Howard Altman, Principal-in-Charge of the Rothstein Kass Financial Services Group Elected to Hedge Fund Association Board of Directors

NEW YORK, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Rothstein Kass (www.rkco.com), a national accounting and advisory services firm announced today that Howard Altman, co-Managing Principal of the firm, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Hedge Fund Association. As the Principal-in-Charge of the Rothstein Kass Financial Services Group, Mr. Altman has worked extensively with the hedge fund community providing clients with advice on initial hedge fund organizational structure, as well as supervision of audits and consultation with management regarding many diverse operational, regulatory and tax matters. As a member of the HFA Board of Directors, Mr. Altman will work with the organization to promote greater transparency and educational initiatives within the alternative investment space.

Rothstein Kass was recently rated the top accounting service provider to hedge funds with $1 billion or more in assets under management, rankings released by Institutional Investor Magazine, based on voting by hedge fund firms.

The HFA is a not-for-profit international group of industry professionals with a mission to provide a forum for thought leaders, innovators, practitioners and investors. Mr. Altman has been elected by HFA membership to a two-year term. For the full slate of newly elected HFA Directors, please visit www.thehfa.org

"Rothstein Kass is the founding member of the HFA Thought Leader Council, a group that collaborates with the Board of Directors to promote our advocacy and educational initiatives. In this capacity, Howard's experience and insight have been instrumental in helping to shape best practices among hedge fund providers," said David Friedland, President of the Hedge Fund Association. "We are extremely pleased that Howard has been elected to join our dynamic slate of Directors. His contributions, along with the continued support of Rothstein Kass will be invaluable assets as we continue to enhance our network of industry relationships and grow our membership."

Mr. Altman joined Rothstein Kass in December of 1977 and was admitted as a Principal in 1984. In September, 2001, he was appointed Principal-in-Charge of the Financial Services Group and elected to serve on the firm's executive committee. In January, 2005, Howard was elected Co-Managing Principal and a member of the firm's Board of Directors. Howard has a B.S. in accounting and an M.S. in taxation from Fairleigh Dickinson University and has lectured before professional, industry and other groups on various accounting and tax related matters. He is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the Securities Industry Association Financial Management Services Division. He also served as a member of the AICPA Investment Company Committee where he chaired the Investment Partnership Subcommittee and was a member of the NYSSCPA Stockbrokerage Accounting Committee.

"The growth of the alternative investment industry has outpaced government and public understanding of its practices. This perpetuates misconceptions in the marketplace. Through its networking and educational initiatives, the Hedge Fund Association has become an important advocate on behalf of the alternative investment industry," said Mr. Altman. "As a member of the HFA Board of Directors, I intend to draw from both my personal experience and from the resources of the Rothstein Kass team of skilled professionals dedicated to this space to promote the growth, stability and long-term success of the industry. Our ability to attract, retain and develop superior talent means that our dedicated audit, tax and advisory professionals are experts in the field, working exclusively with clients within the hedge fund industry.

About Rothstein Kass:

Rothstein Kass is a premier public accounting and advisory services firm that has served privately held and publicly traded companies, individuals, and families for 50 years. Rothstein Kass is consistently ranked as a top CPA firm to the alternative investment industry in independent, third-party evaluations. The Rothstein Kass Financial Services Group provides services to many high-profile and respected clients including hedge funds, fund of funds, broker-dealers and registered investment advisors. Our Commercial Services Group provides organizations, including private equity and venture capital funds, as well as individuals and families, with essential and complementary professional services.

About Hedge Fund Association:

The Hedge Fund Association is a not for profit organization founded in 1996 by Dion Friedland with the primary goal of educating the public and the media about the misperceptions of hedge funds, and promoting the image and popularity of hedge funds. The Hedge Fund Association has a goal of uniting the hedge fund industry and to continually increase awareness of the advantages and opportunities in the hedge fund industry. To find out more about the association and benefits available to members please visit www.thehfa.org.

SOURCE Rothstein Kass