Colin Keane joins A&M TAXAND from Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) where he was Employment Solutions Director in the London office for three years. Prior to this, Colin was Head of Operational and Employment Tax at Barclays for six years. With his wide experience of assessing employment tax risks and managing employment costs, he will advise A&M TAXAND’s clients on a wide range of employment solutions at a time when income and pension tax changes are having a significant impact on how companies reward their employees. Colin will work with Sarah Pickering, Managing Director, who leads the firm’s Reward and Compensation practice.

A&M TAXAND UK advises companies on the HR, tax, legal and accounting issues associated with employee incentives, helping employers’ to maximise the cost-effectiveness of their reward programmes whilst enhancing the value of the benefits for employees. The team works alongside senior management to review and implement effective remuneration structures.

David Pert, Managing Director and Head of Alvarez & Marsal TAXAND UK, commented:

“Colin’s appointment represents our commitment to providing our clients with the level of in-depth advice they need in a climate where tax issues are weighing increasingly heavily, demanding ever more time and resources. Colin will help companies find more ways to mitigate their tax burden while devising structures which incentivise top talent.”

Colin Keane said:

“Today’s environment is hugely challenging for employers and looks set to continue as the aftermath of the financial crisis is played out fully. There needs to be a balance between suitably rewarding employees and safeguarding the future profitability of the company. Income tax rates, national insurance, capital gains tax and one-off bonus taxes are challenging areas that companies have to get to grips with right now. Because A&M TAXAND provides entirely independent tax advice, we can work with companies without fear of audit-based conflicts of interest.”[/private]

TAXAND is the first global network of independent tax advisers, with member firms in more than forty countries. Alvarez & Marsal TAXAND is a founding member of the global network, with the UK branch joining the TAXAND network in October 2007. Other tax services provided include transfer pricing, international tax planning and tax litigation.

“From global private equity firms to local franchises, the demand for independent tax advisory services continues to increase as the complexities of international and local tax laws evolve,” said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., CEO of A&M Taxand. “We welcome Keith and John to the firm and look forward to adding their deep industry knowledge to our growing Midwest presence.”

With more than three decades of experience handling tax matters related to private equity funds and global companies, Mr. Kechik has a deep understanding of various transactional matters such as structured finance investments, mergers and acquisitions, disposition strategies, joint ventures, securitizations, leasing and cross-border planning. He most recently served as the western region partner-in-charge of mergers and acquisitions with the Transaction Tax Services group at KPMG. Previously, he was a partner with both Deloitte and Arthur Andersen, where he spent more than twenty-five years combined. A licensed Certified Public Accountant for the state of Illinois, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from De Paul University.

Mr. Easterday concentrates on state income and franchise taxation for middle market to Fortune 50 companies, including matters such as managing controversy, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and compliance. He also has extensive industry knowledge in sales and use, as well as property and employment taxes. Most recently, he spent four years as a managing director with True Partners Consulting where he led the State Income and Franchise Tax and Employment Tax practices. Prior to that, he served in various roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Arthur Andersen. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from DePaul University and is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in Illinois and Indiana. Mr. Easterday is also a member of the AICPA and Illinois and Indiana CPA Societies.[/private]

Shiv Mahalingham, Head of Transfer Pricing for Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK said, “This secondment will provide clients with unique insight into the US market. Justin will be a critical factor in our commitment to client service.”

With more than a decade of experience, Mr. Smith has served clients in many diverse industries, leading transfer pricing projects ranging from compliance to global strategic planning. Having spent the majority of his career in Silicon Valley, he brings a strong background in serving high technology clientele and advising on the tax effective management of intangible property.[/private]

Mr. Wibbing brings more than 15 years of international tax experience to the
firm, having worked on both inbound and outbound international tax issues, with
an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring planning, as
well as the structuring of cross-border financing arrangements.

“Doug brings an impressive background and an unwavering commitment to providing
the highest level of client service,” said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., CEO of A&M
Taxand. “His experience further strengthens our international capabilities and
we are delighted to welcome him to the firm.”

Prior to joining Alvarez & Marsal, Mr. Wibbing spent more than three years in
Brussels advising clients from a wide variety of industries on merger and
acquisitions planning and related cross-border financing techniques. Before
that, he served as a partner within the international tax services groups of
Deloitte and Ernst & Young.

Mr. Wibbing earned a bachelor`s degree in finance from California State
University, Fresno, as well as a master`s degree from San Joaquin College of Law
and a master`s degree in business administration from San Diego State
University. He is a certified public accountant in the state of California.
[/private]
About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), a leading
global professional services firm, is an independent tax group comprised of
experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to
clients and investors across a broad range of industries. Its professionals
extend A&M`s commitment to offering clients a choice in advisers who are free
from audit-based conflicts of interest, and bring an unyielding commitment to
delivering responsive client service. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand has offices in
major metropolitan markets throughout the U.S., and serves the U.K. from its
base in London, England.

A founding member of Taxand, a global network of leading tax advisors from
independent member firms in nearly 50 countries, Alvarez & Marsal Taxand was
recently named Tax Restructuring Firm of the Year by International Tax Review as
part of its 2009 Americas Tax Awards.

Joining the Transaction Tax Practice of A&M Taxand in Atlanta is senior director, Cardell McKinstry, formerly of Deloitte & Touche, and director, Amanda Starr, previously with Ernst & Young.

Mr. McKinstry focuses on advising financial and strategic clients on the tax aspects and structuring of taxable and tax-free transactions. These include mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, restructurings, leveraged buy-outs and recapitalizations. Prior to joining A&M, Mr. McKinstry was a senior manager with the mergers and acquisitions transaction services group at Deloitte & Touche.

Mr. McKinstry holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Alabama. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Texas and Georgia and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Ms. Starr advises multi-state clients on various state and local tax matters, including income / franchise, sales and use, property and payroll taxes. She also has experience in identifying abandoned and unclaimed property issues for clients. Prior to joining A&M, Ms. Starr was a manager with the transaction advisory group of Ernst & Young. Earlier, she was with the sales and use tax group of Ryan & Company.

Ms. Starr earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, magna cum laude, with a concentration in accounting, from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. She is a Certified Member of the Institute (CMI) and a member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT).

TAXAND is the first global network of independent tax advisers, with member firms in more than 40 countries. Alvarez & Marsal TAXAND is a founding member of the global network, with the UK branch joining the TAXAND network in October 2007. Other tax services provided include transfer pricing, international tax planning and tax litigation.

Sarah Pickering, formerly a partner with the Human Capital practice at Ernst & Young, has joined as a Managing Director to lead the firm’s Reward and Compensation Group. She specialises in advising companies on the design, implementation and communication of employee reward programmes, as well as assisting companies in managing people change through corporate transactions, from due diligence to post-merger implementation.

David Pert, Managing Director and Head of Alvarez & Marsal TAXAND UK, commented:

“The market demands a fresh perspective on the tax implications of reward systems and remuneration structuring, with a need to focus on optimising the cost to benefit ratio. With A&M’s strong operational heritage and Sarah’s experience in reward and compensation, we can now provide our clients with the level of in-depth advice they need in a climate where both employees need to be motivated and efficiencies need to be increased.”

Sarah Pickering said:

“Our approach will be twofold: technical excellence in tax, coupled with pragmatic creative solutions to challenging business issues. Motivated people are the key to driving businesses forward, particularly in this depressed market. However, now more than ever, companies need to ensure they are operating cost-effectively.  Ensuring their reward and compensation programmes function as efficiently as possible is an important part of the process.”

Learn more about A&M Taxand UK’s Reward and Compensation services.

The focus of the group will be on domestic and international VAT and other indirect tax advice including supply chain enhancement work, cash management, due diligence, restructuring work for distressed businesses, merger integration support and specialist real estate and financial sector work.

Richard Baxter brings more than 20 years indirect tax experience and specialises in: advising major US and European based multinationals on international VAT liabilities; VAT recovery and establishment issues; transaction-based VAT planning and wider indirect tax compliance issues; in addition to negotiating with HMRC at senior levels and managing tax cases to VAT Tribunal.

David Pert, Managing Director and Head of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK, commented:

“I am delighted to welcome Richard to the senior team at A&M Taxand. His appointment is particularly timely, given the significance of the proposals in the Pre-Budget Report in relation to VAT. Richard is an expert in the field and will further assist in broadening our VAT and indirect tax offering.”

Richard Baxter said:

“A focus on indirect tax is particularly important in current markets. This means removing unnecessary VAT and other indirect tax costs and maximising the effectiveness of the VAT cash cycle within a business. We are particularly well-placed to deliver market-leading service in this area given A&M Taxand’s leading position in business restructuring.

About Taxand

Formed in 2005 by a group of nine premier tax firms from countries around the world, Taxand is the first global network of independent tax advisors. Since its launch, the network has expanded exponentially, underscoring the increasing demand among local and international companies for sophisticated tax advisory services that are free from audit-based conflicts of interest.  Now operating in more than 45 countries, Taxand has more than 300 tax partners and more than 2,000 professionals serving the global marketplace.  As a founding member of the Taxand global network, Alvarez & Marsal Taxand provides seamless, integrated and independent global tax services.

Sixteen Taxand member firms were recommended as leading tax and transactional practices by readers of International Tax Review in a recent online poll and 78% of Taxand firms are ranked in the top tiers of the 2008 World Tax Guide.

Further information is available at www.taxand.com

About Alvarez & Marsal

Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is the leading independent global professional services firm that provides specialized performance improvement, turnaround management, and business advisory services to companies, investors and stakeholders across the industry spectrum. With services delivered through professionals operating locally throughout Europe and around the world, A&M works as advisers or in interim management roles to help guide organizations through complex periods of change. The firm has been at the forefront of driving performance improvement through its multi-cultural and multi-lingual professionals who excel at problem solving and value creation.

Setting the standard of excellence in turnaround management since 1983, Alvarez & Marsal draws on its strong operational heritage and hands-on problem solving approach to accelerate results for publicly listed and privately held corporates and public sector organisations, positioning them for success on the path forward.

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC, an independent tax group, has appointed a Global Advisory Board comprised of former Arthur Andersen senior tax partners Harry Ruffalo, Andre Fogarasi and David Murby. As senior advisers, they will advise the firm on global marketing, training initiatives and delivering outstanding client service.

“We are thrilled to have Harry, Andre and David, who were instrumental in the growth and success of Arthur Andersen’s tax business during its heyday, working with us,” said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., head of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand. “A&M’s tax advisory business in the U.S. and U.K., and across the globe through the TAXAND network, continues to experience exponential growth due to the demand by corporations for independent tax advice. This Global Advisory Board lends a practiced, insightful point-of-view on executing our strategy of providing the market with a high quality fifth global tax firm.”

“The experience these individuals bring to our firm is invaluable,” said David Pert, head of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK. ”Their passion for the tax business is inspiring to all of our people.”

Over the course of his more than 30 year career in international tax services, Mr. Ruffalo has established and managed successful tax practices, and focused on client satisfaction. Prior to joining A&M, he was with Arthur Andersen, where he served as a senior partner for training, client satisfaction and other matters until 2000. From 1989-1997, Mr. Ruffalo was worldwide head of the firm’s tax, business advisory and legal services practice, where in addition to being in charge of the quality of the tax, legal and business advisory practice throughout the world, he was responsible for building 14 new businesses, including the state and  local tax practice. Previously, he was the head of the firm’s tax practice in Chicago from 1984-1989.

Mr. Ruffalo is a member of the University of Wisconsin Foundation Board, the Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of International Studies and the Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Law. He was an adjunct professor with the University of Wisconsin, School of Law, where he taught a course entitled, “The Business of Practicing Law.” In addition, Mr. Ruffalo is the author of A Student’s Introduction to the Business of Practicing Law.

With more than 30 years of tax experience and 25 years of experience in international tax services, Mr. Fogarasi focuses on all aspects of managing a global tax business, including marketing, training, and serving clients efficiently and effectively. Prior to joining A&M, he was with Arthur Andersen, where he spent 11 years as a managing director of the National Tax Office in Washington, D.C., and as a managing director of U.S. tax competence, responsible for the training function within the firm’s tax practice. Previously, he was a managing director of global international tax services. Before joining Andersen, Mr. Fogarasi was the special assistant to the Under Secretary of Tax and Economic Affairs with the U.S. Department of Treasury. Previously, he was an assistant director with the general litigation division of the Office of Chief Counsel of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Mr. Fogarasi was an adjunct professor of international tax at Washington College of Law, American University. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Kalypsys, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company.

Bringing more than 40 years of international tax experience, Mr. Murby focuses on recruiting, marketing and business development activities. Over the course of his career, he has maintained a focus on cross-border structuring, planning and financing, transfer pricing matters, and mergers and acquisitions transactions. Mr. Murby was a partner and senior member of the international tax team with Arthur Andersen in London until 1998. Previously, he was with HM Revenue & Customs, where he served as inspector of taxes.

Mr. Murby serves as a trustee and secretary of London String of Pearls, an organization that brings together public institutions along the Thames River to provide unique activities around special events.

About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), a leading global professional services firm, is an independent tax group made up of experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to clients and investors across a broad range of industries. Its professionals extend A&M’s commitment to offering clients a choice in advisers who are free from audit-based conflicts of interest, and bring an unyielding commitment to delivering responsive client service. A&M Taxand has offices in major metropolitan markets throughout the U.S., and serves the U.K. from its base in London, England.

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand is a founding member of Taxand, the first global network of independent tax advisers that provides multinational companies with the premier alternative to Big Four audit firms. Formed in 2005 by a small group of highly respected tax firms, Taxand has grown to more than 2,000 tax professionals, including 300 international partners based in more than 40 countries.

Alvarez & Marsal was recognized as one of the top ten “Best Firms to Work For” on Consulting Magazine’s 2008 list.

“Steve’s depth of experience in handling large corporate tax matters and breadth of knowledge regarding regulatory, compliance and other intricacies associated with M&A and cross-border situations is extensive,” said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., head of A&M Taxand. ”His leadership and insight gained from his recent industry experience, plus his extensive consulting background, are great complements to our growing team of senior tax professionals, and will provide a valuable perspective to our clients.”

In addition to his international M&A skills, Mr. Hoffman brings significant experience in repatriation and cash management planning techniques, foreign tax credit utilization, cross-border financings, and global effective tax rate management. With his industry experience, he has dealt firsthand with the increasing complexity of income tax accounting and reporting since the advent of Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404, and has led the improvement of internal processes to support compliance efforts. As a tax partner with Arthur Andersen in three different locations, Mr. Hoffman held several leadership positions and served a number of public companies in the forest products industry. In Atlanta, he led the Southeast region M&A practice, before moving to Warsaw, Poland to build the firm’s nascent tax practice after the fall of communism. Upon returning to the U.S., he served as the partner-in-charge of Arthur Andersen’s Stamford, CT tax practice, before relinquishing that role to serve one of the firm’s largest global tax engagements.

Mr. Hoffman received a bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting from Duke University and a master’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in finance, from the University of Chicago. He serves as a trustee of Elmira College and sits on its executive committee.

About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal, a leading global professional services firm, is an independent tax group comprised of experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to clients and investors across a broad range of industries. Its professionals extend Alvarez & Marsal’s commitment to offering clients a choice in tax advisors free from audit-based conflicts of interest. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand serves clients with knowledge, experience and integrity, and an unyielding commitment to delivering unmatched and responsive client service. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC has offices in major metropolitan markets throughout the United States, in addition to London, England with the recent launch in 2007 of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK, LLP.

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand is a founding member of Taxand, the first global network of independent tax advisors formed in 2005 by small group of highly respected tax firms around the world. Having grown exponentially to more than 2,000 tax professionals, including 300 international partners based in more than 40 countries, the Taxand global network provides companies around the world with the premier alternative to Big Four audit firms.

The following professionals who have been promoted are based in seven different offices across the country: Lauren Byrne and J. Martin Williams, New York; Brett Nowak, San Francisco; Mary Ann Dickerson and Matthew Polli, Atlanta; Michael Fishman and J.D. Ivy, Dallas; Harley Priesmeyer, Houston; Rebecca Hoover, Charlotte; and Alejandro Joya and Sean Menendez, Miami.

Based in New York, Ms. Byrne focuses on advising financial and strategic buyers and sellers on tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, including reorganizations, spin-offs, financings, repatriations and bankruptcies, in both domestic and cross-border transactions across a wide range of industries. Prior to joining A&M, she was with the transaction advisory services group of Ernst & Young.

Based in New York, Mr. Williams advises financial and strategic investors on tax aspects associated with mergers and acquisitions and other transactional related matters including leveraged buyouts, reorganizations, spin-offs, cross boarder financing and cash repatriation. Prior to joining A&M, he was with the mergers and acquisitions tax group of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Based in San Francisco, Mr. Nowak advises corporate clients on federal tax matters and helps them claim, document and sustain tax incentives, including research tax credits and investment tax credits. Prior to joining A&M, he was with KPMG and served as a regional leader for the research credit services team.

Based in Atlanta, Ms. Dickerson specializes in tax consulting for multinational organizations, concentrating primarily on cross-border acquisitions / dispositions and restructuring of U.S. foreign tax credit and repatriation planning, and she has extensive experience with FAS 109 for international companies. Prior to joining A&M, she was with Deloitte and Andersen in the international tax practice of each firm.

Based in Atlanta, Mr. Polli specializes in state and local tax consulting for corporate clients across a wide range of industries with an emphasis on income and franchise taxes for multi-state entities. Prior to joining A&M, he served in the multistate tax services group of Deloitte.

Based in Dallas, Mr. Fishman advises clients on federal, state and global research and development tax incentives, IRC Section 199 domestic production activities, meals and entertainment studies, jobs tax credit studies and various other tax incentive programs. Prior to joining A&M, he was with Deloitte and served as the marketplace leader for the Mid-America region.

Based in Dallas, Mr. Ivy provides tax advice to corporate clients on executive compensation matters, including issues related to stock options, restricted stock, non-qualified retirement plans, deferred compensation, global compensation strategies, golden parachute rules and the one million deduction limitation. Prior to joining A&M, he was with the compensation and benefits groups of KPMG and Arthur Andersen.

Based in Houston, Mr. Priesmeyer advises clients on multi-state income, franchise and transaction tax matters, including assistance with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and tax process improvements. Prior to joining A&M, he was director of state and local taxes with Duke Energy Corporation.

Based in Charlotte, Ms. Hoover provides tax-related services to U.S. multinational and foreign-owned companies and has assisted companies with reorganizations, including the post-merger integration of global operations and analyzing repatriation and cash flow for multinational companies. Prior to joining A&M, she was with the international tax services and lead tax services practices of Deloitte.

Based in Miami, Mr. Joya advises multi-state clients on various state and local tax matters, including income/franchise, sales and use and real estate transfer taxes, and also has experience in identifying and negotiating state and local incentives for relocating and expanding businesses.  Prior to joining A&M, he was with the state and local tax practices of Deloitte and Arthur Andersen.

Based in Miami, Mr. Menendez advises public and closely-held corporations, consolidated groups, pass-through entities on a wide variety of Federal tax matters. Prior to joining A&M, he was with Deloitte and KPMG.

About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal, a leading global professional services firm, is an independent tax group comprised of experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to clients and investors across a broad range of industries. Its professionals extend Alvarez & Marsal’s commitment to offering clients a choice in tax advisors free from audit-based conflicts of interest. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand serves clients with knowledge, experience and integrity, and an unyielding commitment to delivering unmatched and responsive client service.  Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC has offices in major metropolitan markets throughout the United States, in addition to London, England with the recent launch in 2007 of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK, LLP.

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand is a founding member of Taxand, the first global network of independent tax advisors formed in 2005 by small group of highly respected tax firms around the world. Having grown exponentially to more than 2,000 tax professionals, including 300 international partners based in more than 40 countries, the Taxand global network provides companies around the world with the premier alternative to Big Four audit firms.

For more information, visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com and/or www.taxand.com.

Mr. Lippman serves many of the country’s largest corporations, providing planning, consulting and controversy services, often in connection with bankruptcy proceedings, acquisitions, dispositions and reorganizations. Over the course of his career, he has held numerous practice and technical leadership positions with Big Four accounting firms, including KPMG LLP and Ernst & Young LLP.

Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Lippman served as vice president, technical and strategic tax services, with Liquid Engines, Inc., where he was responsible for the technical accuracy of the company’s state and local, international, and FIN 48 solutions. Prior to joining Liquid Engines, Mr. Lippman spent 27 years with the Big Four, where he served in a number of key leadership roles, including national partner in charge of technical state and local tax services at KPMG . Mr. Lippman was also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, where he taught state and local taxation in the Masters of Taxation Program.

Mr. Lippman received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina and a master’s degree in taxation from Georgetown University, graduating from both schools as valedictorian. He was the recipient of the Elijah Watt Sells award and the North Carolina Silver Medal for the May 1980 CPA examination. A frequent speaker and author on state tax technical matters, Mr. Lippman is an active participant on numerous organizational and academic boards, including the Georgetown Institute on State and Local Taxation, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Graduate Advisory Board and the University’s Foundation Board.

About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal, a leading global professional services firm, is an independent tax group comprised of experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to clients and investors across a broad range of industries. Its professionals extend Alvarez & Marsal’s commitment to offering clients a choice in tax advisors free from audit-based conflicts of interest. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand serves clients with knowledge, experience and integrity, and an unyielding commitment to delivering unmatched and responsive client service. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC has offices in major metropolitan markets throughout the United States, in addition to London, England with the recent launch in 2007 of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK, LLP.

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand is a founding member of Taxand, the first global network of independent tax advisors formed in 2005 by small group of highly respected tax firms around the world. Having grown exponentially to more than 2,000 tax professionals, including 300 international partners based in more than 40 countries, the Taxand global network provides companies around the world with the premier alternative to Big Four audit firms.

Bringing more than 20 years of tax planning and consulting experience, Mr. Filip focuses on federal income tax issues, including FAS 109, FIN 48, IRS examinations and appeals, tax structuring, accounting methods and other planning issues for his clients. Over the course of his career, he has advised entities across a range of industries, including high tech, telecommunications, consumer products, industrial manufacturing and forest products.

In addition to his positions with the federal tax practices, Mr. Filip previously led the high tech tax practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Portland. Earlier in his career, he was a member of the federal tax practice of KPMG in Portland and Los Angeles. Mr. Filip earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a master’s degree in taxation from San Diego State University. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Washington, Oregon, Montana and California (inactive).

About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal, a leading global professional services firm, is an independent tax group comprised of experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to clients and investors across a broad range of industries. Its professionals extend Alvarez & Marsal’s commitment to offering clients a choice in tax advisors free from audit-based conflicts of interest. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand serves clients with knowledge, experience and integrity, and an unyielding commitment to delivering unmatched and responsive client service. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC has offices in major metropolitan markets throughout the United States, in addition to London, England with the recent launch in 2007 of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK, LLP.

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand is a founding member of Taxand, the first global network of independent tax advisors formed in 2005 by small group of highly respected tax firms around the world. Having grown exponentially to more than 1,800 tax professionals, including 300 international partners based in more than 40 countries, the Taxand global network provides companies around the world with the premier alternative to Big Four audit firms.

For more information, visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com and/or www.taxand.com.

Frederic Donnedieu de Vabres, Chairman of Taxand, the first global network of independent tax advisors and Robert N. Lowe, CEO of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC have jointly announced the launch of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK LLP in London with a group of top tax partners previously associated with Chiltern Plc. Alvarez & Marsal Taxand is a founding member of the global Taxand network made up of independent tax firms around the world that do not offer audit services. The deal concluded swiftly after Chiltern was recently acquired in the UK by an audit firm, making it no longer eligible to be part of Taxand’s network. Led by former Chiltern CEO David Pert, Alvarez & Marsal Taxand U.K. will serve as the official U.K. member of the Taxand global network of independent tax advisors, Joining Mr. Pert as Managing Directors are Shiv Mahalingham and Kevin Hindley.

Stated Mr. Donnedieu de Vabres, also President of France-based founding member firm Arsene Taxand, “This exciting development is absolutely in line with Taxand’s core values of putting clients at the forefront and maintaining our independence and entrepreneurial spirit. More than 40 countries around the world share the Taxand commitment to serve our clients on platforms that remain free from audit-based conflicts of interest. This sends an important signal to our clients and the global market place.”

“Since our inception in 2004, Alvarez & Marsal Taxand in the United States has grown to more than 180 tax professionals,” said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., CEO of A&M Taxand. “At the same time, the Taxand global network has expanded to more than 40 countries and nearly 2000 tax professionals around the world. This rapid, yet strategic growth serves as a model that will be replicated and expanded by Alvarez & Marsal Taxand U.K. It is indicative of the surging demand we continue to see in today’s environment for independent tax advisors who are free from audit-based conflicts of interest facing accounting firms. David, Shiv and Kevin are world class tax professionals who have deep relationships in the U.K. and beyond. We are delighted to have them spearheading this exciting effort.”

“Alvarez & Marsal Taxand U.K. retains the principle of independence on which Taxand was founded and ensures that the global tax network will be able to continue to provide uninterrupted service to our Taxand clients,” said Frederic Donnedieu de Vabres, founder of French tax advisory firm, Arsene Taxand. “The entire Taxand membership welcomes the firm with great enthusiasm and unanimous support.”

Stated David Pert, “This feels a lot like coming home. Shiv, Kevin and I have been serving clients and working closely with our tax partners at Alvarez & Marsal and Taxand for years, so this transition has been seamless. Now both as Alvarez & Marsal and the U.K member of Taxand, we are better positioned than ever to build a world class tax team in the U.K.”

As CEO of Chiltern, Mr. Pert led the way in establishing the company as the U.K.’s largest independent tax consultancy. Prior to joining Chiltern, he was with a Moores Rowland where he earned a reputation as a leading tax fraud specialist. He began his tax career with HMRC (formerly Inland Revenue), where he spent 18 years focusing primarily on tax investigation and issues involving serious fraud.

Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Mahalingham was affiliated with Chiltern and previously with Ernst & Young where he led a number of large projects to include tax effective value chain optimization for FTSE 100 groups; thin capitalization studies for high profile private equity backed buyouts; dispute resolution between multinational groups and the U.K. tax authorities; and transfer pricing risk/opportunity assessments for FTSE mid-cap and fledgling groups. He also spent two years at PPD, a Fortune 500 company based in the U.K., where he established in-house transfer pricing risk controls, systems and planning structures.

Previously with Chiltern, Mr. Hindley brings ten years of corporate and international tax experience, eight of them at Big Four firms, including Deloitte and prior to that Ernst & Young. He specializes in working with multinational companies in the U.K./U.S. interface including both U.K. inbound and U.K. outbound clients. Mr. Hindley also has considerable experience relating to reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, de-mergers, break up bids, tax structuring, repatriation planning and capital gains planning as well as in the research and development of tax credits.

History of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand and the Taxand Global Network

In 2004, under the leadership of division CEO Robert N. Lowe in the U.S., Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), a leading global professional services firm, set out to build the premier independent tax practice of the post-Enron era dedicated to providing clients with a world-class alternative to Big Four accounting firms that would not be subject to audit-based conflicts of interest.

In 2005 Alvarez & Marsal Taxand joined a handful of highly respected tax firms to become a founding member of Taxand, the first independent network of global tax advisors with shared principles of delivering responsive client service and audit-free independence. The Taxand network continues to be led by visionary Chairman Frederic Donnedieu de Vabres, also CEO of Arsenes Taxand in France.

Both Alvarez & Marsal Taxand (www.alvarezandmarsal.com) and the Taxand global network (www.taxand.com) have grown exponentially since inception, signaling the surge in demand from clients for audit-free, responsive and independent tax advice on a country by country and global scale. The Taxand network now includes more than forty member firms, one per country around the world, that share a common vision of excellence in client service and offer independent tax advisory services through former Big Four talent. With the launch in 2007 of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand UK LLP led by former Chiltern CEO David Pert, both A&M and the Taxand network have extended this commitment to building the leading professional tax team in the UK that delivers seamless service to local and global Taxand clients.

“Transfer pricing has become an increasingly important issue for multinational organizations, both in terms of tax planning and risk management,” said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., CEO of A&M Taxand. “Through the Taxand global network of independent tax advisors, we are able to address these issues in a highly-coordinated way, providing companies with an integrated team of senior local and cross-border specialists who have deep experience in transfer pricing regulations and administrative practices within the jurisdictions in which they do business.

“Over the course of their careers at Big Four firms, Mike and Laurie have advised scores of major multinational companies on complex transfer pricing matters and will play a key role in building our U.S. presence and further enhancing Taxand’s global capabilities,” he added. “We are delighted to welcome them aboard.”

Prior to joining A&M, Dr. Murphy was head of the Mid-America transfer pricing practice with Deloitte & Touche in Dallas. Earlier, he was a partner with the Office of Federal Tax Services of Arthur Andersen in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Murphy specializes in assisting clients with the development of U.S. and multi-country transfer pricing documentation, the establishment and unwinding of cost sharing arrangements, audit defense and appeals proceeding, FIN 48 documentation, filings for competent authority relief and advance pricing agreements (APAs) as well as conducting economic analyses of related issues. He has represented clients before the IRS, CRA, the Mexican Hacienda, the Japanese NTA and the Korean NTS. Before beginning his tax consulting career, Dr. Murphy was a faculty member in the economics departments at University of Texas at Austin and Tufts University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy (with a minor in economics), cum laude, from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree and a doctorate in economics from Northwestern University.

Ms. Dicker brings experience from a wide range of clients and issues. She has assisted U.S. and non-U.S. clients with all aspects of transfer pricing, including global planning, U.S. and local country audit defense, U.S. competent authority requests, U.S. and bilateral APAs, and U.S. and local country documentation. Prior to joining A&M, Ms. Dicker served as a principal and area leader of the Mid-Atlantic transfer pricing practice with Ernst & Young. Previously, she spent 11 years with the Office of Federal Tax Services of Arthur Andersen in Washington, D.C. and in Andersen’s Boston office, where she was a partner and director of the firm’s New England transfer pricing practice. Earlier in her career, Ms. Dicker served as an economist in the APA program with the U.S. IRS, where she negotiated several major APAs, including two covering cost sharing agreements.

Ms. Dicker holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, cum laude, from Wesleyan University (Connecticut). She received a master’s degree in economics, with a concentration in public finance, from the University of Pennsylvania.

About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal, a leading global professional services firm, is an independent tax group comprised of experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to clients in a broad range of industries. Its professionals extend Alvarez & Marsal’s commitment to offering clients a choice in tax advisors free from audit-based conflicts of interest, serving clients with knowledge, experience and a commitment to excellence in client service.

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC is a founding member of Taxand, the first global network of independent tax advisors. With more than 1,750 tax professionals, including 300 international partners, with firms in 38 countries, Taxand provides companies around the world with an alternative to the Big Four audit firms for global tax services.

For more information, visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com.

Bringing more than 13 years of experience, Ms. Hoover provides tax-related services to U.S. multinational and foreign-owned companies, primarily in the manufacturing and financial services industries.

“Becky brings tremendous expertise in handling the intricate tax and accounting aspects involved with multinational corporate tax scenarios,” said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., CEO of Alvarez & Marsal Taxand. “As we continue to build a global network of the world’s top tax professionals, her skill set will prove invaluable to the firm.”

Prior to joining A&M, Ms. Hoover was with the international tax services and lead tax services practices of Deloitte Tax LLP. Previously, she was a member of the international tax and federal tax services groups of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC. Over the course of her career, she has assisted companies with reorganizations, including the post-merger integration of global operations; implementing tax planning strategies to manage the impact of U.S. federal and state tax liabilities; analyzing repatriation and cash flow strategies for multinational companies; and performing due diligence related to acquisitions.

Ms. Hoover holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Florida. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Georgia and North Carolina, and a member of the AICPA and the International Fiscal Association.

About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal, a leading global professional services firm, is an independent tax group comprised of experienced tax professionals dedicated to providing customized tax advice to clients in a broad range of industries. Its professionals extend Alvarez & Marsal’s commitment to offering clients a choice in tax advisors free from audit-based conflicts of interest, serving clients with knowledge, experience and a commitment to excellence in client service.

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC is a founding member of Taxand, the first global network of independent tax advisors. With more than 1,500 tax professionals, including 300 international partners, with firms in 37 countries, Taxand provides companies around the world with an alternative to the Big Four audit firms for global tax services.

For more information, visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com