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Auditor has established reputation in big cases

Jeff Kass, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 5, 2007 at midnight

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The auditing firm that uncovered what has been characterized as sloppy finances and a lack of controls at the Community College of Denver is no stranger to high-profile cases.

Clifton Gunderson was called in to review the city's books in Northglenn after an accounting error contributed to the layoffs of 27 workers.

In a separate review, the firm found shortcomings in how court-appointed guardians and conservators were monitored.

The company routinely audits the Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association.

Founded in 1960 in Peoria, Ill., Clifton Gunderson was started by four accountants.

The firm took the last names of two of them, Neil Clifton and Merle Gunderson, said David Laundy, a managing partner who oversees most work in Colorado.

Nationwide, the firm now counts more than 1,900 staffers, with at least 500 of them certified public accountants, according to its Web site. It has offices in 17 states, including Colorado, California, and Ohio.

A specialty of the firm is working with public entities and mid- to large-size private companies, Laundy said.

In Colorado the firm employs 185 people, including about 75 CPAs, Laundy said.

Clifton Gunderson has hundreds of contracts here, counting the state and local governments and school districts.

One of the people who worked on the Community College of Denver audit teaches at the Daniels College of Business at University of Denver.

Ron Kucic, director of the school of accountancy at Daniels, called Clifton Gunderson a "solid firm" that would not slant an audit or cut corners.

"I don't know that any accounting firm would in this day and age," he added. "It would destroy their reputation."

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