In this week’s roundup, Corient agreed to acquire Summit Trail Advisors; Hightower Signature Wealth added Stearns Financial Group; AlphaCore added Brave Family Advisors; Sequoia acquired All Star Financial; Wealth Enhancement acquired Miramar Capital’s investment advisory business; Allworth acquired Sachetta and Arthur Stein Financial; RBC recruited Focus Wealth Management; Raymond James recruited a team from Comerica; Cetera recruited iTP Partners; Savvy added Blue Barn Wealth and Paragon Private Wealth Management; Ameriprise recruited Steinmetz Jackson; and Perigon expanded Rafia Hasan’s role and named Chris Briley Managing Director of Technology.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Corient To Acquire $21 Billion Summit Trail Advisors
Miami-based RIA Corient agreed to acquire New York-based RIA Summit Trail Advisors, which managed more than $21 billion in assets as of March 31, in a transaction expected to close this quarter. Founded in 2015, Summit Trail serves ultra-high net worth individuals, families and institutions as an outsourced family office and Chief Investment Officer, and provides wealth and estate planning plus public- and private-market investment management.
Summit Trail was co-founded by Managing Partner Jack Petersen, Partner and CIO Dave Romhilt, and Partners and Advisors Tom Palecek, John Scarborough and Peter Lee, and operates in 10 cities. Upon closing, its principals will become Corient Partners. Ardea Partners and Seward & Kissel are serving as Summit Trail’s financial and legal advisors, respectively. Goldman Sachs and Sidley Austin are serving in those roles for Corient, which manages about $556 billion globally.
Kurt MacAlpine, Founding Partner and CEO of Corient, said, “The decision by a firm of Summit Trail’s caliber to join Corient serves as meaningful validation of our firm’s quality and the differentiated value of our private partnership structure and business model. Summit Trail is an exceptional firm, with exceptional people. With their deep experience in ultra-high-net-worth advisory, the Summit Trail team will be a strong addition to our partnership, extending our expertise and broadening our client relationships across the country.”
Hightower Signature Wealth Adds $2.5 Billion From Stearns Financial Group
RIA Hightower Advisors added Stearns Financial Group (SFG) to Hightower Signature Wealth (HTSW), its integrated wealth management practice, bringing approximately $2.5 billion in assets under management (AUM), as of June 30, and 30 team members. Stearns, which has offices in Greensboro and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has provided financial planning since 1991. It first partnered with Hightower in 2020 and will now operate through Signature Wealth’s centralized model.
HTSW launched in October 2025 and centralizes investment management, operations, technology, compliance, marketing and client service. Following the Stearns addition, the business had approximately $40 billion in AUM, as of June 30, more than 160 advisors and over 35 locations nationwide. Hightower said Signature Wealth added nearly $30 billion in AUM year to date through June 30 via internal and external acquisitions and expects additional acquisitions through year-end.
Larry Restieri, CEO of Hightower, said, “SFG has been a valued part of the Hightower community for several years, making this a natural next step in our relationship. We are proud to welcome the team to HTSW and help them build on the trusted client relationships they have fostered for more than three decades.”
AlphaCore Adds $700 Million Brave Family Advisors
RIA AlphaCore Wealth Advisory added Brave Family Advisors, a wealth practice overseeing $700 million in client assets, expanding AlphaCore’s presence in the Northeast. Brave, founded in 1992, is led by Founder Brett Haire and President Scott Morrison and joins with eight professionals, including four advisors. The practice serves high net worth and ultra-high net worth households and operates in Summit, New Jersey, and Tiverton, Rhode Island.
Brave clients will gain access to AlphaCore capabilities including tax strategy and preparation, trust and estate coordination, philanthropic planning, family governance and private-markets investment research. Turkey Hill Management served as Brave’s financial advisor and Troutman Pepper Locke served as its legal counsel. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton served as legal counsel to AlphaCore.
Dick Pfister, Founder and CEO of AlphaCore Wealth Advisory, said, “We are intentional about who we partner with and where we invest. Brave Family Advisors represents a foundational investment in our long-term strategy for expansion in the New York area and marks the opening of our Summit, NJ office. We believe the market presents a significant opportunity for growth over the coming years.”
Sequoia Acquires All Star Financial, Adding $796 Million In AUM
Sequoia Financial Group acquired All Star Financial, a Twin Cities-based independent wealth management firm with $796 million in AUM and another $566 million in retirement plan assets under advisement as of June 30. The transaction adds All Star’s 14 employees, including tax professionals, to Sequoia, which had $34.9 billion in AUM as of June 30.
All Star serves individuals and families with wealth management, investment management and tax-focused strategies. All Star Founder and CEO Robert Klefsaas will join Sequoia with the team and remain involved in client service and integration, while All Star’s tax professionals will join Sequoia Tax Services. Faegre Drinker served as legal advisor to All Star. Sequoia Financial provides investment advisory services through RIA Sequoia Financial Advisors.
Klefsaas said, “Our clients count on us to be proactive and practical—guiding them to make informed decisions, recommending tax-efficient strategies, and staying ahead of opportunities. Partnering with Sequoia Financial lets us preserve those relationships while expanding our capabilities. Our focus remains: helping clients build, protect, and use their wealth with confidence.”
Wealth Enhancement Acquires Investment Advisory Business Of Miramar Capital
Wealth Enhancement acquired the investment advisory business of Miramar Capital, an independent RIA in Northbrook, Illinois, with over $592 million in client assets as of July 28. Miramar was founded in 2017 and is led by Founders and Senior Portfolio Managers Bob Kalman and Max Wasserman. The transaction closed July 31 and lifts Wealth Enhancement’s total client assets, including previously announced acquisitions, above $159.4 billion.
Miramar serves high net worth individuals, business owners, executives, multigenerational families, corporations and foundations through an investment management offering focused on dividend-growth strategies. Hue Partners advised Miramar on the deal.
Jeff Dekko, CEO of Wealth Enhancement, said, “Miramar Capital has built a disciplined investment approach grounded in research and long-term thinking. Bob and Max have stayed true to that philosophy through every market cycle, helping clients remain focused on what matters most: their long-term financial goals. By joining Wealth Enhancement, they’ll continue delivering trusted guidance while giving clients access to a broader range of planning, tax, estate, and wealth management capabilities.”
Allworth Acquires $1.1 Billion Sachetta And Arthur Stein Financial
RIA Allworth Financial acquired Sachetta, a Lynnfield, Massachusetts-based wealth management and tax advisory firm with $1.1 billion in AUM. The deal adds 21 professionals, including 13 wealth and tax advisors. Allworth also acquired Bethesda, Maryland-based RIA Arthur Stein Financial, which focuses on comprehensive financial planning for federal employees and retirees.
The Sachetta acquisition adds tax-planning capabilities and a practice focused on business owners, while Arthur Stein brings a client base centered on federal workers and retirees. Sachetta was advised by Houlihan Lokey. Allworth said the deals are among its first acquisitions since an April strategic investment partnership led by Integrum Holdings, Lightyear Capital and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. The firm has completed more than 45 acquisitions since 2018.
Arthur Stein, Founder of Arthur Stein Financial, said, “Like us, Allworth is a fiduciary that puts clients first and delivers personalized, comprehensive advice. The addition of in-house CPAs and attorneys for tax and estate planning means we can now offer clients a truly coordinated approach where every financial decision is evaluated in the context of their full financial picture.”
Advisor Transactions
RBC Recruits $1.5 Billion Focus Wealth Management Team
RBC Wealth Management – U.S. recruited Focus Wealth Management, a seven-person team that oversaw about $1.5 billion in client assets at UBS, to its Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, branch. The team includes Managing Directors and Financial Advisors James “Trey” Mahoney III and Peter Foley Jr., along with Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor Justin Warzala, and serves business owners and high net worth and ultra-high net worth families.
The team also includes Senior Business Associate Lori DeJesus, Investment Associate Will Garrett, Registered Client Associate Paula Echeverry and Client Associate Thomas Cooper. Its practice includes portfolio management and wealth planning, including wealth transfer and exit-strategy work.
Ken Ross, Florida Complex Director at RBC Wealth Management, said, “The Focus Wealth Management group is exactly the kind of team RBC Wealth Management was built for. They were looking for direct access to local leadership and a culture where the client always comes first. That’s precisely what we offer.”
Raymond James Recruits $5.4 Billion California Team From Comerica
Raymond James recruited Financial Advisors Cory Matsumoto, Rey Carandang and Genae Affrunti from Comerica, where they managed $5.4 billion in client assets, to Raymond James & Associates, its employee advisor channel. Operating as Capital Reserve Group of Raymond James in Newport Beach, California, the team provides financial planning, investment management and institutional consulting to families, business owners, executives, family offices, retirees, endowments, foundations and nonprofits.
Matsumoto and Affrunti each began their financial services careers in 2001, while Carandang has 25 years of industry experience. The group also includes Senior Registered Client Relationship Associate Julia Bica and Client Relationship Associate Brian Toyama. Raymond James reported approximately $1.92 trillion in total client assets as of June 30.
Matsumoto said, “The firm’s culture, depth of home office support and continued investment in technology provide our team with the resources and scale to remain focused on what matters most: delivering exceptional service, thoughtful guidance and customized investment solutions for those we serve. We are excited to partner with a firm that shares our commitment to long-term relationships and putting clients first.”
Cetera Recruits $3.5 Billion iTP Partners From Osaic
Cetera Financial Group recruited Pittsford, New York-based iTP Partners from Osaic, where its nearly 50 advisors oversaw about $3.5 billion in assets under administration (AUA). iTP launched Blue Horizon Equity, an independent RIA using Cetera’s Blueprint platform, which provides technology and middle-office infrastructure for RIAs. Co-Founders Bob Sansone and Jeff Hartman, both Financial Advisors and Managing Directors, lead the firm, which also has an office in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Sansone and Hartman began developing the business that became iTP in 2014, initially affiliating with American Portfolios before transitioning via the Advisor Group/Osaic succession. Cetera said iTP’s advisors are equity stakeholders in the new affiliate. As of March 31, Cetera firms managed about $630 billion in AUA and $296 billion in AUM.
Sansone said, “What I liked about Blueprint and Cetera’s approach is that they’re not rigid, and they’re very willing to adjust to the needs at hand so things stay flexible as we move along. Cetera hasn’t dug their heels in on anything, and that’s refreshing. The RIA model is the future of our industry.”
Savvy Adds Blue Barn, Paragon With $550 Million In AUM
RIA Savvy Advisors added Blue Barn Wealth and Paragon Private Wealth Management to its network, bringing approximately $550 million in combined AUM. Orem, Utah-based Blue Barn manages about $300 million, while Franklin, Tennessee-based Paragon manages about $250 million. The additions raise Savvy above $8 billion in total AUM after the firm recruited more than $4 billion in assets during 2026, according to the company.
Blue Barn, led by Jeff Brimhall, serves more than 220 households and multiple 401(k) plans and provides services including tax and retirement planning, charitable giving strategies and estate-planning coordination. Paragon, founded by Allen Buckley, serves individuals, families and entrepreneurs with investment management, financial planning, tax planning and tax preparation.
Jeff Brimhall, Managing Partner of Blue Barn Wealth, said, “Blue Barn Wealth was built around the belief that wealth is about more than financial assets. It’s about helping clients align their resources with the lives they want to create. Savvy gives us the operational support and technology foundation to deliver that experience while continuing to build a firm centered on truly comprehensive planning and client relationships.”
Ameriprise Recruits Steinmetz Jackson Group From Janney
Ameriprise Financial recruited Steinmetz Jackson Wealth Management Group from Janney Montgomery Scott to its branch channel, bringing more than $370 million in client assets. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based practice is led by Private Wealth Advisor Kenneth Steinmetz and Financial Advisor James Jackson.
Registered Client Service Associate Daniel Tila-Cohen and Client Service Coordinator Stephanie Elie also made the move, which gives the team access to Ameriprise’s planning and technology resources. The team is supported locally by Branch Manager Dan Landrau, Complex Director Michael Rearden and Regional Vice President Jamie Frisone.
Steinmetz said, “We were also drawn to Ameriprise’s fully integrated technology and AI platform and look forward to leveraging it to serve our clients even more efficiently and effectively. The combination of financial planning capabilities, leading technology and dedicated support gives us confidence that we’re in the right place to serve our clients at an even higher level than ever before.”
Promotions & People Moves
Perigon Expands Hasan’s Role, Names Briley Managing Director Of Technology
RIA Perigon Wealth Management expanded Chief Investment Officer Rafia Hasan’s role to include Chief Operating Officer responsibilities, giving her oversight across investments, planning, operations and technology. Hasan, who joined Perigon in 2023 as CIO, will retain her investment duties while guiding the firm’s operating structure. The independent RIA reported approximately $11.2 billion in client assets as of Dec. 31, and teams in 19 locations.
Perigon also named Chris Briley Managing Director of Technology, with responsibility for technology strategy and AI integration. He previously served as Chief Technology Officer at Manning & Napier. Head of Financial Planning Beth Bosworth and Director of Operations Brian McGunnigle will work within Hasan’s structure, with Bosworth and Briley reporting to Hasan.
Arthur Ambarik, CEO of Perigon Wealth Management, said, “As we considered how best to support our continued growth, it became clear we needed to enhance our executive leadership to provide additional strategic oversight of our critical operational functions. We created a structure that allows us to leverage Rafia’s skills and ensures we have a clear line of executive oversight for these important firm functions.”
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