In the wake of more rigorous governance compliance and increased disclosure requirements, companies can expect the cost of being public to increase by nearly 100 percent, depending on their size.

Estimated costs for middle-market companies, some listed at right, include increased accounting and legal

fees, according to the law firm of Foley Lardner, which conducted the study.

While much of the study used data from proxy statements, some of the information was distilled from interviews and surveys that attempt to predict a full-year's compliance with SOX-related requirements.

The complete study from Foley Lardner is available below:

  Download an Executive Summary