Latest merger brings total number of Colony offices nationwide to 100

Focus Financial Partners Inc., a leading partnership of wealth management, business management, and related financial services firms, has announced that Focus partner firm GYL Financial Synergies, LLC, headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut, has formally joined Focus firm The Colony Group, LLC, headquartered in Boston, in a transaction that was completed on November 1, 2024. It is anticipated that a rebranding of the combined enterprise will take place in the near future.

The GYL team, which joined Focus in 2016, crafts customized solutions for institutional and private clients and provides investment management, financial planning, institutional consulting, and family office services. Through this transaction, GYL has added more than $6.6 billion in regulatory assets under management¹ to Colony’s client assets.

As a result of this transaction, the GYL team has combined with Colony’s team to deepen Colony’s bench of experts and enhance Colony’s capabilities in financial planning, investment management, and institutional consulting. This transaction also doubles the size of Colony’s institutional practice and brings the total number of Colony’s offices to 100 across the United States.

As part of the merger, Gerry Goldberg, former CEO of GYL, will join Wendy Hartman as a Division President at Colony, further building out its national advisory leadership team to support advisors across the country.

“Our guiding principle is that the interests of the client come first and that we should strive for constant improvement and innovation to serve them,” said Gerry Goldberg, Division President of Colony and former CEO of GYL. “Each client is unique, and we consider it a privilege to help them navigate significant financial and life events. Joining Colony provides a wide variety of tools that enhance the abilities of our advisors to meet our clients’ evolving needs. I am excited to be part of the leadership team while remaining connected to our clients as a Division President at the combined company.”

“We are thrilled to welcome GYL and its highly skilled and motivated network of talented professionals to our firm,” said Adam Birenbaum, CEO of Colony. “GYL is an excellent partner to further reinforce our commitment to empowering clients with outstanding advice, services, investment management, and capabilities for achieving their financial goals.”

“This deal marks the 8^th merger into Colony this year, a milestone that underscores the continued momentum of Focus Financial Partners’ forward-looking strategy,” said Michael Nathanson, CEO of Focus. “Bringing together two like-minded Focus firms that offer a wealth of talent, experience, and scale is exactly the kind of strategic alignment needed to drive innovation, accelerate growth, empower advisors, and create additional value for clients.”

About Focus Financial Partners Inc.

Focus is a leading partnership of wealth management, business management, and related financial services firms. Focus provides access to greater resources and services for its affiliated firms, which serve individuals, families, employers, and institutions with comprehensive financial services. Focus firms and their clients benefit from the solutions, synergies, scale, capital, and best practices offered by Focus to achieve their business objectives. For more information about Focus, please visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com.

About The Colony Group, LLC

The Colony Group is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor with 93 locations across 31 states, plus the District of Columbia. Registration does not imply that the SEC has endorsed or approved the qualifications of Colony or its representatives. With origins dating back to 1986, Colony’s team provides individuals and families, executives, business owners, entrepreneurs, athletes and entertainers, institutions and non-profit organizations with deep expertise that goes beyond investment management and can encompass tax, estate, retirement and philanthropic planning, asset allocation and sustainable investing solutions, family office services, business management services, divorce and dispute resolution services, and life-enrichment services through Curated by Colony^™. For more information about Colony, please visit www.thecolonygroup.com and follow Colony on LinkedIn.

¹ Regulatory assets under management do not include GYL’s assets under advisement.

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