Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group Expands Presence in Southeast Region

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), one of the leading independent global professional services firms specializing in performance improvement, turnaround management and business advisory services, announced it has expanded its Transaction Advisory Group (TAG) and tax advisory division, Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC, in the Southeast region with the addition of six transaction professionals.

All formerly of Ernst & Young, Jay Moody and Jeff Foster join as senior directors and Nicholas Haughey joins as a manager in the firm’s Atlanta office. 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. They join TAG senior director Richard Sober, who has been based in Atlanta with the firm for more than a year. Healthcare industry professional Lori Wooden joins the firm’s Nashville office as a director in the Healthcare section of TAG.

“We are excited to broaden the firm’s deep financial, operational and tax due diligence and performance improvement services for private equity firms, hedge funds and corporate acquirers throughout the Southeast region with the addition of these skilled transaction advisors,” said Michael Cole, a managing director of A&M Transaction Advisory Group, based in the Southeast region.

Mr. Moody specializes in providing all aspects of accounting and transaction advice. Over the course of his career, he has worked with multinational corporate and private equity clients on financial diligence projects involving both public and private companies. Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Moody was a senior manager with the transaction advisory services practice of Ernst & Young in Atlanta. Previously, he served as the accounting manager of the Caribbean region and manager of accounting research and policy at Mirant Corporation, an Atlanta-based independent power producer. He began his career at Arthur Andersen in Atlanta.

Mr. Moody received a master’s degree and bachelor's degree, with honors, in accounting from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Georgia and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Bringing more than 12 years of public accounting and transaction related experience to the firm, Mr. Foster assists clients with acquisition and divestiture services. He has worked with private equity and corporate clients in providing financial transaction advisory services and coordinating tax, human resources and information technology due diligence. Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Foster was a senior manager with the transaction advisory services practice of Ernst & Young in Atlanta. Earlier, he served in assurance and advisory services roles with Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. and CBIZ, Inc.

Mr. Foster earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, with a concentration in accounting, and master’s degree in accountancy from Auburn University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Georgia and Alabama State Societies of Certified Public Accountants.

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).

Over the course of her career, Ms. Wooden has served in various advisory, accounting and auditing roles within the healthcare industry. She has served a wide range of clients, including acute care hospitals, dialysis management, orthopedic clinics and correctional healthcare management. Prior to joining A&M, Ms. Wooden served as the controller for Gordian Health Solutions, a wellness and disease management company, and rural hospital operator Attentus Healthcare. Previously, Ms. Wooden was a manager of internal audit with IASIS Healthcare, where she coordinated and oversaw financial audits of acute care hospitals. She began her career with the assurance and advisory business services practice of Ernst & Young in Nashville.

Ms. Wooden received a bachelor’s degree in business administration, magna cum laude, from Middle Tennessee State University. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of Tennessee and an active member of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA).

Mr. Haughey brings experience in buy- and sell-side financial due diligence projects for private equity firms, private equity portfolio companies and strategic buyers. He has participated in numerous transactions across several industries, including professional services, energy (primarily electricity generating assets), manufacturing and technology. Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Haughey was a senior associate with the transaction advisory services practice of Ernst & Young in Atlanta. He began his career in the assurance & advisory business services practice of Ernst & Young in McLean, VA.

Mr. Haughey holds a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in finance from Wofford College and a master of science in accountancy from the University of Notre Dame. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Virginia and Georgia.

About Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group

Working with private equity firms, hedge funds and corporate acquirers, Alvarez & Marsal's senior team of Transaction Advisory professionals in North America and Europe delivers the traditional pre-acquisition financial and accounting due diligence services that investors have come to expect, including quality of earnings and working capital. But A&M goes a step beyond, working with investors to analyze, identify and evaluate the impact that operational and other key factors will have on investment theses and transaction values. Applying an integrated and proven operational perspective, A&M’s diligence services span financial, operational and tax disciplines, with an eye toward surfacing areas of opportunity and risk. Free from audit-based conflicts of interest, A&M's Transaction Advisory Group helps investors to hit the ground running on Day One and, ultimately, unlock value for stakeholders.

For 25 years, Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has set the standard for working with organizations to tackle complex issues, boost performance and maximize value for stakeholders. As a leading, independent global professional services firm, Alvarez & Marsal excels at leadership, problem solving and value creation. Whether serving in interim management or advisory roles, the firm draws on a deep operational heritage and hands-on approach to deliver comprehensive performance improvement, turnaround management and business advisory services to clients ranging from international enterprises and middle market companies to public sector and healthcare entities from nearly 40 locations around the world.

A&M has been recognized as a top ten “Best Firm to Work For” by Consulting Magazine.

About Alvarez & Marsal Taxand

Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), 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. 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.

To learn more, visit www.alvarezandmarsal.com.