On September 28, 2021, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Statera BioPharma, Inc. (the “Company”) approved the engagement of Turner, Stone & Company, LLP (“Turner Stone”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021, subject to completion of Turner Stone’s standard client acceptance process and execution of an engagement letter, and dismissed Meaden & Moore (“M&M”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

 

The reports of M&M on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. M&M's report on the Company's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion but contained a modified opinion, as it included an explanatory paragraph describing the net capital deficiency that raised substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.

 

During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 and the subsequent interim period through September 28, 2021: (i) the Company had no disagreements (as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions) with M&M on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to M&M’s satisfaction, would have caused M&M to make reference thereto in its reports on the Company’s financial statements for such years, and (ii) there were no “reportable events,” as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K, other than with respect to the Company’s previously reported determination that as of December 31, 2019, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective.

 

The Company provided M&M with a copy of the disclosures required by Item 304 of Regulation S-K contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K and requested that M&M furnish the Company with a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating whether M&M agrees with the above statements made by the Company in this Current Report on Form 8-K and, if not, stating the respects in which it does not agree. A copy of M&M’s letter, dated September [ ], 2021, is filed as Exhibit 16.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 and the subsequent interim period through September 28, 2021, neither the Company, nor anyone acting on the Company’s behalf, consulted Turner Stone regarding: (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s financial statements, and neither a written report nor oral advice was provided to the Company that Turner Stone concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing, or financial reporting issue, or (ii) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions or a “reportable event” described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.