Mesirow adds $1.2B firm to wealth management offering

Mesirow adds $1.2B firm to wealth management offering
New addition is an employee-owned firm based in Chicago.
SEP 19, 2023

Mesirow has added a high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth registered investment advisory firm in a deal which expands its wealth management offering.

The addition is Chicago-based Front Barnett Associates, founded in 1994 and led by Marshall B. Front, Mickey MacMillan and Peter Wahlstrom, which had more than $1.2 billion in assets under supervision as of June 30.

"We are excited to welcome the Front Barnett team to Mesirow," said Natalie Brown, Mesirow CEO. "Their capabilities and commitment complement our firm's 86-year history of advising families, entrepreneurs and non-profits on their most important financial goals, and this acquisition aligns well with our focus on comprehensive, personal financial planning."

The new team’s capabilities will give Mesirow clients access to fundamentally driven, actively managed equity and fixed income strategies while Front Barnett clients will continue to benefit from the capabilities and client service they know, while gaining a prominent parent firm with deep resources, strong capital, and robust infrastructure.

DISTINCT PLATFORM

Front Barnett will operate as a distinct platform within the broader Mesirow Wealth Management offering, branded as Front Barnett, A Mesirow Company. The transaction is expected to complete towards the end of September subject to customary closing conditions.

The existing Front Barnett leadership will also remain in place.

"Our partnership with Mesirow brings important benefits to our clients and firm," said Marshall B. Front, who founded the firm in 1994. "We will gain additional expertise and support in managing compliance, technology and administrative matters as we continue to seek competitive investment returns and deliver the high level of personalized financial advice and communications our clients expect."

Latest News

UBS moves toward full-service US bank as plans to extend wealth business
UBS moves toward full-service US bank as plans to extend wealth business

Employee accounts, crypto trials and job cuts frame a pivotal year for the Swiss lender.

$5B broker-dealer NBC Securities has a new name after almost 30 years
$5B broker-dealer NBC Securities has a new name after almost 30 years

New name draws on founder's family history as consolidation reshapes the broker-dealer landscape.

Cerity Partners enters new market with Cordant Wealth Partners merger
Cerity Partners enters new market with Cordant Wealth Partners merger

Deal brings tech-focused planning expertise, expanded Pacific Northwest presence to national RIA platform.

Treasury unveils Trump Accounts fund lineup led by BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street
Treasury unveils Trump Accounts fund lineup led by BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street

Five low-cost index ETFs to anchor Trump Accounts as advisors weigh options against 529 and UTMA plans for clients

House panel unanimously advances advisor compensation reform bill
House panel unanimously advances advisor compensation reform bill

A bipartisan proposal aimed at aligning advisor compensation rules with modern business structures is headed to the full House.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.