RALEIGH, N.C. (November 14, 2011) – Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP (www.hpg.com), one of the largest CPA firms headquartered and staffed in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, announces today that firm partner J. Mark Livingston has served as a guest speaker at the October meeting of the Triangle Benefits Forum (www.trianglebenefitsforum.com). Livingston’s presentation, entitled, “401(k) Hot Topics: Audit Issues,” covered the Internal Revenue Service’s compliance questionnaire for 401(k) plans, commonly found errors and the differences between a compliance check and an audit.

The Triangle Benefits Forum is a local organization comprised of attorneys, accountants, bank officers, benefits administrators and insurance professionals. Members meet regularly to discuss current topics in employee benefits, including retirement plan rules and administration, new developments in employee benefits and insurance products.

“Forum members include diverse professionals who have a common interest in serving our employee benefit clients,” says Cindy Brown, Triangle Benefits Forum member. “Mark’s presentation reminds us that in this day of high tech processing, retirement plan compliance issues remain. His expertise in auditing retirement plans gave us insight into the IRS’s perspective on these compliance issues and their current audit practices.”

Livingston has 28 years of public accounting experience serving growth companies and their owners. He has been a partner at HPG for 10 years and is the firm’s designated audit partner on file with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center. In addition, he serves on the firm’s Executive Committee and co-leads the ERISA audit team and the Manufacturing and Distribution practice group. Livingston is certified in production and inventory management by the Association for Operations Management. With this expertise, he is able to assist clients in production and inventory planning, cost accounting and business process improvement.

About Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP (HPG):

HPG is one of the largest CPA firms headquartered

and staffed in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, as ranked by the Triangle Business Journal. More than just an accounting firm, HPG assists clients in looking beyond the bottom linesm by being the right people, right value and right firm to achieve each client's definition of success. HPG is a member of CPAmerica International and affiliated with the Crowe Horwath International alliances of firms, with offices worldwide. The firm leverages this to provide national and global accounting resources to its clients. HPG offers a wide array of business accounting, auditing, corporate tax and management advisory services. Specialties include serving owner-managed, investor-backed technology and life science organizations, healthcare services, real estate development, manufacturing and distribution businesses, as well as providing ERISA audits, family wealthcare services and Sarbanes-Oxley internal audit services.

HPG has remained committed to advancing a thriving Triangle community since its founding in 1983. In recognition, the firm is the recipient of two Pinnacle Business Awards by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce: the 2009 Large Entrepreneurial Business Award and the 2010 Integrity in Business Award. Additionally, HPG has been certified Green Plus by the Institute for Sustainable Development for integrating environmental sustainability efforts into company culture, and has been named one of the top 100 Best Accounting Firms to Work For in the country by Accounting Today. Visit www.hpg.com for more information.

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