Stephen LaGarde is a principal in Ernst & Young LLP's National Tax Department in Washington, DC. Stephen advises clients on all U.S. federal tax aspects of compensation and benefits, including health and welfare plans, executive compensation, tax-favored retirement plans, equity-based compensation, and fringe benefits. Stephen has advised entities of all types and sizes across all industries, as well as high net worth individuals. Stephen joined EY after serving as an Attorney-Advisor in the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Benefits Tax Counsel, where he worked on a wide variety of rulemaking, including rulemaking associated with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Prior to Treasury, Stephen spent 14 years in the national tax office of another Big 4 accounting firm specializing in employee benefits, employment taxes, and executive compensation. Stephen has been a frequent writer and speaker on taxation matters and has served as an adjunct professor in Georgetown Law's LL.M. program. Stephen received a Bachelor of Arts degree with highest distinction from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of The Tax Lawyer.