Senior executives of Ernst & Young LLP, KPMG LLP and other large accounting firms said regulators should back away from a proposal that public companies be required to rotate their auditors.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the nonprofit that regulates auditors of U.S.-listed companies, is weighing mandatory term limits to combat auditor bias toward longtime clients. Chief executives and other leading officials at the so-called Big Four firms criticized the rotation proposal today at a meeting in Washington, arguing it would hurt the quality of audits.

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