In certain industries, such as oil and gas, concentration is especially acute, with only two or three auditors ruling the market.

ECONOMIST: Auditing

Over the next two years, the auditors will present reports on the rest of the public sector, including education and the health services.

ECONOMIST: The French state

Alison is kind enough to point out that I started looking for the FDIC suits against auditors almost two years ago, based on an article written by two lawyers who are typically in the defense side of these cases.

FORBES: A Tale of Two Lawsuits -- PricewaterhouseCoopers and Colonial Bank

The SEC has, therefore, chosen two attorneys whose livelihood depends on keeping auditors out of trouble and one auditor who works for a next-tier, non-global audit firm.

FORBES: SEC Stacks The Deck Against Investors At PCAOB

Many companies already find it difficult to switch auditors because they use one or two rival Big Four firms, in addition to their auditor, for other work, such as valuation or advice on internal controls.

ECONOMIST: Auditing

Those include replacing management personnel, hiring more auditors in the maintenance program and setting up two maintenance technical teams, one in Atlanta and a second at Dulles International Airport.

CNN: FAA director defends ValuJet inspections

Two years ago an official review of English company law concluded that auditors should be able to limit their liability.

ECONOMIST: Auditors

The recent Senate hearing on the auditors and the crisis was a washout, tainted by the invitation to two trade organizations rather than the leaders of the firms themselves.

FORBES: Roger Lowenstein Dismisses Charges Against Wall Street; Not So Fast

Auditors Price Waterhouse Coopers will look at information supplied to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) by the two companies during the tendering process and the department's management of the contract.

BBC: Serco and G4S face billing probe over electronic tagging