Brian Cumberland Joins Alvarez & Marsal Tax Advisory Services to Head National Benefits and Compensation Practice; J.D. Ivy and Mark Spittell Join Practice as Senior Directors.

DALLAS -- Alvarez & Marsal Tax Advisory Services, LLC announced that Brian Cumberland has joined as managing director and leader of the national benefits and compensation practice. Additionally, J.D. Ivy and Mark Spittell have joined the practice as senior directors. All three are based in Dallas.

"Our clients are increasingly demanding compensation and benefits expertise. With our new national compensation and benefits team led by Brian Cumberland, we are able to expand the global tax capabilities we bring to our clients," said Robert N. Lowe, Jr., CEO of Alvarez & Marsal Tax Advisory Services, LLC. "We are thrilled to have this talented team of professionals who have extensive experience advising corporate clients on all matters related to compensation and benefits."

With nearly two decades of experience, Mr. Cumberland advises corporate clients on executive compensation 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. Additionally, he assists clients with the development of compensation strategies, benchmarking compensation, and annual incentive and long-term compensation programs to align with clients' overall business strategies and with consideration of the tax and accounting ramifications. Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Cumberland led KPMG's compensation and benefits group for the Southwest. Previously, he was an advisory for compensation and benefits matters in KPMG's Washington National Tax Practice. A graduate of the University of Texas, he holds a J.D. from St. Mary's School of Law, and an LL.M. in taxation from the University of Denver.

Mr. Ivy also advises corporate clients on a wide range of executive compensation and benefits matters. Prior to joining A&M, he was a senior manager in the compensation and benefits groups of KPMG and Arthur Andersen. Mr. Ivy received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Abilene Christian University and a master's degree in business administration from Texas Tech University.

Mr. Spittell provides tax advice to corporate clients for qualified and nonqualified retirement plans addressing such issues as plan design, resolution of qualification issues, performance of nondiscrimination testing, preparation of regulatory filings, and assistance with IRS voluntary compliance program filings. Prior to joining A&M, he was a senior manager with KPMG. Previously, he spent eleven years with the Internal Revenue Service as an employee plans specialist. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the California State University at Fullerton.

About Alvarez & Marsal Tax Advisory Services, LLC:

Alvarez & Marsal Tax Advisory Services, 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 Tax Advisory Services, LLC, is a founding member of the Taxand global alliance which is comprised of independent tax firms in countries around the world which provide our multinational clients with international tax advice. With more than 1,000 global tax professionals worldwide, Taxand provides clients with an alternative to the Big Four audit firms for global tax services.

For more information, visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com. Contact: Chief Marketing Officer Rebecca Baker at [phone], or e-mail [e-mail].