Litman Gregory Wealth Administration, a $2 billion AUM RIA with three places of work within the San Francisco Bay Space, has introduced its second RIA acquisition for the reason that agency was totally acquired by iM International Accomplice in June 2021.
Litman Gregory bought the non-public shopper enterprise of Wedgewood Companions in St. Louis, Mo., a big cap securities supervisor offering third-party funding administration and company sub-advisor companies for prosperous people, establishments and funding firms. The acquisition brings to Litman Gregory $275 million in SEC-registered property and a group of three, led by Wedgewood founder Tony Guerrerio.
Litman Gregory CEO Jeff Seeley mentioned the transfer is a component of a bigger technique to broaden past the West Coast and set up the RIA as a nationwide wealth administration agency.
“We’re not going to be a serial acquirer,” he mentioned. “We’re being very selective, affected person and really methodical when it comes to the way in which we’re constructing the enterprise and attracting advisors that align with our focus long-term. Our thought is we wish to construct a nationwide wealth boutique by specializing in buying RIA companies that, one, are geographically situated all through america and, two, have companies the place they wish to profit from the synergies of a bigger entity.”
It took 18 months of discussions and negotiation to finish the Wedgewood deal, Seeley mentioned. Whereas the agency is in conversations with different potential acquisition targets across the nation, he mentioned to not count on rapid-fire bulletins and even essentially one a yr.
“We clearly wished to be within the Midwest, and so we’re tremendous excited that Wedgewood shall be our cornerstone in St. Louis,” he mentioned.
Litman Gregory can also be open to welcoming culturally aligned solo practitioners and breakaway advisors.
“An advisor who desires to be a part of a nationwide wealth boutique, and the independence that comes with that, might be a part of Litman Gregory wherever within the nation,” Seeley mentioned.
Seeley—who can also be deputy CEO of mother or father firm iM International Accomplice, a Paris-based community of funding managers throughout Europe and america with about $37 billion in property, and CEO of iM International Accomplice Fund Administration, iM’s subsidiary U.S. asset administration division—was introduced in to construct out either side of the U.S. enterprise in 2018. That included making minority investments in U.S. asset managers and growing a platform providing ETFs and mutual funds throughout a community of 9 companions, whereas making a separate and distinct wealth administration platform.
The acquisition of Litman Gregory, which occurred concurrently with the retirement of founder Ken Gregory and CEO Steve Savage stepping right into a strategic advisor function on the agency, in the end established the inspiration for iM’s U.S. wealth administration enterprise. Its first acquisition, lifted out of a CPA agency in Northern California, was accomplished in December 2021.
Acquired companies are being introduced in as W-2 staff and are anticipated to undertake Litman Gregory branding and make the most of the agency’s Tamarac-based expertise platform, however Seeley mentioned advisors are underneath no strain to promote iM merchandise or change service fashions which can be working. Advisors can select to make use of any custody supplier and leverage quite a lot of in-house capabilities round issues like taxes and property planning.
The Litman Gregory group includes 28 professionals, together with seven advisors, offering portfolio administration and goals-based monetary planning, in addition to tax, legacy and philanthropic companies, for round 400 people and households, 16 philanthropic organizations, seven companies and a handful of retirement plans.
