KPMG said late Monday night it had fired a senior partner in its Los Angeles office after learning that he had provided inside information to an unnamed individual “who then used that information in stock trades involving several West Coast companies.”

The audit firm, one of the Big Four, did not name the partner. It said that as a result of the discovery it had resigned as the auditor of two companies, “after concluding today that the firm’s independence has been impacted as a result of this individual’s behavior.”

The firm did not name the companies, but added, “We have no reason to believe that the financial statements of these companies have been materially misstated.”

Tim Connolly, a KPMG spokesman, said the discharged partner was a “senior partner who led accounts for some of our clients on the West Coast.”