Posted: 9/17/2007

Groom Law Group is pleased to announced that William (“Bill”) M. Evans, a Principal in the Firm’s Plan Design and Taxation Group, will become an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of Benefits Tax Counsel at the United States Department of Treasury.  Mr Evans joins the Department effective September 24th.

Mr. Evans has been a practicing attorney for more than twenty years – most of his career at Groom – and has largely concentrated on employee benefits taxation and regulatory compliance issues.  He has specific expertise in all aspects of defined benefit retirement plans – including cash balance and other hybrid arrangements – and resolving the benefits issues that stem from business mergers and acquisitions.

As an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of Benefits Tax Counsel, Mr. Evans will help create and review policies, legislation, and regulations relating to employee benefits taxation.  In this capacity, he will work closely with the IRS and other Treasury officials to develop and review U.S. Treasury regulations and IRS rulings on tax-qualified employee benefit plans.  Currently, regulations and other guidance under last year's massive Pension Protection Act are dominating Treasury's regulatory agenda.  His participation in the process at Treasury will significantly affect the evolution and future direction of tax policy and law in this and other areas.

“We would like to thank Bill for his tireless and zealous devotion to his work in the Plan Design and Taxation Group,” said the Firm’s managing partner, Jon Breyfogle.  “His accomplishments in interpreting and analyzing the complexities of employee benefits taxation law are unparalleled  and have been valued greatly by the Firm and its clients.  We wish him well in his new position at the Treasury Department.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to use the knowledge and experience I have gained in over 15 years at Groom to serve the public in the field of employee benefits taxation,” said Mr. Evans.  “I will do my best to help develop and advance practical policy initiatives that will be helpful to the private pension system.”