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Focus Partner Firm Connectus Wealth Advisers Expands into Australia

Wednesday, 02 December 2020 08:00 AM

Focus Financial Partners

Brady & Associates, Link Financial Services and Westwood Group Join Connectus, Establishing a National Presence

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 2, 2020 / Focus Financial Partners Inc. (NASDAQ:FOCS) ("Focus"), a leading partnership of fiduciary wealth management firms, announced today that the Brady & Associates Group ("Brady & Associates"), the Link Financial Services Group ("Link") and the Westwood Group ("Westwood") have been acquired by Connectus Wealth Advisers ("Connectus").

About Connectus
Connectus is a Focus partner firm with an innovative model for client-centric financial advisers who deliver comprehensive wealth management advice. Connectus is designed for founders and teams who want to continue managing their client relationships and maintaining their boutique cultures while gaining the operational efficiencies of shared services. As a consortium, Connectus offers integrated technology, investment support and centralized services, including compliance, accounting and talent management. Connectus also provides marketing capabilities to support business expansion through organic growth programs. Connectus exemplifies the spirit of partnership and collaboration yet celebrates the entrepreneurial mind-set of its advisers.

Through Focus, Connectus advisers gain a strategic growth partner with specialized capabilities. They benefit from Focus' global scale and extensive network of partner firms, continuity planning expertise and client solutions. Focus is also a source of permanent capital to accelerate growth.

For more information, please visit www.connectuswealth.com.

About Brady & Associates
Brady & Associates is a private client wealth management and accounting advisory practice headquartered in Sydney. Brady & Associates serves as a trusted adviser to a diverse range of clients within New South Wales and throughout Australia, including high net worth individuals and families, trusts, estates and small business owners. Brady & Associates provides a team-based, integrated approach in providing clients financial planning, investment management and tax advisory services.

"We are very pleased to have joined Connectus," said Paul Brady, Founder and Managing Director of Brady & Associates. "Connectus will enable us to maintain our highly personalized, client-centric approach while gaining access to best practices, additional client services and enhanced technology and processes. Longer-term, Connectus will help us solve for succession, and create a seamless transition for our team and our clients, while preserving the legacy of the firm we have built."

About Link
Link is an integrated wealth management firm headquartered in Caulfield North, Victoria. Link provides highly customized and comprehensive solutions to ultra-high and high net worth individuals and professionals. Link offers holistic wealth and investment management capabilities, as well as family office services to assist its clients with cash flow, insurance, lending and other personal financial management needs.

"We are excited to be part of the Connectus partnership," said Ben Kohn, Founder and Managing Director of Link. "Taking advantage of Connectus' strategic resources, while leveraging the shared infrastructure they offer, will enable the Link team to focus exclusively on what we do best and enjoy the most - servicing our clients. We cater to high-net-worth individuals who place a premium on highly personalized services to meet their financial planning and wealth management needs."

About Westwood
Westwood is a boutique wealth management firm headquartered in Brisbane. Westwood works with a range of clients including professionals, executives and owners of small and medium-sized businesses. The firm has built its reputation through offering clients a collaborative, high touch "Personal CFO" model supported by fully customized, bespoke investment solutions tailored to meet client needs. Westwood was previously owned by an entity in which Focus has a minority investment.

"The Westwood team is delighted to be a part of Connectus as we continue to chart our path," said Dominic Cronk, Founding Director of Westwood. "Connectus allows us to devote our energies to expanding the highly personalized services we offer our clients. Having Connectus as a strategic partner at our table, and also being able to access to their shared services, are highly differentiating features of their model and will enable us to grow our client base in a way we could not have done on our own."

"We extend a warm welcome to the Brady & Associates, Link and Westwood teams," said Rajini Kodialam, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Focus. "Together they form the foundation for Connectus in Australia. Paul Brady and his team have a well-earned reputation for their strong commitment to highly personalized client service. Joining Connectus enables them to continue to expand the business they have built while ensuring long-term continuity for their clients and their business. Similarly, both the Link and Westwood teams share a passion for excellence in client service, and becoming part of the Connectus consortium enables them to devote their time to broadening and deepening their bespoke wealth management capabilities.

"These transactions build on the expansion of Connectus in the United States and address an important strategic need in the Australian wealth management market. Connectus enhances the client-centric ethos of boutique wealth management firms through access to the centralized resources and capabilities of a global partner. Importantly, Connectus represents a collaborative community of advisers for whom the Connectus partnership will provide resources that will benefit their clients and employees alike."

Steve Prendeville of Forte Asset Solutions acted as sell side corporate advisor to Brady & Associates.

Nelson Lam and Glenn Dunn of Berkshire Global Advisors acted as sell side corporate advisors to Link.

About Focus Financial Partners Inc.
Focus Financial Partners Inc. is a leading partnership of fiduciary wealth management firms. Focus provides access to best practices, resources, and continuity planning for its partner firms who serve individuals, families, employers and institutions with comprehensive wealth management services. Focus partner firms maintain their operational autonomy, while they benefit from the synergies, scale, economics and best practices offered by Focus to achieve their business objectives. For more information about Focus, please visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect Focus' current views with respect to certain current and future events. These forward-looking statements are and will be, subject to many risks, uncertainties and factors relating to Focus' operations and business environment, including, without limitation, uncertainty surrounding the current COVID-19 pandemic, which may cause future events to be materially different from these forward-looking statements or anything implied therein. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Focus on the date of this release. Focus does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any statements expressed or implied therein will not be realized. Additional information on risk factors that could affect Focus may be found in Focus' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investor and Media Contact
Tina Madon
Senior Vice President
Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Focus Financial Partners
P: +1-646-813-2909
[email protected]

SOURCE: Focus Financial Partners Inc.

Topic:
Mergers and Acquisitions
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