Seattle's Laird Norton in second merger since 2020

Seattle's Laird Norton in second merger since 2020
The combination of Seattle-based Laird Norton and San Francisco-based Wetherby Asset Management creates a firm with $15 billion in client assets.
JAN 10, 2022

Two West Coast registered investment advisers, Laird Norton Wealth Management and Wetherby Asset Management, said Monday that they had merged, creating a new firm with $15 billion in client assets.

The RIA industry has seen almost a decade of record-setting mergers and acquisitions, and 2022 dealmaking is starting to sizzle.

Laird Norton is based in Seattle and Wetherby is based in San Francisco. Terms of the deal were not released in the statement from the companies, but the combination was characterized as a "strategic investment" by Laird Norton.

This isn't Laird's first merger. In late 2020, the firm said it was merging with another Seattle RIA, Filament.

Kristen P. Bauer, Laird Norton's CEO, will serve as CEO of the combined firms, the companies said. Debra Wetherby will remain managing partner of Wetherby Asset Management and serve on an expanded board of directors at the new company.

The company, which is owned by a combination of family and employees, will retain both the Laird Norton Wealth Management and Wetherby Asset Management names and will continue to serve high- and ultra-high-net worth families, the companies said. Wetherby clients will have the option of having trusts administered through Laird Norton.

Wetherby was founded in 1990 and Laird Norton in 1967.

Latest News

Roughly three-fifths of Americans agree on higher taxes for large corporations, higher-income households
Roughly three-fifths of Americans agree on higher taxes for large corporations, higher-income households

Pew survey reveals slight majority consensus on tax rates, but views splinter based on political alignment and income levels.

The Fed's going to cut rates
The Fed's going to cut rates

While the Federal Reserve's decision to hold interest rates steady in March was widely expected, it's the reactions from financial professionals that provide a more nuanced picture of the central bank's approach.

Ontario Pension Fund revamps PE business in light of global risk
Ontario Pension Fund revamps PE business in light of global risk

The pioneering member of Canada's Maple Eight is stepping back from its go-it-alone private equity approach as a drought in deals and Trump's trade war prompt a rethink.

Raymond James, RBC reel in UBS advisors managing over $690M in assets
Raymond James, RBC reel in UBS advisors managing over $690M in assets

The firms' latest additions in Florida and Nevada come as a strategic change at UBS raises risk of advisor defections.

Assetmark debuts new advisor succession planning program
Assetmark debuts new advisor succession planning program

The new program offers opportunities and events structured for rookies, next-gen advisor leaders, and soon-to-exit veterans.

SPONSORED Beyond the all-in-one: Why specialization is key in wealth tech

In an industry of broad solutions, firms like intelliflo prove 'you just need tools that play well together'

SPONSORED Record growth: Interval funds emerge as key players in alternative investments

Blue Vault Alts Summit highlights the role of liquidity-focused funds in reshaping advisor strategies