Your firm has been approached by Mr. Wang, the financial director of LB Limited, for the audit of its financial statements as of 31 December 2021. Your firm is going to tender for the audit of this company while your firm has also been auditing the financial statements of its major competitor over the last four years. LB Limited is going to expand its business while it is currently seeking for a bank loan that has to be supported by a set of audited accounts. Mr. Wang, has urged you to accept the engagement before 1 February 2022 and they hope your firm can finish the job and issue the audit report by 28 February 2022. The engagement partner will be Mr. Mok who is a close friend of Mr. Wang. Ms Siu who has been working as the finance manager with LB Limited has joined your firm last week and is considered to be the best person as the audit manager in charge of the audit due to her prior knowledge and experience with the company. Mr. Mok has briefed your team that the audit should be completed quickly to meet the client's expectation as the audit fee from LB Limited will contribute a lot to the total income of your firm while it is heard that the company is planning for IPO in the next one or two years and your firm wants to tender for the job as its corporate finance advisor. A month ago, the media had reported that LB Limited was being sued by the environmental authority for emitting toxic gas. The case is undergoing legal proceeding.
Required:
Explain the professional and ethical issues that your firm has to consider before taking up this assignment as the external auditor of LB Limited.