Background of the Enron Case: During the downfall of
the Enron Corporation, Arthur Anderson, and Enron’s accounting firm, instructed
its employees to destroy financial documents relating to Enron. On May 6, 2002
a charge of obstructing an official proceeding of The Securities Exchange
Commission was filed against Arthur Andersen LLP. Hence, the term, “Whistle-blower,”
was formed as well as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act which monitors the ethical and
financial affairs of all business corporations.

Using
the Internet, locate sources of information about this landmark case. Review
the contributing factors to the evolution of this situation, the legal
ramifications, and the resulting effects on corporate ethical standards that
occurred to prevent further malfeasance on the part of corporate executives.
Refer to the Supreme Court Full Case Name: Arthur Andersen LLP v. United
States. Citations: 544U.S 696; 125 S.Ct.2129; 161L.Ed.2d 1008; 2005 U.S. LEXIS
4348; 73U.S.L.W.4393.

Write
a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you:

1. Determine the
   primary factors that contributed to the downfall of Enron’s financial
   practices.
2. If you had been
   assigned to defend Enron, justify the legality of its methods of handling its
   finances.
3. Differentiate the
   responsibilities of Arthur Anderson’s auditors from that of Enron’s
   executives.
4. Analyze the
   provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

5. 
Use
at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment.  Note: Wikipedia
and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your
assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double
  spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all
  sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.
  Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover
  page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the
  professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the
  reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The
specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Formulate
  guidelines to maintain effective corporate governance in a firm and ensure
  compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
• Analyze company
  policies to ensure compliance with key provisions of the major federal
  laws related to investor protection, equal employment opportunity,
  consumer protection, and environmental protection.

· 
Use
technology and information resources to research issues in commercial law.

· 
Write
clearly and concisely about commercial law using proper writing mechanics.