Corporate governance has succeeded in attracting a good deal of public interest because of its importance to the economic health of corporations and society in general. Effective corporate governance requires a proactive, focused state of mind on the part of directors, the CEO and senior management, each of whom must be committed to business success through maintenance of the highest standards of responsibility and ethics. Good corporate governance is far more than a "check-the-box" list of minimum board and management policies and duties. Even the most thoughtful and well drafted policies and procedures are destined to fail if directors and management are not committed to enforcing them in practice.

A good corporate governance structure is a working system for principled goal-setting, effective decision-making, and appropriate monitoring of compliance and performance. Through such vibrant and responsive structure, the CEO, the management team, and the board of directors can interact effectively and respond quickly to changing circumstances, within a framework of solid corporate values, to provide enduring value to the stockholders who invest in the enterprise.

As a result of several large business failures, many new laws and regulations have been enacted to protect the investment community and re-establish trust in corporate governance by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws. New laws and regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, are the new reality in corporate governance, with the overall goal of helping to ensure greater transparency, accountability, and integrity in corporate conduct.

As part of these new requirements, corporations will be required to monitor compliance with numerous elements of corporate governance policies, including auditor independence, financial reporting and adequacy of disclosures, and audit committee structure and membership. Paragon Consulting is well equipped to work with general counsel and outside counsel to address corporate governance issues such as:

• Sarbanes-Oxley Act Compliance Issues
• Auditor Independence Issues
• SEC Regulatory Compliance and Reporting
• Audit Committee Structure and Membership
• Audit Committee Compliance Reviews