1. As explained in the WSJ article, the EY's plan to split their businesses initially stem from the SEC independence rule that prohibits the accounting firms from performing certain non-audit services for audit clients that could impair their objectivity. However, this rule has been always controversial. What would be some potential benefits of allowing accounting firms to provide non-audit services to all companies, even to their audit clients?

https://www.wsj.com/articles/accounting-firm-ey-considers-splitting-audit-and-advisory-businesses-11653592588

2. FT article states that one of the reasons why EY leadership in the U.S. opposed to Project Everest is the plan to make the EY consulting business a publicly-held entity. As forensic accounting is a type of consulting service that accounting firms provide, let's imagine you are a forensic accountant working in a publicly-held consulting firm. What do you think about this idea? How could this benefit or harm the services that the accounting firms provide?

https://www.ft.com/content/4987c318-ea81-407f-a7c1-3f4d40f65a95