audit reports for fewer issuers.

Greater Houston Partnership (GHP)

As a member, we support The Greater Houston Partnership which is the primary advocate of Houston's business community and is dedicated to building regional economic prosperity. The Partnership comprises the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development and International Business and is a 501(c) 6 not-for-profit, private, member-driven organization.

 

 

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is the internal audit profession's global voice, standard-setter, and resource for professional development and certification.  The IIA provides the CIA certification.  The Certified Internal Auditor® (CIA®) designation is the only globally accepted certification for internal auditors and remains the standard by which individuals demonstrate their competency and professionalism in the internal auditing field. 

Many of CF&W’s partners and staff maintain the CIA designation and are members of IIA.

ISACA is a global organization for information governance, control, security and audit professionals. Its IS auditing and IS control standards are followed by practitioners worldwide. Its Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification is recognized globally. Together, ISACA and its affiliated IT Governance Institute maintains and publishes the most widely accepted IT Control and Governance Framework: Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT). 

CF&W has partners and staff who maintain the CISA certification and are members of ISACA.

CF&W is a Partner in the Oracle PartnerNetwork.  We assist companies with compliance and controls effectiveness through implementing Oracle applications and technologies including the Oracle GRC Product Suite. This effort is aligned with Oracle's overall Governance Risk and Compliance Initiative, which provides finance, IT, and audit stakeholders with the ability to monitor and control how information is being used to progress GRC maturity into a more proactive and optimized and less reactive management of compliance.

The Oracle PartnerNetwork is a global business network of 16,000 companies who deliver innovative software solutions based on Oracle software. Through access to Oracle's premier products, education, technical services, marketing and sales support, the Oracle PartnerNetwork program provides partners with the resources they need to be successful in today's global economy. Oracle partners are able to offer to customers leading-edge solutions backed by Oracle's position as the world's largest enterprise software company.

The software that powers CF&W’s SOX Symphony offering is S-O Comply Enterprise Version published by DoubleCheck™.   CF&W also partners with DoubleCheck™ to implement any of their full suite of products.

CF&W and DoubleCheck™ entered into this strategic partnership to capitalize on the synergies between CF&W's expertise and thought leadership in the Sarbanes-Oxley and Internal Audit Consulting arena and DoubleCheck's S-O Comply platform and software development expertise.

DoubleCheck™ LLC, is a leading enterprise-level GRC&T solutions software company. The DoubleCheck product portfolio includes solutions for SOX Compliance, Corporate Governance and Risk Management, plus Automated IT-GRC and Financial Control Monitoring, Testing and Administration. DoubleCheck developed and currently markets: 
     - S-O Comply™
     - The DoubleCheck™ SOX+AT Solution
     - The DoubleCheck™ GRC&T Enterprise Solution
     - The DoubleCheck™ IT-GRC&T Solution
     - The DoubleCheck™ / Novell® IT-GRC&T Solution