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Alex Brown

Two centuries of private wealth experience, backed by Raymond James.

Services-only
01 — Overview

What Alex Brown does

Alex. Brown occupies an unusual position in private wealth: a boutique brand with roots dating to 1800, operating today as a division of Raymond James after Raymond James acquired the U.S. Private client services unit of Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management in 2016. That ownership structure gives advisors and clients access to the back-office scale and product breadth of one of the largest U.S. Wealth management firms, while the Alex. Brown name signals a narrower, more selective positioning aimed at high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and institutions.

For family offices evaluating advisory relationships, Alex. Brown offers a range of services that address the overlapping financial priorities common to substantial family wealth:

  • Investment management, including access to private market investments
  • Estate and charitable planning, including donor-advised funds and charitable remainder trusts
  • Intergenerational wealth transfer strategies and family governance support
  • Cash flow management, lending solutions, and private banking through Raymond James Bank
  • Risk management and custom insurance solutions
  • Tax optimization and business succession planning for exiting entrepreneurs

The firm operates across 19 U.S. Offices, from New York and San Francisco to Miami and Houston. It serves individual investors, institutional investors, and independent client advisors seeking affiliation. Specialist teams within the broader Alex. Brown structure serve distinct client segments, including venture capital and private equity fund participants, professional athletes, and high-net-worth families with multi-generational planning needs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, which is standard for advisory relationships at this level but requires direct engagement to assess cost. Family offices seeking a technology-first platform or a single-firm trust company structure may find the model less direct than purpose-built alternatives, as services like tax advice and trust administration flow through affiliated Raymond James entities rather than in-house specialists.

From its inception, the partnership between Alex. Brown and Raymond James has been about offering advisors and their clients the best of both firms – marrying the heritage and ingenuity of a highly regarded boutique with the far-reaching capabilities and unparalleled support of one of the largest wealth management firms in the United States.

On Alex Brown, from a family-office user
02 — Product & capabilities

What it covers

Core tasks
  • Investment management and asset allocation for high-net-worth individuals and institutions
  • Estate and charitable planning including donor-advised funds and trust strategies
  • Intergenerational wealth transfer and family governance advisory
  • Cash flow management, lending, and private banking solutions
  • Risk management and insurance planning
  • Business succession and exit planning for entrepreneurs
Notable features
  • Private market investment access within managed portfolios
  • Donor-advised funds and charitable remainder trust structuring
  • Intergenerational wealth transfer strategies
  • Custom insurance solutions for risk management
  • Private banking and lending through Raymond James Bank
  • Trust services through Raymond James Trust N.A.
  • 529 College Savings Plan and education funding planning
  • UGMA/UTMA custodial account management
  • Institutional consulting for organizations and endowments
  • Venture capital and private equity fund participant services
Assets supported
Private EquityVenture CapitalFixed IncomeEquitiesAlternativesReal Estate
03 — Company

The firm behind it

Ownership
Subsidiary (Raymond James Financial, Inc.)
Software type
Services-only
Headquarters / markets
United States
Offices
Annapolis, Atlanta, Hunt Valley, Boston, Calabasas, Chicago, Dallas, Greenwich
Key people
CCraig DeckerManaging Director, Decker Global Wealth Group
AAndrew L. RyanManaging Director, International Wealth Advisor
JJohn SuttonManaging Director
Recognition
  • Barron's Top 1,200 Advisors - 2019
  • Barron's Top 100 Financial Advisors - 2018
  • Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors - 2019
  • Financial Times FT 400 Top Financial Advisors - 2018
  • Forbes America's Top Wealth Advisors - 2017
04 — Clients & fit

Who it’s for

Built for Private Wealth Owners / Principals, Single Family Office (SFO), Multi Family Office (MFO), Investment Teams.

05 — Support & onboarding

Getting it running

Dedicated advisor teams per client; direct phone and email contact per office and advisor group

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