NorthRock Partners and NFP have each announced new acquisitions aimed at expanding their reach and deepening their service offerings for clients across the United States.
NorthRock Partners, a Minneapolis-based RIA, has acquired Parkside Advisors, a Bay Area firm with $800 million in assets under management.
The deal unveiled Tuesday marks NorthRock’s second acquisition of 2025 and extends its Personal Office model to Northern California. An award-winning practice, Parkside Advisors has built a client base of corporate executives, tech professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners.
Sean Baenen, managing partner at NorthRock Partners, said the acquisition is rooted in a shared approach to client service.
“Parkside shares our passion for delivering comprehensive, relationship-driven advice,” Baenen said. “Their expertise and deep roots in the Bay Area further strengthen our ability to serve clients in one of the nation’s most dynamic markets.”
Parkside’s managing principals, Charlie Benziger and Audrey Grubman, along with their team, will join NorthRock, establishing a new office in Berkeley. The addition complements NorthRock’s existing locations in San Francisco and San Rafael.
Benziger highlighted the firms' "shared vision and alignment” as well as the appeal of NorthRock's “Personal Office" model that includes financial, tax, estate, insurance, philanthropic and investment solutions all under one roof.
NorthRock now manages more than $8.6 billion in assets for over 2,800 clients, with its April addition of a prominent Chicago-based practice as well as prior expansions in Appleton, Raleigh-Durham and San Francisco.
Meanwhile, NFP, an Aon company, has acquired Levine Group, a Brentwood, Tennessee-based wealth and retirement services firm serving the Nashville area for more than six decades. Michael Levine, who leads Levine Group, will join NFP, along with Trevor Coe and Zach Levine.
Mike Schneider, president of NFP’s Central and West regions, said, “They’ve built a strong reputation for helping people and businesses make smart financial decisions, and we’re excited to combine forces. Their experience and relationships in the Nashville and surrounding market will help us better serve clients and grow our wealth and retirement business in the region.”
NFP’s acquisition of Levine Group follows its 2024 purchase of Los Angeles-based Harabedian, Hall & Co., further expanding its presence in the high-net-worth and entertainment sectors.
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