Sharon Gallagher, Josh Thomas, and Jo Wadley work for the audit firm W&S Partners. Sharon is an audit manager, Josh is an audit senior, and Jo is an audit partner. They meet to discuss the results of a survey of other offices of W&S Partners, as well as their own office. The survey was directed toward determining if W&S Partners had any independence problems with respect to a new prospective client, Cloud 9 Inc. Based on the survey, they learn the following:

• Jo Wadley and David Collier (Cloud 9’s CFO) both serve on the board of directors of the local chapter of Special Olympics.

• A tax senior in another office has a sister that consults with Cloud 9 on shoe design. Cloud 9 is her largest client.

• Fifteen employees of W&S Partners, ranging from partners to entry-level staff, own shares in retailers that sell Cloud 9 shoes.

• A survey shows that 23% of professional staff working for W&S Partners have purchased Cloud 9 shoes in the past.

Required

Evaluate each of the items above and their impact on the independence of W&S Partners with respect to Cloud 9. If relevant, list any additional actions you might take before making your independence recommendation to Jo Wadley.