Item 4.01 Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant.
The Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board of Directors of Origin Materials, Inc. (the “Company”) conducted an evaluation process to determine the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. The Audit Committee, with the assistance of the Company’s management, evaluated several independent registered public accounting firms as part of this process, reviewing the qualifications, the independence and, if a firm was deemed to be qualified and independent to warrant further evaluation, the range of fees associated with their services.
Dismissal of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
On March 6, 2023, the Audit Committee approved the dismissal of the Grant Thornton LLP (“GT”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.
GT’s reports on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, which were included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the subsequent interim period through March 6, 2023, there were: (i) no disagreements within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K between the Company and GT on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to GT’s satisfaction, would have caused GT to make reference thereto in GT’s reports; and (ii) no “reportable events” within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K, except for the material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting previously reported in Part II, Item 9A “Controls and Procedures” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
During the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020, during the course of preparing for our business combination, and during the second quarter 2021 and third quarter 2021 interim reviews, we identified a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting. As discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, we concluded that the identified material weakness has been remediated.
The Company provided GT with a copy of this Current Report on Form 8-K (this “Report”) prior to its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and requested that GT furnish the Company with a letter addressed to the SEC stating whether or not GT agrees with the above statements and stating the respects, if any, in which GT does not agree with such statements. The letter from GT is filed with this Report as Exhibit 16.1.
Engagement of New Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
On March 6, 2023, the Audit Committee approved the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
During the Company’s fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and through March 6, 2023, neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf consulted with Deloitte regarding either: (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 Deloitte concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; or (ii) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement or a reportable event.
