Alvarez & Marsal Launches Tax Advisory Services Group; National Team of Senior Tax Professionals Joins Firm to Provide Independent Tax Advisory Services.

NEW YORK -- Alvarez & Marsal, a global professional services firm, announced it has formed a new Tax Advisory Services group to provide clients with independent advice on tax matters. Joining the firm is a seasoned team of tax professionals led by Alvarez & Marsal Tax Advisory Services Chief Executive Officer, Robert N. Lowe, Jr., who previously spent more than two decades with Arthur Andersen's Tax and Business Advisory practice.

"For more than 20 years, Alvarez & Marsal has been building a global reputation for helping clients in a range of industries address complex business challenges," said Bryan Marsal, co-founder of A&M. "As a leader in the turnaround and restructuring industry, our firm made a strategic decision in recent years to expand our capabilities while maintaining our tradition of providing top quality client service. Thus, we are building a team of top-flight industry veterans to create and lead our new service areas and enhance the value we provide to clients.

"Our new tax practice, led by Bob Lowe, complements A&M's well-established operational and financial expertise and seeks to address the market demand for tax professionals who will partner with their clients to advise them with absolute integrity regarding tax matters that impact their business," he continued.

"In the wake of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and greater scrutiny on corporate tax strategies, companies need to be able to rely on senior-level, objective advice to effectively manage tax liabilities and risks," said Mr. Lowe. "As a result, an increasing number of management teams and boards of directors are looking beyond traditional audit firms, which often encounter conflicts of interest. We are aggressively recruiting seasoned tax professionals who will serve as advocates for their clients."

A&M's Tax Advisory Services include: consulting on federal, international, and state and local tax matters, including tax aspects of mergers, acquisitions and dispositions; identifying and managing tax risks; advising on tax technology and process optimization for the tax function; and providing efficient solutions for tax reporting requirements.

During his career with Andersen, Mr. Lowe held several leadership positions including Global Managing Partner for Expansions and Alliances, Member of the Global, U.S., and U.S. Tax Leadership Teams, and Managing Partner of the Florida Caribbean Market. Immediately prior to joining A&M, he was a Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of a private equity firm with $1.5 billion under management. Mr. Lowe holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in accounting from the University of Florida.

In addition to Mr. Lowe, Mike Stokke, who has over 24 years of tax advisory experience, joins the firm as a Managing Director and head of the Tax Advisory Services practice in Atlanta. Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Stokke consulted on corporate tax matters at Arthur Andersen and Deloitte in Houston, Minneapolis and Atlanta. He led Andersen's Minneapolis tax practice for seven years, and held national management roles in both Andersen and Deloitte. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Mr. Stokke earned a MBA in management with a specialization in strategy and leadership from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Business.

Joining Mr. Stokke in Atlanta is Jeff Rubin, a Managing Director who spent over 17 years with Arthur Andersen where he led the International Tax and Business Advisory Practice for the Southeast Region. While at Andersen he was responsible for delivering value-added consulting services and tax advice for some of the largest multinational companies in Atlanta and the Southeast. Mr. Rubin also was a member of Andersen's team focused on partnership taxation. Immediately prior to joining A&M, Mr. Rubin co-founded and served as a managing member of a venture capital fund, which invested in startup technology companies in the Southeast. Mr. Rubin earned a J.D. from Emory University School of Law and a Bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Florida.

Ted McElroy joins the firm as a Managing Director and head of the Tax Advisory Services practice in Houston. Prior to joining A&M he spent 23 years with Arthur Andersen where he led Andersen's Gulf Coast Region tax practice. Mr. McElroy has served clients in the oil and gas industry and has authored publications and articles about leading tax issues impacting companies in the oil and gas industry, including the Arthur Andersen Oil and Gas Federal Income Tax Manual. For the last two years, he was the Global and U.S. Oil and Gas Tax Industry leader for Deloitte. Mr. McElroy earned both a Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in taxation from Texas A&M University.

Kim Barr, who has more than 23 years of tax advisory experience, joins the firm as a Managing Director and head of the San Francisco Tax Advisory Services practice. Prior to joining A&M, he was a partner with Andersen and Deloitte in San Francisco and Seattle. In Seattle, he led Andersen's tax practice for several years. In San Francisco, he headed up the region's state and local tax practice for Deloitte. Mr. Barr's experience includes advising clients in such industries as health care, software, publishing and power generation on federal and state and local tax matters. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor's degree in accounting, he earned a law degree from Duke Law School.

Kristin Cobb Fonseca, who spent over ten years with Arthur Andersen, joins the firm as a Managing Director, based in Miami. During her career with Andersen, she advised large corporate clients on mergers and acquisitions and accounting methods matters. Ms. Fonseca also was a member of Andersen's Global Expansions and Alliances team where she was responsible for identifying, structuring and negotiating the firm's acquisitions, divestitures and alliances. Ms. Fonseca holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in accounting from the University of Florida.

Founded in 1983, Alvarez & Marsal is a global professional services firm that helps businesses and organizations in the corporate and public sectors navigate complex business and operational challenges. With professionals based in locations across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Alvarez & Marsal delivers a proven blend of leadership, problem solving and value creation. Drawing on its strong operational heritage and hands-on approach, Alvarez & Marsal works closely with organizations and their stakeholders to help navigate complex business issues, implement change and favorably influence results. Its service offerings include Turnaround Management Consulting, Crisis and Interim Management, Creditor Advisory, Financial Advisory, Dispute Analysis and Forensics, Real Estate Advisory, Business Consulting and Tax Advisory. For more information about the firm, please visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com or contact Rebecca Baker, Chief Marketing Officer at 212.759.4433.