While accountants are among the unsung heroes of the ongoing pandemic recovery, the changing landscape of practice has made them vulnerable to risk."Practitioners were faced with so many different issues," observed Ken Mackunis, executive vice president of Aon Professional Firms, the broker and administrator of the AICPA Professional Liability Program. "When the pandemic hit, people needed help in all different ways, from their personal well-being to helping us as a society by advising on government relief programs and regulatory requirements. At the same time, they broadened somewhat their exposure to risk.""CPAs have always had a role as a trusted advisor, but during the past year this role expanded and intensified," he continued. "They provided guidance on the many government programs, and dealt with federal, state and local requirements. This pulled many CPAs into a whole other arena with respect to risk being taken on. At the same time, court operations were halted or interrupted, which affected the approach to handling claims or potential claims."
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