Mercer Advisors announced the acquisition of Regis Management Company on Thursday, a $5 billion registered investment advisor with offices in San Francisco and Menlo Park, Calif.
Co-founded by Managing Partner Robert Burlinson in 2000, Regis is focused on helping ultra-high-net-worth clients navigate multigenerational wealth, investment, taxes and philanthropic giving. President Peter Gifford, Chief Operating Officer Steven Go, and partners Stephen Donahue and Matthew Krensky complete the firm’s leadership team.
Regis has approximately $5 billion in assets under management and advisement, according to Thursday’s announcement. As a provider of bespoke investment management solutions and multigenerational wealth planning, the firm will leverage Mercer’s in-house family office services, such as estate planning, trustee services, and tax consulting and preparation.
“We have built a business designed to service our clients’ needs through multiple generations,” said Burlinson. “Partnering with Mercer Advisors will allow us to attract, train, and retain world class talent to ensure best in class service beyond our lifetimes. We have a fiduciary duty to ensure the continued and uninterrupted care of our clients, and in fulfilling that duty of care, we searched for the best partner for us and our clients that would ensure our boutique, white glove approach to client care is continued for generations to come.”
“The Regis team also is thrilled about the operational support, infrastructure, and resources that a scaled, national firm like Mercer Advisors can provide as we grow,” said Gifford.
“Regis has built an industry leading, UHNW service offering that we believed not only complements our service model, but indeed could operate as a top-tier solution set for clients with multigenerational wealth, the complex issues and needs this unique group experiences and the expertise they demand,” said Dave Barton, who heads up M&A for Mercer. “We felt this business combination was a one plus one equaled four or five, a fully synergized result from top to bottom with best of breed service solutions for every client segment.”
Founded in 1985, Denver-based Mercer now has added 70 firms. Majority investments by private equity firms Oak Hill Capital, in 2019, and Genstar Capital, in 2015, fueled the firm’s rapid growth and supported the addition of 16 new firms in 2022, with approximately $11.6 billion in collective assets. It is among the fastest-growing RIAs in the nation, with more than 800 employees and 90 offices overseeing around $37 billion in client assets as of the end of the third quarter.
Berkshire Global Advisors, an investment bank focused on serving RIAs, advised Regis on the transaction. Legal representation was provided by Alston & Bird.
