RIA merger activity crossed the mid-November mark on a strong note with a flurry of acquisitions, featuring a Mid-Atlantic deal by MAI Capital Management and a Northern California partnership that deepens The Mather Group's presence on the West Coast.
MAI Capital Management expanded its national presence with the acquisition of Court Place Advisors, a Maryland-based RIA managing $366 million in assets.
The move announced on Monday adds to MAI’s assets under management and strengthens its foothold in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Court Place, co-founded in 1998 by Jack Santry – who now serves as its principal and chief compliance officer – integrates investment management, tax strategy, and estate planning for its individual and family clientele.
Rick Buoncore, chairman and chief executive of MAI, said in a statement that Court Place’s team shares the firm’s commitment to “delivering investment advice and management geared specifically to clients’ unique needs and objectives.”
Court Place’s employees, including Santry, will join MAI, with Santry taking on the role of senior wealth advisor and managing director. The firm will adopt MAI's brand identity, and its team will gain access to MAI’s infrastructure and in-house specialists across investment, planning, and tax disciplines.
MAI, which announced a mega-merger deal with Evoke Advisors in August, has now added 18 firms since January 2024. The company manages and advises on $69 billion in assets, with more than 650 employees across 35 offices nationwide as of the end of October.
The Mather Group has entered into a partnership with Napa Wealth Management, a Napa Valley RIA with just under $300 million in assets. The deal enhances The Mather Group’s West Coast presence and is intended to provide additional resources and support to clients, particularly business owners and families with complex planning needs.
Jennifer des Groseilliers, chief executive of The Mather Group, emphasized the two firms' shared values of trust, transparency, and a client-first approach. The combination is expected to strengthen the Chicago-based RIA's multidisciplinary service model, bringing together financial planning, investment management, and tax expertise under one fiduciary standard.
The six-person Napa Wealth Management team will join The Mather Group, maintaining continuity for clients and continuing the firm’s planning-led approach.
George McCuen, president and founder of Napa Wealth Management, said the partnership allows his team to keep “helping clients live life to the fullest without the worry of running out of money.”
Arkadios Capital also recently welcomed Monogram Wealth Partners, an advisory firm overseeing more than $700 million in assets, to its national network.
Based in Garden City, New York, Monogram Wealth Partners is led by Maurice Acriche, along with Louis Rusinowitz and his son Alex Rusinowitz. The newly launched firm serves individuals, families, and business owners with comprehensive planning and investment management.
Louis Rusinowitz said Monogram’s approach is rooted in the belief that “the family connection between its partners and employees is central to how we work with our multi-generational clients.”
The firm’s move to Arkadios is expected to provide enhanced technology and direct access to decision makers, while preserving its custodial relationship with National Financial Services.
Paul Pilcher, director of strategic partnerships at Arkadios, said the addition of Monogram Wealth Partners highlights the pull of Arkadios’s model, which aims to provide “the scale, infrastructure and compliance capabilities of a national firm while keeping the entrepreneurial control that fuels their growth and client success.”
The move also reflects a broad-based push away from Commonwealth since its acquisition by LPL, which CEO Rich Steinmeier said has secured retention agreements with some 80% of Commonwealth Financial's advisors.
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