SolomonEdwardsGroup Enters Fraud and Forensics Arena With Experts Ramirez and Zikmund Who Join To Lead Its National Practice.

PHILADELPHIA & WASHINGTON -- SolomonEdwardsGroup, LLC (SEG) is pleased to announce that Ariel Ramirez and Paul E. Zikmund have each joined the firm as Principal to lead its National Fraud and Forensic Services, which will service clients in the prevention, detection and investigation of fraud allegations. Ramirez and Zikmund bring over 40 years of combined Big Four, law enforcement, internal audit, investigative, compliance and consulting experience. Ramirez, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, is a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Internal Auditor; Zikmund is a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Fraud Deterrence Analyst.

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners 2006 Fraud Report shows the average fraud lasts approximately 18 months and U.S. Corporations lose an estimated 5% of all revenue, which leads to a potential loss of over $600 billion annually. "Ariel and Paul have an in-depth understanding of the fraud and criminal mindset, as well as the serious and consequential issues faced by companies today," stated Edward S. Baumstein, CPA, Chief Executive Officer of SEG. "We are fortunate to have these two well respected thought leaders on anti-fraud issues join SolomonEdwards' Leadership Team to service our clients across the country and around the world."

Ramirez has over 20 years' experience working with Fortune 500, multi-national companies and foreign governments, with significant experience in Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. At KPMG LLP he rose through the ranks, from Senior Consultant to Director, and then moved onto Ernst & Young LLP as National Director, Fraud Services. Prior to joining SEG, Ramirez was Director of Disputes and Investigations for Huron Consulting Group. He has concurrently served the country for over 20 years in the armed forces, currently a commissioned officer in the Navy reserves. Ramirez graduated from Tampa College with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration in International Business.

Zikmund has 20 years of experience in the investigation of complex financial frauds, conducting forensic audit engagements, and providing litigation support for a variety of antifraud programs and controls. He works with clients to investigate allegations of fraud, and assess and implement anti-fraud programs and control solutions. He has also conducted and managed complex international financial fraud investigations. Zikmund was previously with Deloitte and Touche, LLP and also served in in-house investigative roles with global Fortune 500 corporations. He worked for 10 years in law enforcement prior to joining the private sector as a fraud investigator. Zikmund graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science degree. He received an MBA from the University of Connecticut and a Masters of Accountancy from Auburn University. Zikmund regularly speaks and writes on fraud detection, prevention, and investigation topics.

About SolomonEdwardsGroup, LLC

SEG uniquely combines business consulting and accounting solutions with a professional search and interim resources model. The Company offers proven solutions to complex business issues including fraud and forensic services, internal audit, regulatory compliance, risk management, business process optimization and systems integration. SEG also provides permanent placement and temporary staffing services - from contingency and retained search for core positions, as well as interim resources for seasonal periods or special projects.

SEG, which was established in 1999, has expanded from its corporate headquarters in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA to Atlanta, GA; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Roseland, NJ; and Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. For more information, please visit www.solomonedwards.com.