St. Louis — In response to booming growth in its insurance practice, Brown Smith Wallace has expanded into the Chicagoland market.

Chicago — The vast majority of U.S. senior financial executives surveyed support stock option expensing and uniform global accounting standards, according to a poll of executives at public and private companies released by Grant Thornton.

by L. Gary Boomer

by David McClure

New York — Raiser’s Edge, the proprietary nonprofit solution from Blackbaud, received the prestigious Campbell Award as a result of its being selected as Best Overall Software and Best Overall Solution in the 2004 donor/member software survey conducted by Campbell Research.

We all encounter professional conflict — but whether it’s owner disagreements, personnel issues, vendor relations matters, client concerns or competitive situations, our professional lives are filled with opportunities to manage it.

New York — Most business and information technology executives in the United States expect IT expenditures to rise over the next three years, according to the results of an online survey released by consulting giant Accenture.

INTUIT NAMES VP OF INVESTOR RELATIONS: Mountain View, Calif.-based Intuit has named Jessica Kourakos vice president of investor relations. In that capacity, Kourakos will work closely with Intuit’s senior management team to develop investor relations strategies and serve as the company’s liaison with the financial analyst and investor communities.

by L. Gary Boomer

by Ted Needleman

Pittsburgh — Invesmart Inc., a Pittsburgh-based retirement services firm, has kicked off a nationwide rollout of its new Partner Program to banks and investment advisors.

by Robert Scott

by Gail Perry

RIA ENHANCES CHECKPOINT: RIA, a provider of high-end tax research and compliance software and products, has added a series of upgrades to its Checkpoint online platform.

New York — The American Institute of CPAs, through its Accounting and Review Services Committee, has issued Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services No. 10, Performance of Review Engagements, amending Statement on Standards No. 1, Compilation and Review of Financial Statements.

by L. Gary Boomer

by Dave McClure

The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking public comment on the costs and benefits associated with “tagged” data, and is considering a staff proposal to accept voluntary supplemental filings of financial data using the Extensible Business Reporting Language, or XBRL.

by Gail Perry

by Paul R. Brazina and Bruce A. Leauby