Robertson Stephens says it acquired Alpha Investment Consulting, lifting AUM above $10 billion

Robertson Stephens Wealth Management said Oct. 20 that it acquired Milwaukee-based Alpha Investment Consulting Group, adding $714 million in assets under management and lifting the San Francisco RIA's total above $10 billion.

The deal gives Robertson Stephens an office in Milwaukee and puts Alpha's institutional consulting business alongside a client base that includes many high-net-worth households. The firm now reports 28 advisory teams across 26 offices.

Bob Bukowski, Alpha's managing partner for nearly 38 years according to his LinkedIn bio, joins as a managing director and principal and will establish the Milwaukee office. Before Alpha he spent several years advising institutional investors at Merrill Lynch and Paine Webber, the release says. Patrick Pierce, Tony Jones, Dan Strasser, Julia Ramer and Bailey Jordan come with him.

“We found a shared commitment to independent advice, fiduciary excellence and client service that made Robertson Stephens a natural fit,” Bukowski said.

PWD's records put Robertson Stephens' regulatory AUM at $8.8 billion as of Oct. 17; adding the $714 million Alpha book yields $9.5 billion, short of the $10 billion the firm cites. The gap suggests the two numbers are calculated on different bases.

The release does not disclose purchase price or other terms.

The deal was announced the same day CircleBlack named Vikram Chugh, who spent more than eight years as Robertson Stephens' chief operating officer, its CEO. CircleBlack shares an owner with Robertson Stephens in Long Arc Capital, per PWD's reporting.