Item 4.01. Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant.
For accounting purposes, the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement are treated as a reverse capitalization and, as such, the historical financial statements of the accounting acquirer, OmniAb, which have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”), will become the historical financial statements of the Company. In a reverse capitalization, a change of accountants is presumed to have occurred unless the same accountant audited the pre-transaction financial statements of both the legal acquirer and the accounting acquirer, and such change is generally presumed to occur on the date the reverse capitalization is completed.
(a) Dismissal of independent registered public accounting firm.
On November 1, 2022, the Board dismissed Marcum LLP (“Marcum”), APAC’s independent registered public accounting firm prior to the Business Combination, as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm effective immediately following the filing of the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, which consists only of the accounts of the pre-Business Combination special purpose acquisition company, APAC.
The report of Marcum on APAC’s, the Company’s legal predecessor, financial statements as of December 31, 2021 and for the period from February 5, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021, did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainties, audit scope or accounting principles, except for an explanatory paragraph in such report regarding substantial doubt about APAC’s ability to continue as a going concern.
During the period from February 5, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021 and subsequent interim period through November 1, 2022, there were no disagreements between the Company and Marcum on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial disclosure or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Marcum, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in its reports on APAC’s financial statements for such period.
During the period from February 5, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021 and subsequent interim period through November 1, 2022, there were no “reportable events” (as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act), except that for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, based upon an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of APAC concluded that its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were not effective due to its accounting for complex financial instruments. Based on the foregoing, it was determined that APAC had a material weakness as of June 30, 2022 relating to its internal controls over financial reporting.
The Company has provided Marcum with a copy of the foregoing disclosures and has requested that Marcum furnish the Company with a letter addressed to the SEC stating whether it agrees with the statements made by the Company set forth above. A copy of Marcum’s letter, dated November 7, 2022, is filed as Exhibit 16.1 to this Report.
(b) Disclosures regarding the new independent auditor.
On November 1, 2022, the Board approved the engagement of EY as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2022. EY served as the independent registered public accounting firm of Legacy OmniAb prior to the Business Combination. During the period from February 5, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2021 and subsequent period through November 7, 2022, neither the Company nor anyone on the Company’s behalf consulted with EY with