Lisa van Walleghem and Jim Butler III Launch MAXIMAI Investment Partners in Partnership with Dynasty Financial Partners

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12:10 | 13/09/2016

Funds Society, Miami — View original article

Two leading global financial advisors — Elizabeth (Lisa) van Walleghem and Thomas J. (Jim) Butler III — with previous responsibility for managing $550 million in client assets, announced yesterday that they have left Merrill Lynch and are partnering with Dynasty Financial Partners to launch a new firm, MAXIMAI Investment Partners.

Based in Coral Gables, Florida, MAXIMAI Investment Partners is an independent boutique investment advisory firm focused on working with ultra-high-net worth entrepreneurs and families from around the world. In addition to Mr. Butler and Ms. van Walleghem, Alejandro Behrens, Daniella Viete, and Ana Bueso are joining the firm — all from the Merrill Lynch Miami Latam Complex.

The team of the new firm is multigenerational, multilingual and global — as are their clients. It provides concierge services to those entrepreneurs and families with international financial interests, and also provides a keen understanding of the entrepreneurial perspective and the Latin American experience.

“One of the main reasons that we have decided to launch MAXIMAI is our desire to build stronger relationships with our clients, their families and communities by offering objective and transparent advice unconstrained by the structure of a one-firm model,” said Ms. van Walleghem.

According to Mr. Butler, “Given the pace of change within global markets, we must maintain the agility to identify new developments, tap attractive opportunities around the world and deliver advanced solutions while safeguarding client assets.  Independence equips us to do all this and more.”

“Lisa, Jim and their team have a strong track record working with institutions and families in Latin America, Europe and around the world on a broad array of complex financial issues. Now, as an independent financial advisory firm, they are well positioned for success in the future as they build out their business.  At Dynasty, we are delighted to be partnering with MAXIMAI in expanding our Latin American and international business,” said Shirl Penney, President and CEO of Dynasty.

“One feature that distinguishes the independent wealth management segment is the ability to choose platforms and providers that uniquely meet the client’s needs, which is especially relevant for global clients,” said Javier Rivero, Senior Vice President, International Division at Dynasty.  “MAXIMAI recognizes that the independent model is the future for advisors working with global clients that require a truly open platform and we congratulate them on their decision.”

Advisers managing $550 million leave Merrill Lynch to create RIA in Florida

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MAXIMAI will focus on ultra-high-net-worth clients internationally

Sep 13, 2016 @ 11:53 am

By Christine Idzelis

Investment News — View original article

Advisers managing $550 million of assets have left Bank of America Merrill Lynch to create independent advisory firm MAXIMAI Investment Partners in Florida.

Lisa van Walleghem and Thomas “Jim” Butler broke away from the wirehouse to create a registered investment advisory firm focused on ultra-high-net worth entrepreneurs and families internationally, according to a statement on Tuesday from Dynasty Financial Partners, which offers RIA services.

The Coral Gables, Fla.-based wealth-management firm provides investment-management, estate and trust services, as well as access to investment bankers, attorneys and tax professionals to guide clients through the “the intricacies” of working globally, according to the statement. MAXIMAI will use a portion of Dynasty’s investment platform and Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services to custody its advisory assets.

“Lisa, Jim and their team have a strong track record working with institutions and families in Latin America, Europe and around the world on a broad array of complex financial issues,” Shirl Penney, president and chief executive officer of Dynasty, said in the statement.

The co-founders of MAXIMAI are joined by Alejandro Behrens, Daniella Viete and Ana Bueso, who all worked at Merrill Lynch’s Latin America complex in Miami, according to the statement.

Susan Atran, a spokeswoman for Merrill Lynch, didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment on the advisers’ departure.

Merrill brokers with $550 AUM switch to Dynasty

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By Ann Marsh

Financial Planning — View original article

Published  September 13 2016, 5:35pm EDT

Dynasty Financial Partners nabbed four breakaway advisers from Merrill Lynch, who have formed a “multilingual, multigenerational” firm focused on high-net-worth entrepreneurs globally, according to a release.

The advisers sought to build a practice “unconstrained by the structure of a one-firm model,” Elizabeth van Walleghem, who cofounded the firm with Thomas Butler, said in a statement. 

Their new firm, Coral Gables, Florida-based Maximai Investment Partners, specializes in serving clients with ties to Latin America. Advisers Alejandro Behrens and Daniella Viete, along with Ana Bueso, the new firm’s manager of client services, also left Merrill to join the practice.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Given the pace of change within global markets, we must maintain the agility to identify new developments, tap attractive opportunities around the world and deliver advanced solutions while safeguarding client assets. Independence equips us to do all this and more,” Butler said in the statement.

It’s important to give global clients the right choices for their investments, Javier Rivero, senior vice president of Dynasty’s international division, said in the statement.

“The independent model is the future for advisers working with global clients that require a truly open platform,” he said.

The new firm will utilize portions of Dynasty’s investment platform and integrated marketing solutions as well as Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services to custody their advisory assets. It will also use Addepar, a wealth management platform for family offices and RIAs, for their client performance reporting and Dynasty’s customized version of Salesforce as their CRM, according to the statement.

The firm is the second Florida-based group for Dynasty. Premia Global Advisors, also in Coral Gables, joined the network earlier this year.