Arizona Business Council
Code of Ethics
The Arizona Business Council has adopted a code of ethics that applies to all of its members when conducting business on behalf of the Arizona Business Council. The terms “code of ethics” means written standards that are reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:
Honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; and
Compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations; and
Full, fair, accurate, and timely disclosure to the Council if a personal or professional change in status would negatively impact the reputation of the Council; and
Prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to the Board of Directors or the head of the appropriate Special Interest Group; and
Accountability for adherence to the code.
Members of ABC who are professionals subject to their own code of ethics (which would include attorneys, accountants, bankers, investment advisors, investment bankers, realtors, and any others) (collectively, “Professional Members”) shall have the following rights and obligations:
1.Shall not under any circumstances disclose the name of their clients to ABC unless they have obtained written permission from their clients to do so.
2.Shall neither solicit presenters of ABC nor provide legal, accounting, investment or other advice requiring licensure to prospective companies of ABC unless they have a separately negotiated fee agreement with the prospective Company. Pre-existing clients of any Professional Member shall automatically have that Professional Member serve on any panels of ABC on which the pre-existing client is participating.
3.All panels shall have 2 of each professional discipline each from different firms and the panels shall rotate so that 2 new members serve each time a new panel is constituted. However, when a panel needs the advice of a specific member with specialized expertise then this Professional Member with the special expertise may serve in lieu of a Professional Member without the expertise.
4.A written disclaimer shall be developed and read prior to each meeting which disclaims the rendering of legal, accounting or other professional services and directs the participants to obtain advice from professionals selected by it in its sole discretion. All participants shall be warned that nothing shared with panel is subject to confidentiality provisions.
5.Professionals who are partners of their firm and in good standing with their licensing board or other regulatory authority may participate as members and panelists. If more than one partner of a firm decides to attend meetings then only one member of that firm may rotate on the panel.
6.Professional Members with expertise shall be favored over partners not serving in ABC who are in the Professional Member’s firms when participants seek legal or accounting advice.
7. Professional Members shall be primarily governed by the code of ethics they are required to adhere to over any code of ethics developed by ABC.
8.Participants who elect to hire a Professional Member shall separately determine fees and costs charged by that Professional Member and in no event shall ABC represent that any Professional Member should provide professional advice free of charge. Professional affiliation should be disclosed in order to avoid conflicts of interest. However, fee agreements and terms between Professional ABC Members and clients shall remain confidential and not be shared with ABC.
9.A service providerlist shall be maintained on the website with biographical information and specialties highlighted. Professional Members who lose their good standing with the self- regulatory body that governs them (e.g. State Bar for lawyers) or who fail to attend 50% or more of the meetings of the SIGS and ABC shall not be entitled to be listed or serve on the panels.
10.Participants who are named in a publicly-communicated accusation of wrongdoing within the community shall be immediately placed on inactive membership status in the Arizona Business Council until such situation is completely resolved.
I acknowledge the ABC Code of Ethics and agree to abide by them.
Signature: ______Date: ______
Print name: ______