Ryan Promotes New Principals and Executive Vice President to Senior Leadership Team

DALLAS, Sept. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryan, a leading global tax services firm with the largest indirect tax practice in North America, today announced that Jeremy Abel, Bryan Forsythe, Andrew Hall, Joe Molina, Jordan Simms, and Sharon Welhouse have been promoted to Principal, and Gregory S. Weiss has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer.

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Jeremy Abel is a key executive in Ryan's Severance Tax practice based in the Houston, Texas office and specializes in providing multi-jurisdictional severance tax and production royalty consulting services to clients in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Abel joined the Firm in January 2004 and has been instrumental in the growth of the Firm's Severance Tax practice. Mr. Abel also played a pivotal role in the development of the Firm's rapidly expanding Canadian Crown Royalty practice. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin.

Bryan Forsythe is based in the Dallas, Texas office and specializes in providing multi-jurisdictional transaction tax services to clients in the retail, manufacturing, and refining industries. Mr. Forsythe joined the Firm in June 1998 and has been very influential in the ongoing development of Ryan's industry-leading tax professionals, sharing his knowledge and expertise through the development and administration of internal technical training courses to ensure Ryan professionals continue to lead the industry in tax knowledge and innovation. Mr. Forsythe is a member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT) and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from Texas Tech University.

Andrew Hall is based in the Dallas, Texas office and specializes in providing multi-jurisdictional property tax services, including audit defense, appeals, valuation, compliance, and management. Mr. Hall joined the Firm in June 2000 and has more than 12 years of experience in a variety of industries and properties, including distribution, heavy manufacturing, food processing, leasing, medical care, outdoor advertising, retail, and telecommunications. Mr. Hall has achieved the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT) Certified Member of the Institute (CMI) designation, which recognizes professional achievement and distinction in property taxation, and is also a member of the Texas Association of Property Tax Professionals. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Texas Tech University.

Joe Molina is a senior executive in Ryan's Property Tax practice based in the Austin, Texas office and specializes in providing telecommunications, pipeline, railroad, and industrial property appraisals. Mr. Molina joined the Firm in December 2004 and has played a critical role in the growth of Ryan's Property Tax practice. He has represented Ryan as a frequent speaker at several industry conferences and has authored articles in various magazines, most recently writing "The Art of Finding Accurate Price Indices for High-Tech Equipment," published in the July/August 2012 issue of the Journal of State Taxation. Mr. Molina is a member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT) and the Broadband Tax Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Southwest Texas State University and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Texas.

Jordan Simms is based in the Dallas, Texas office and specializes in providing multi-jurisdictional transaction tax services to clients in the financial services, insurance, semiconductor manufacturing, airline carrier, and retail industries. Mr. Simms joined the Firm in January 2001 and has been influential in the growth of Ryan's Transaction Tax practice, the largest of its kind in North America. Mr. Simms holds a Certified Member of the Institute (CMI) designation in Sales Tax from the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT) and is a member of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Texas A&M University.

Sharon Welhouse is based in the Austin, Texas office and specializes in providing business incentive application and compliance services. Ms. Welhouse joined the Firm in February 2004 and has led Ryan's efforts to help multiple clients secure credits through the Texas Enterprise Zone Program, an economic development initiative where local communities partner with the State of Texas to encourage job creation, job retention, and capital investment in economically distressed areas of the state. She is a member of the International Economic Development Council and the Texas Economic Development Council. Ms. Welhouse holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and a Master of Professional Accounting degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Gregory S. Weiss joined Ryan in February 2006 and is based in the Dallas, Texas office. He is responsible for all Ryan's legal affairs, including corporate affairs and governance, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, employment, intellectual property, real estate, litigation, and bankruptcy. He also serves as Secretary of the company. Mr. Weiss holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Missouri and a Juris Doctor degree from Duke University Law School.

"Ryan's aggressive growth and global expansion have provided our professionals opportunities for advancement that are unmatched in the tax services industry today," said G. Brint Ryan, Chairman and CEO of Ryan. "We have promoted 90 associates this year alone and are proud to reward these seasoned professionals for superior client service and results."

About Ryan
Ryan is an award-winning global tax services firm, with the largest indirect tax practice in North America and the seventh largest corporate tax practice in the United States. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the Firm provides a comprehensive range of state, local, federal, and international tax advisory and consulting services on a multi-jurisdictional basis, including audit defense, tax recovery, credits and incentives, tax process improvement and automation, tax appeals, tax compliance, and strategic planning. Ryan is a two-time recipient of the International Service Excellence Award from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) for its commitment to world-class client service. Empowered by the dynamic myRyan work environment, which is widely recognized as the most innovative in the tax services industry, Ryan's multi-disciplinary team of more than 975 professionals and associates serves over 6,500 clients in 40 countries, including many of the world's most prominent Global 5000 companies. More information about Ryan can be found at www.ryan.com.

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