Amid the first flurry of RIA merger and acquisition announcements for February, Waverly is extending its Pacific Northwest presence with another acquisition in Oregon, while EP Wealth expanded in New Mexico with a new socially conscious partner.
Birmingham-based Waverly Advisors is pushing farther into the Pacific Northwest with its acquisition of Pure Portfolios, a Lake Oswego, Oregon wealth management firm with about $437 million in assets under management as of Dec. 31.
Pure, founded within the past decade by president and chief investment officer Nik Schuurmans and chief financial officer Toby Weber, has leaned on a data-driven, client-focused approach to build organic growth in its regional market. Schuurmans and Weber will join Waverly as partners and wealth advisors, along with the full Pure team.
Waverly president and CEO Justin Russell said the firm sees Pure as a cultural and strategic fit. For a relatively young firm, he said, Pure has shown “exceptional growth and built a strong presence in its regional market,” and its “professionalism, discipline and intentional approach” align with Waverly’s partnership criteria.
Schuurmans framed the deal as a way to extend Pure’s original mission of helping clients make better money decisions. Partnering with Waverly, he said, will add deeper tax and estate planning resources and “strengthening our ability to grow responsibly and serve clients more holistically.”
Following a quiet month for Waverly's acquisition strategy – its last deal was the December acquisition of Forefront Wealth Management in Pennsylvania – the transaction marks Waverly’s 30th deal since it took an equity investment in 2021 from Wealth Partners Capital Group and HGGC’s Aspire Holdings platform. Waverly now manages about $30.6 billion in assets.
Torrance, California-based EP Wealth Advisors has partnered with LongView Asset Management, a Santa Fe, New Mexico firm that adds more than $390 million in AUM.
Founded in 2002, LongView has built its brand around sustainability, responsible investing, and community engagement, including a certified B Corporation designation – the first for a financial services firm in the state – and local charitable work. The firm’s mission and values will remain in place as it joins EP Wealth, according to the announcement.
LongView founder David Cantor will become a senior vice president at EP Wealth, bringing seven team members with him. He said the combination opens up more planning capabilities while preserving the firm’s focus on impact.
“As we begin this new journey with EP Wealth, we’re excited to offer more services to support our clients, while continuing our sustainability efforts,” Cantor said.
EP Wealth executives framed the deal as a way to add a differentiated investment lens and more scale in New Mexico.
Roughly a month after its acquisition of Capital Insight Partners in Arizona, LongView marks the second partnership this year for the firm, which manages about $42.2 billion in assets and has more than 64 offices across 23 states.
Carson Group is rolling on with its own acquisition strategy, with another long-standing partner office in Georgia agreeing to deepen their relationship.
The firm has acquired the Carson Wealth office in Milton, Georgia, led by managing partner and wealth advisor G.C. Lewis, who reported about $218 million in advisory and brokerage assets.
As part of the move, the Carson Wealth office in the Atlanta–Dunwoody area will be integrated into the Milton location, consolidating the firm’s Atlanta presence.
Burt White, CEO of Carson Group, said the acquisition builds on a decade-plus relationship with Lewis and is meant to support his vision for expanding the firm’s impact while preserving client relationships.
By fully integrating the offices, he said Carson is “investing in proven leadership and strengthening our regional presence in a way that positions us for sustained growth across the Southeast.”
The deal shifts the Georgia team into Carson’s wholly owned network, giving clients broader access to tax planning support, private client services and a more standardized service calendar that emphasizes year-round, tax-aware planning.
It also provides Lewis and his team with additional capital and infrastructure to pursue future acquisitions as a succession path for other advisors.
Carson Group now manages more than $55 billion in assets and serves over 54,000 client families across more than 150 partner offices, including upwards of 50 Carson Wealth locations.
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