BDO United States

Chicago, IL - BDO Seidman, LLP, today announced that Ben Neuhausen, the firm’s National Director of Accounting, has passed away after a prolonged illness.  Mr. Neuhausen, who was a leading voice in the accounting industry’s standard setting process, died Friday, July 31, 2009 in Chicago.  He was 59.  Earlier this year, Mr. Neuhausen was presented with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Special Recognition Award for his outstanding contributions to standard setting in the profession.

“All of us at BDO Seidman are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague, Ben Neuhausen,” said Jack Weisbaum, CEO of BDO Seidman.  “His technical knowledge and high ethical standards were a very valuable resource to our firm.  In a time of increasing complexity, Ben was the voice of clarity and common sense.  One of our most respected partners, his high professional standards served as a beacon for all of our professionals to follow.”

As BDO Seidman’s National Director of Accounting, Ben Neuhausen was involved with numerous complex accounting issues and served as the firm’s chief commentator on proposed accounting standards by the various regulatory bodies.  A former chairman of the AICPA’s Accounting Standards Executive Committee (AcSEC), Ben was a staunch advocate for the profession and a leading voice in formulating the accounting guidance ultimately adopted by standard setters and regulators.  During his eleven year tenure on the AcSEC, he led the committee in its transition from a standard setter into a provider of useful accounting guidance for various industries.

Previous to his tenure with BDO Seidman, Ben Neuhausen was a partner in the Professional Standards Group of Arthur Andersen LLP.  From 1979 to 1981, Mr. Neuhausen was a Practice Fellow at the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Throughout his career, he served as a member of numerous professional committees, task forces and working groups.  He received his MBA in Accounting from New York University and a BA in Economics from Michigan State University.

About BDO Seidman, LLP

BDO Seidman, LLP is a national professional services firm providing assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies. Guided by core values including, competence, honesty and integrity, professionalism, dedication, responsibility and accountability for almost 100 years, BDO Seidman provides quality service and leadership through the active involvement of our most experienced and committed professionals.

BDO Seidman serves clients through 37 offices and more than 400 independent alliance firm locations nationwide. As a Member Firm of BDO International, BDO Seidman, LLP serves multi-national clients by leveraging a global network of 1,095 offices in 110 countries.  BDO International is a worldwide network of public accounting firms, called BDO Member Firms. Each BDO Member Firm is an independent legal entity in its own country.