PwC Australia chases 'unprofessional' partner

PwC Australia said Monday it remains determined to take action against partners and other staff who failed to meet professional standards in connection with a tax document leaking scandal, despite losing a court action to force a partner into retirement.

The Big Four firm said in an emailed statement that it was "considering our next steps" in relation to research and development partner Richard Gregg after a court decided Aug. 11 that PwC had failed to follow due process when trying to remove him.

"We remain committed to taking the appropriate action against those we believe have failed to live up to the firm's professional, ethical or leadership standards," PwC, also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, said in a statement.

Brent Lewin/Bloomberg

In July, PwC named eight partners, including Gregg, who had left the firm or would leave soon following an internal investigation into the leak of confidential tax documents by a former partner advising the government. It said that Gregg had failed to meet professional standards. He went to court and claimed PwC didn't give him sufficient reasons to remove him from the partnership.

The Supreme Court of New South Wales found in favor of Gregg, saying PwC didn't "disclose any path of reasoning by which Management reached its view that the outcome should be that Gregg should be required to retire."

Australian professional body the Tax Institute said in July that it was investigating Gregg and could remove his membership. Gregg and the institute didn't reply to a request for comment made outside of Australian business hours Monday.