About Colchester Partners LLC · Boston
Colchester Partners LLC is a Boston-based investment banking and strategic advisory firm founded in 2002 that specializes exclusively in serving investment management organizations and their professionals. The firm advises on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, management buy-outs, ownership succession planning, equity incentive structuring, and valuations within the asset and wealth management industry. Headquartered at 53 State Street in Boston's financial district, Colchester Partners is registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer (FINRA CRD #122062) and has completed more than 300 client engagements since its founding.
Founded in 2002, Colchester Partners LLC is a boutique investment bank and strategic advisory firm headquartered at 53 State Street, Suite 1304, Boston, Massachusetts. The firm concentrates on one industry vertical — investment management — advising asset managers, wealth managers, and alternative investment firms on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, management buy-outs, ownership restructuring, equity incentive design, succession planning, and valuations. Its Senior Managing Directors previously served as senior executives at an investment management organization with over $200 billion in assets under management, with responsibilities spanning corporate development, strategic planning, and operations, giving the team hands-on experience on both the buy- and sell-side of transactions. Since its founding, the firm has engaged with more than 300 investment management firms and its managing directors have completed over 100 transactions. Colchester Partners is SEC-registered as a broker-dealer (CRD #122062, registered since January 8, 2003) and is classified as a boutique, independent, specialist advisor within financial services. The team of roughly 13 professionals includes Senior Managing Directors, Managing Directors, Vice Presidents, Directors, Associates, and Analysts, with talent drawn from organizations such as Cambridge Associates, Landmark Partners, Mercer Advisors, Piper Sandler, PwC, EY, Jefferies, J.P. Morgan, and 17Capital. Recent publicly noted engagements include advising Garda Capital Partners on a minority equity sale to Affiliated Managers Group, O'Brien Wealth Partners on its sale to Mercer Global Advisors, Mill Creek Capital Advisors on its merger with Pathstone, GFP Private Wealth on its acquisition by Arax Investment Partners, and Belmont Capital Group on its sale to Gateway Investment Advisors.
- In business
- Founded 2002 (over 20 years)
- Owner
- Founded by Franklin H. Kettle (Senior Managing Director), Kevin Brien (Managing Director), and Joseph Ramrath, per Mergr and the firm's leadership pages
- Serves
- United States, with concentration in Boston, New York, and other U.S. financial centers; clients are investment management firms nationwide
About Colchester Partners
Colchester Partners is an investment banking and strategic advisory firm formed in 2002 to serve investment management organizations and their professionals. The firm focuses on a single industry — investment management — advising management-owned firms, institutions, and individual investment professionals on strategic alternatives, sales, divestitures, acquisitions, ownership restructuring, succession planning, and valuation matters. The firm states that it has engaged with over 300 investment management firms since founding and its managing directors have completed more than 100 transactions.
- Founded in 2002
- Headquartered in Boston, MA
- Over 300 investment management firm engagements completed
- Over 100 transactions completed by managing directors
- Industry focus: investment management organizations and their professionals
Investment Banking & Strategic Advisory
The firm's core practice is M&A and strategic advisory for investment management firms. Services include mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, management buy-outs, strategic advice on ownership succession planning, structuring of equity and other incentives for key professionals, and valuation services. The firm is SEC-registered as a broker-dealer (FINRA CRD #122062) and operates as an independent boutique advisor.
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Divestitures
- Management buy-outs
- Strategic advice on ownership succession planning
- Structuring equity and other incentives for key professionals
- Valuation services
Who Colchester Partners Serves
Within the investment management industry, Colchester Partners works with a defined client set. The firm represents management-owned firms evaluating strategic alternatives, institutions and investment professionals considering a sale or divestiture, institutions exploring strategic acquisitions and investments, organizations considering ownership restructuring and incentive arrangements, and organizations seeking succession-planning advice or valuation services.
- Management-owned firms considering strategic alternatives
- Institutions and investment professionals considering a sale or divestiture
- Institutions considering strategic acquisitions and investments
- Organizations considering ownership restructuring and other incentive arrangements
- Organizations seeking advice on succession planning or other strategic matters
- Organizations seeking valuation services
Experience & Transaction Execution
Colchester's Senior Managing Directors previously held senior executive roles at an investment management organization with over $200 billion in assets under management, with responsibilities covering corporate development, strategic planning, and operations. The team has hands-on experience leading and executing all aspects of M&A engagements and brings a professional approach to transaction planning and execution.
- Assessing the strategic situation
- Evaluating the strategic objectives in a transaction and their relative feasibility
- Developing consensus among investment professionals
- Creating an appropriate process for identifying partners
- Developing approaches to tax, structural, and regulatory issues
- Structuring incentives following the transaction
- Managing the due diligence and legal process
- Developing communication plans and closing the transaction
Recent Engagements
The firm publishes a sample of recent transaction engagements on its website. Dollar figures referenced represent clients' assets under management at the time of transaction. Recent publicly noted advisory engagements include sales, mergers, and minority equity transactions involving both wealth and alternative asset management firms.
- Advised Garda Capital Partners LP on the sale of an additional minority equity interest to Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.
- Advised O'Brien Wealth Partners on the sale of the firm to Mercer Global Advisors, Inc.
- Advised Mill Creek Capital Advisors on its merger with Pathstone
- Advised GFP Private Wealth on its acquisition by Arax Investment Partners
- Advised Belmont Capital Group on the sale of the firm to Gateway Investment Advisors
Professionals & Leadership
The firm is staffed by roughly 13 professionals across senior and junior ranks. Senior leadership includes Senior Managing Directors, Managing Directors, a Senior Advisor, and Vice Presidents, supported by Directors, Associates, and Analysts. Team members hold industry designations including the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) credential.
- Franklin H. Kettle — Senior Managing Director (Founding Member)
- Kevin P. O'Brien — Senior Managing Director / Senior Advisor (Founding Member)
- Joseph R. Ramrath — Founding Member
- Gregory Dimit — Senior Managing Director
- Nicholas Kopp — Managing Director
- John Byrne — Managing Director
- Eric R. Andrew — Managing Director
- Charles R. Fellers — Managing Director
- Brian Lauzon, CFA — Managing Director
- Joseph R. Rioff, CFA — Managing Director
- Jaydev Amersey — Director
- Jeff Emmerling — Director
- Jonathan Brink — Vice President
- Andrew Lingle — Vice President
- Sonia Livingston — Associate
Regulatory & Corporate Details
Colchester Partners LLC is organized as a Massachusetts limited liability company and is SEC-registered as a broker-dealer through FINRA. Public regulatory records classify the firm as an investment bank and indicate ownership by a combination of a domestic entity and an individual. The firm is not designated as a capital allocator, is not active on ESG investing, is not designated as a multi-state adviser, and is not listed as a pension consultant or related adviser.
- Entity type: Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- FINRA BrokerCheck CRD #: 122062
- SEC-registered since January 8, 2003
- Headquarters: 53 State Street, Suite 1304, Boston, MA 02109 (Suffolk County)
- Approximately 13 employees
- Private partnership ownership
Contact
Colchester Partners LLC maintains its principal office in Boston's financial district. Inquiries can be directed to the firm via phone, email, or through its website contact page.
- Address: 53 State Street, Suite 1304, Boston, MA 02109
- Phone: (617) 542-4100
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.colchesterpartners.com/contact/