Change of auditors

E&Y DISMISSED AS CYGNE AUDITORCygne Designs, a New York-based clothier, dismissed its auditor, Big Four firm Ernst & Young, and named Mahoney Cohen & Co. as its new independent accountant.

According to a filing, its former auditor's reports on Cygne's financials for the last two fiscal years didn't contain any adverse opinions or disagreements over accounting matters.

The company did note a material weakness in financial controls stemming from the accounting for certain items in its Guatemalan unit.

KPMG STEPS AWAY FROM HELEN

KPMG has resigned as auditor for beauty products concern Helen of Troy after the company said that it would not re-appoint the Big Four firm as its independent accountant at the company's annual meeting.

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the client began requesting proposals for a successor after the audit firm ceased operations in its El Paso, Texas, office, the base of operations for Helen of Troy. A successor had not been named at press time.

During Helen of Troy's last two fiscal years, there were no reportable events or disagreements between the company and its former auditor, nor did KPMG's reports on the company's financials contain any adverse opinions.

SUPERIOR TAPS PWC

Atlanta-based cable and fiber-optic concern Superior Essex Inc. named Big Four firm PricewaterhouseCoopers as its new independent accountant, succeeding Deloitte & Touche.

In February, the company's board decided to issue a request for proposals for a new auditor, and in the interim, the company appointed Deloitte to serve as its independent accountant for the quarter ending March 31, 2007. PwC officially began as Superior's auditor in May.

Deloitte's audit reports on Superior's financial statements for the fiscal years ended Dec. 31, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2006, did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.

WORLD HEART ENGAGES BPM

Blood circulation products manufacturer and marketer World Heart Corp. named Burr, Pilger & Mayer as its new auditor, succeeding Big Four firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. World Heart enacted the change in auditors when PwC said that it would not stand for re-election.

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