Hightower advances Signature Wealth arm with $3.2B super-ensemble in Massachusetts

Hightower has struck a deal to bring Lexington Wealth Management, a Massachusetts-based RIA with roughly $3.2 billion in assets under management, into its Hightower Signature Wealth platform – the second external acquisition for that channel in as many months.

The agreement unveiled Tuesday would push Hightower Signature Wealth past $29 billion in AUM across more than 25 locations once the transaction closes. Hightower also signaled it expects to announce further additions to the Signature Wealth brand before the end of this quarter.

Hightower's broader platform spans 652 advisors across 33 states and Washington, D.C., with approximately $352 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2025.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Lexington, Mass., Lexington Wealth Management has grown from a $1 billion practice when it first partnered with Hightower in 2019 to more than triple that size today.

The firm describes itself as a boutique, fee-only wealth manager serving high-net-worth individuals, with a particular focus on retirees, entrepreneurs, and CEO-level clients. Its 25-person team includes 16 advisors and has built much of its client base through referral networks and educational programming. The practice has also maintained a community-oriented profile, with involvement in charitable organizations and local arts.

The move marks the second consecutive month Hightower has brought an outside firm into Signature Wealth. In early March, the Chicago-based mega-RIA closed its first-ever external Signature Wealth deal with Journey Strategic Wealth, a New Jersey-based $5 billion RIA whose co-founder, Penny Phillips, subsequently took on a leadership role within the platform as head of advisor strategy and client experience. Before that, five practices from Hightower's own existing network had joined HSW by January, lifting the brand past $20 billion in AUM.

Hightower Signature Wealth officially launched in October last year as a W-2-based advisory model, distinct from Hightower's traditional independent RIA affiliate structure. Under the model, advisors operate under the unified Hightower Signature Wealth brand and gain access to centralized services including investment management, billing, onboarding, and marketing support. At the time and consistently since then, Hightower CEO Larry Restieri has characterized the channel as central to the firm's next stage of development.

In the Tuesday announcement, Restieri pointed to Lexington's client-centric approach as a key criterion for the deal. He said the firm is "dedicated to enhancing how advisors operate and delivering a more seamless, comprehensive experience for clients."

Kristine Porcaro, senior managing partner at Lexington Wealth Management, said in the statement that the firm was founded on the principle that "effective wealth management combines thoughtful financial guidance and a genuine understanding of what clients are experiencing in their lives."

Mike Tucci, also a senior managing partner at Lexington, cited the need to "[ensure] long-term stability for our clients and employees,"

"Joining HTSW preserves the personalized, relationship-driven approach that defines our practice, while strengthening the overall organization," Tucci said.

As part of the transition, Lexington's team will gain access to expanded investment solutions and operational infrastructure from Hightower, which the firm says is designed to allow advisors to spend more time on client relationships.

The Lexington acquisition follows a playbook that Hightower has been deliberately constructing. External RIAs with established client cultures and referral-driven growth profiles are being folded into the Signature Wealth brand as Hightower builds toward what Restieri has previously said could be a $40 billion to $50 billion platform by year-end. The bulk of that growth is expected to come from internal consolidation, with external deals like Lexington adding supplementary scale.