RIA moves: NorthRock adds $800M Parkside Advisors, NFP acquires Levine Group in Tennessee

RIA moves: NorthRock adds $800M Parkside Advisors, NFP acquires Levine Group in Tennessee
NorthRock Partners' second deal of 2025 expands its Bay Area presence with a planning practice for tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners.
JUL 15, 2025

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 inks second 2025 deal with Parkside Advisors

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.

NFP acquires Levine Group in Tennesse

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.

Latest News

Investing for accountability: How to frame a values-driven conversation with clients
Investing for accountability: How to frame a values-driven conversation with clients

By listening for what truly matters and where clients want to make a difference, advisors can avoid politics and help build more personal strategies.

Advisor moves: Raymond James ends week with $1B Commonwealth recruitment streak
Advisor moves: Raymond James ends week with $1B Commonwealth recruitment streak

JPMorgan and RBC have also welcomed ex-UBS advisors in Texas, while Steward Partners and SpirePoint make new additions in the Sun Belt.

Cook Lawyer says fraud claims are Trump’s ‘weapon of choice’
Cook Lawyer says fraud claims are Trump’s ‘weapon of choice’

Counsel representing Lisa Cook argued the president's pattern of publicly blasting the Fed calls the foundation for her firing into question.

SEC orders Vanguard, Empower to pay more than $25M over failures linked to advisor compensation
SEC orders Vanguard, Empower to pay more than $25M over failures linked to advisor compensation

The two firms violated the Advisers Act and Reg BI by making misleading statements and failing to disclose conflicts to retail and retirement plan investors, according to the regulator.

RIA moves: Wells Fargo pair joins &Partners in Virginia
RIA moves: Wells Fargo pair joins &Partners in Virginia

Elsewhere, two breakaway teams from Morgan Stanley and Merrill unite to form a $2 billion RIA, while a Texas-based independent merges with a Bay Area advisory practice.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.