Deals & Moves: NewEdge Adds Team to Lead New Houston Office
NewEdge Wealth, the ultra-high-net-worth division of NewEdge Capital Group, has opened its 20th office in Houston, with a team of advisors formerly with AllianceBernstein’s Bernstein Private Wealth Management that had been overseeing $2.2 billion in client assets.
Jeffrey Thompson and Shannon Willems joined NewEdge Wealth as managing directors, while Sara DeJay Willis was named a vice president. The team also includes three client service associates.
“Houston is one of the fastest-growing economies in the country and continues to be home to an increasing number of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals with complex wealth management needs,” Rob Sechan, founder and managing partner of NewEdge Capital Group, said in a statement. “This team understands the nuances of this community through their deep ties to the metro area.”
The team has over 30 years of combined experience working with ultra-high-net-worth clients, focusing on business owners interested in exit strategies, developing multi-generational estate and financial plans, and optimizing 401(k) and pension plans.
“As Houston grew, so did our team and its business,” Willems said. “We needed a firm that could support our growth and provide the solutions our clients wanted to preserve and grow their wealth.”
NewEdge Wealth has more than 65 ultra-high-net-worth advisors across 20 locations, including New York, Chicago, Miami and San Francisco.
Stevens Capital Partners Reaches $800M AUM, Acquires Tax Firm
Stevens Capital Partners, an Omaha, Neb.-based registered investment advisor with $800 million in assets under management, has acquired a Dallas-based CPA tax practice to expand its client services.
The acquisition of J.F. DePetris Jr., CPA, PLLC, adds more than 300 tax clients, including more than 100 businesses across 15 states. The firm now serves clients in more than 40 states, with major concentrations in Nebraska and New York, the company said.
“It’s a long-term strategy of ours to continue to go out there and find aging CPA firms, solo practitioners who want to shift their practice,” said David Stevens, founder and chief executive officer of Stevens Capital Partners. “We have found that our clients have asked for it, and [prospective clients] have said that if we were able to do their tax preparation, they would shift over and work with us.”
Since its founding in November 2020, Stevens Capital Partners has grown from a startup to surpassing $800 million in assets under management through organic growth, including 65% growth from 2025 to 2026, the firm said.
Stevens, a veteran of TD Ameritrade for over 20 years, founded the firm with an emphasis on helping clients “pursue meaning” rather than money. He said 10 years ago, just doing people’s investments worked, but that today clients want a “one stop shop” for tax planning, preparation, estate planning, and philanthropic work.
“Clients are voting with their feet,” he said. “That encouraged me to build a firm that can provide all of these holistic services.”
Stevens Capital works with entrepreneurs, executives, business owners and multi-generational families.
Stevens also instituted at the firm what he calls a “10% mission,” pledging to contribute 10% of profits to the community, including support for the Pediatric Retinal Research Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
“A lot of people don’t have money to get the best care,” Stevens said. “I run this business for the clients, but giving to these [charities] is also the why behind the why of what motivates me.”
Wealth Enhancement Acquires Two Firms With Combined $854M
Wealth Enhancement, an acquisitive Minneapolis-based RIA with $161 billion in client assets, this week announced separate acquisitions of two RIAs with a combined $854 million in client assets.
The firm added the investment advisory business of Weinand Financial, an RIA in Olympia, Wash., with more than $644 million in client assets. The team of one advisor and four support professionals is led by Mike Weinand.
Founded in 1991, Weinand Financial offers financial planning services including retirement and investment planning, private and public pension review, retirement plan services and insurance guidance, with particular experience helping Washington State employees navigate pension and retirement benefits.
Wealth Enhancement also acquired the investment advisory business of Servo Wealth Management, an RIA in Oklahoma City, Okla., with more than $210 million in client assets. The team is led by owner and founder Eric Nelson.
Founded in 2012, Servo Wealth offers investment management, financial planning and wealth counseling to individuals and families. Nelson previously worked at Equius Partners in Northern California, and his move to Wealth Enhancement reunites him with the Equius Team, which joined the RIA in 2023.
Maridea Wealth Expands in Chicago With $187M Park Ridge
Maridea Wealth Management, a Brooklyn-based RIA with $1.8 billion in client assets and 50 advisors, has acquired Park Ridge Financial to expand further in Chicago.
Park Ridge has $187 million in AUM, according to its most recent Form ADV. Founder Rick Pucci will join Maridea as a senior investment advisor.
“This partnership supports our long-term goal of continuing to deepen our presence in Chicago,” Maridea CEO and founder Mier Wang said in a statement.
Pucci has led Park Ridge Financial for more than 17 years, focusing on personalized financial planning and helping individuals, families and business owners align their investment, retirement and estate strategies with their long-term goals.
The Park Ridge team will join Maridea’s existing Chicago office, which the firm established in September 2025. The firm’s clients will continue to work with the same Chicago-based team and will gain access to Maridea’s tax services, investment research capabilities and planning infrastructure.
“Maridea’s high-growth trajectory, entrepreneurial culture, and long-term vision were key factors that attracted my team and me to this partnership,” Pucci said in a statement.
Janney Lands Wells Fargo Team in Chicago Area
Janney Montgomery Scott has brought over a team from Wells Fargo to expand its Chicago-area presence with an office in Lake Forest, Ill.
Madura Private Wealth Group joins Janney after managing about $420 million in client assets for Wells Fargo, which it joined in 2016 following its departure from Credit Suisse. The team is led by Daniel Madura, financial advisor and managing director, and his son Ethan Madura, financial advisor and vice president of wealth management.
Janney, based in Philadelphia, has been expanding in the Chicago area in recent years through advisor recruiting.
