Senior executives of Ernst & Young LLP, KPMG LLP and otherlarge accounting firms said regulators should back away from aproposal that public companies be required to rotate theirauditors.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the nonprofitthat regulates auditors of U.S.-listed companies, is weighingmandatory term limits to combat auditor bias toward longtimeclients. Chief executives and other leading officials at theso-called Big Four firms criticized the rotation proposal today ata meeting in Washington, arguing it would hurt the quality ofaudits.

“It is not a necessary or constructive means to promote auditorskepticism, and we are aware of no evidence suggesting that it willimprove audit quality,” said Stephen R. Howe, managing partner ofErnst & Young in the U.S., in remarks submitted to the board.Howe, who pointed out most of the 630 comment letters to the PCAOBwere against rotation, said the change would cause higher costs anddisruptions.