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FPSB Names I. Richard Ploss to Global Financial Planning Standards Committee

PORTLAND - 15 December 2010 – Preti Flaherty announced today that attorney I. Richard Ploss, CFP, CPA, Esq., who practices as of counsel and serves as chairperson of the firm's Trusts & Estates Practice Group, has been chosen by the Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB), the preeminent international financial planning standards-setting body and owner of the CFP, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and CFP Logo trademarks outside the US, to its Standards Committee for a two-year term starting 1 January 2011.

"The Standards Committee will oversee FPSB's standards-setting process, and ensure that FPSB's certification standards meet the needs of clients and potential clients of financial planners around the world," said Corinna Dieters, FPSB Board chairperson. "Richard's strong familiarity with the technical components of FPSB's certification program and other standards-setting principles will serve FPSB's Standards Committee well as it oversees the establishment and maintenance of FPSB's global competency, ethics and practice standards for the financial planning profession."

At Preti Flaherty, Ploss serves as chairperson for the firm's Trusts and Estates Practice Group. He focuses on federal income taxation, probate litigation and estate planning and administration. Since 1995, Ploss has taught courses in the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER programs at Boston University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Georgetown University and Fordham University in the US. Ploss served as a member of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards' Council on Examinations from 2007-2008, and chaired the Council in 2009. Ploss earned his bachelor's degree from Bucknell University, an MBA from Tulane University and his juris doctorate from Emory University.

"FPSB's high standards of ethics and professionalism for financial planning professionals have earned a reputation as the mark of global excellence in financial planning," Ploss said. "I look forward to helping FPSB define and establish consistent professional standards and certification requirements that put clients' interests first in the professional practice of financial planning."

Chaired by Ian Johnston, FPSB Board member and deputy chief executive and managing director for Dubai Financial Services Authority, the six-member committee will develop, maintain and modify competency, ethics and practice standards for the global financial planning profession (as defined by FPSB's Financial Planner Competency Profile, Financial Planner Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Financial Planning Practice Standards). Other duties and responsibilities include developing, maintaining and modifying FPSB's certification scheme; monitoring trends in applying or adapting FPSB's standards and certification requirements and making recommendations for modification or enhancement; advising FPSB's Board of Directors about the impact of changes suggested by FPSB's staff or other stakeholders to FPSB standards or certification requirements; and, approving policies for FPSB's certifications to ensure consistency and fair treatment of FPSB Members, candidates for certification and certification holders.

In addition to Ploss and Johnston, participants include:

· Simon Hassan, CFP, CLU, director of Hassan and Associates and Hassan Consulting in New Zealand;

· Alan Kershaw, chairperson of ILEX (Institute of Legal Executives) Professional Standards Limited in the UK;

· Wessel Oosthuizen, CFP, director of the Center for Financial Planning Law at the University of the Free State in South Africa; and

· Lynn Pi, Ph.D., CFP, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Finance at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong.

FPSB also named a Certification and Standards Advisory Panel, consisting of representatives from Australia, Austria, Canada, People's Republic of China, Japan and the UK, to provide advice and guidance to the Standards Committee on the development, implementation and administration of standards for the global financial planning profession. Consisting of six certification and/or standards specialists from member organizations of FPSB, the advisory panel will provide advice and guidance to the FPSB Standards Committee on the development, implementation and administration of standards for the global financial planning profession.

FPSB works in conjunction with its Members, practicing CFP professionals and subject-matter experts from around the world, to create standards for the financial planning profession. FPSB's certification standards demonstrate to those accessing the services of a CFP professional that the financial planner has met rigorous competency, ethics and professional practice standards to provide comprehensive financial planning to clients.

FPSB's vision is to establish financial planning as a global profession, with the CFP marks as its symbol of excellence. FPSB enforces its certification standards through its network of 24 nonprofit standards-setting organizations around the world. FPSB's global standards and guidance documents are available for download online at www.fpsb.org.

About FPSB

FPSB manages, develops and operates certification, education and related programs for financial planning organizations to benefit the global community by establishing, upholding and promoting worldwide professional standards in financial planning. FPSB demonstrates its commitment to excellence with the marks of professional distinction – CFP, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and CFP Logo Mark. More than 126,000 CFP professionals practice financial planning around the world. Territories where FPSB has a non-profit member organization that offers, or is preparing to offer, CFP certification include: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. FPSB Members conform to FPSB's global standards, localizing them for their own jurisdictions. To learn more about the standards in a specific Member territory, visit fpsb.org and click on "FPSB Members." Follow FPSB at twitter.com/fpsb or facebook.com/fpsb1.

About Preti Flaherty

Preti Flaherty has offices in Portland and Augusta, Maine, Concord, New Hampshire, Bedminster, New Jersey, Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. With more than 90 attorneys, the firm counsels clients in the areas of business law, energy, environmental, estate planning, health care, intellectual property, labor and employment, legislative and regulatory, litigation, technology and telecommunications.

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