Ernst & Young Announces Creation of Environmental Advisory Services Practice

Helping Clients Control Costs and Manage Environmental Risk a Key Focus

Press Release: Ernst & Young
August 21, 2002
NEW YORK, NY -- Ernst & Young LLP yesterday announced the creation of an Environmental Advisory Services practice within its Real Estate Advisory Services group.

Brian Gilbert, a veteran environmental professional and engineer, was named to head the new practice, which will be based in Chicago. Gilbert formerly helped lead the environmental services efforts at Arthur Andersen. Also joining Gilbert in the new practice are former Andersen colleagues Greg Miller and Mike Williams. Combined, the team has more than 50 years' experience in helping real estate and corporate clients control costs and manage risks associated with environmental issues.

According to Mark Smith, Managing Partner of Ernst & Young's Real Estate Advisory Services (REAS) practice (212/773-4990), creating an Environmental Advisory practice has been a major goal for the REAS group because of the highly significant role played by environmental matters in all aspects of real estate, from development through management and disposal. "The addition of Brian and his team provides a timely complement to our existing experience in engineering, environmental science, environmental accounting and tax issues as well as real estate and construction," Smith said. "This will provide clients with an even greater array of resources when seeking to control costs and minimize risks."

"Environmental issues have the potential to create huge cost overruns for a corporation. By providing advisory services attuned to the unique aspects of environmental issues we will help clients manage costs more efficiently, avoid unnecessary cost overruns, reduce risk and better align their environmental and corporate goals," said Brian Gilbert. "Clients are interested in reducing costs while holding steady or reducing risk. Some of the more exciting opportunities exist in the areas of contaminated property portfolio management and pollution tax credits."

Gilbert added that Environmental Advisory Services will help clients manage the interface where technical and financial issues meet, such as enhancing the systems used to project and manage environmental remediation and construction costs including those systems that are used to reflect environmental costs in the company's financial statements.

For more information regarding Ernst & Young's Environmental Advisory Services or to discuss how Ernst & Young can help companies control costs and manage risk, contact Brian Gilbert at (312) 879-2464 or Brian.Gilbert@ey.com, or Greg Miller at (312) 879-2462 or Greg.Miller@ey.com.

About Ernst & Young's Real Estate Advisory Services

Through its Real Estate Advisory Services practice, a professional services industry leader, Ernst & Young delivers advisory services to users, owners, operators, investors, builders, and developers of real estate. We offer strategic advantages to clients: we ensure independent objective real estate advice and counsel; we deliver knowledge of industry best practices and we bring world-class analytical and process-based methodologies to bear upon corporate issues. We also help our clients achieve superior results by assisting them in aligning real estate holdings and operations with business and operating strategies. Discover more about Ernst & Young's Real Estate Advisory Services at our U.S. Web site of www.ey.com/us/reas or our global Web site of www.ey.com/reas.

About Ernst & Young:

Ernst & Young, a global leader in professional services, understands the business issues that are important to senior executives. With extensive business knowledge and hands-on industry experience, the global Ernst & Young organization can implement a broad array of solutions to help companies capture growth, improve financial performance and manage risk--anywhere in the world. Its 84,000 people serve as trusted business advisers in more than 130 countries, offering audit, tax, corporate finance and transaction services across all industries to many of today's leading global corporations as well as emerging growth companies. In addition, legal services are available in various parts of the world where permitted. A collection of Ernst & Young's views on a variety of business issues can be found at www.ey.com/thoughtcenter. (Ernst & Young refers to all members of the global Ernst & Young organization, including the U.S. firm of Ernst & Young LLP.)

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Contact: 

     E&Y Environmental Advisory Services
     Brian Gilbert, 312/879-2464
     Greg Miller, 312/879-2462
          or
     Gallen.Neilly & Associates
     Andrew Neilly, 925/930-9848 or 925/595-1356