Chicago, IL Financial Advisors | Legacy Partners

A personal impact for a lasting legacy

Making a real impact on your life, both personally and professionally, is our priority. We listen to your goals, understand your values and provide the right solutions for your unique situation.

As a highly experienced team, we provide comprehensive planning, a disciplined investment process and exceptional client service. We are trusted by affluent families with a wide range of sophisticated needs. Our depth of knowledge, perspective and determination to understand what matters most is a comfort to clients who are looking for the confidence that comes from a trusted advocate.

Count on us for:

Dedicated access and advocacy from an experienced team
The processes and experience of a team of financial professionals dedicated to each generation of your family
The ethics and diligence to help you grow and preserve your legacy

Our team always puts your needs first, opening the door to a distinctive level of sophisticated advice and services. We go above and beyond the expected, offering a highly personalized experience that is responsive and flexible to your needs.

Legacy Partners

312-525-4100

One North Wacker Drive
32nd And 33rd
Chicago, IL 60606

Our office locations

One North Wacker Drive
26th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606

303 East Main Street
3rd floor
Barrington, IL 60010

Focus on 7 principles

By following these seven core principles, we provide our clients with a strategic approach to pursuing financial well-being. Here’s what you can expect from our relationship.

1. Focus on your objectives
2. Manage taxes
3. Take emotion of your decisions
4. Rebalance regularly
5. Control cost
6. Follow a sustainable process
7. Factor in compound returns

1. Focus on your objectives

We’ll structure your investment plan based on where you are in your life and what you’d like your wealth to achieve.

2. Manage taxes

Construct portfolios in tax effective ways.

3. Take emotion of your decisions

In volatile markets, this helps eliminate reactive behavior and judgment.

4. Rebalance regularly

That’s how we align with changing markets.

5. Control costs

We structure cost effective equity and fixed income portfolios.

6. Follow a sustainable process

We choose solutions using a sustainable process to pursue risk-adjusted returns that exceed relevant benchmarks.

7. Factor in compound returns

Both earnings and dividends are compounded.

Family office services

Comprehensives services for all aspects of your financial world
Many families with significant wealth demand a broad array of family office services. We can help bridge the generations within a family in order to create continuity and deliver services that are focused on preserving wealth and creating opportunities.

From estate planning strategies to business leadership transition to family dynamics, we offer the guidance you and your family need to make informed and confident financial decisions.

Understanding all aspects of your financial world
Our team provides comprehensive investment services including governance, asset allocation, manager selection, and implementation for a complete solution. We do this by focusing on three central tenets: asset preservation, simplicity and savings.

UBS Global Family Office
We provide access to a highly specialized team that seamlessly integrates comprehensive wealth management with institutional-level services and business opportunities for UHNW families and their family offices. Services include:

Coordination between UBS Wealth Management and UBS Investment Bank
Direct access to UBS bankers, traders, specialists and sales teams
Tailored client portfolios to meet specific investment objectives
Family advisory services, including governance frameworks
Financing and advisory solutions for real estate, art collections, aircraft, hedge fund portfolios, securities backed lending and more

“Meeting a family’s lifestyle goals demands a combination of investment knowledge, market experience, and discipline. Capital preservation stratgies and monitoring the risk landscape are as necessary as the financial plan.”

— Nick C. Paterakos, CIMA® CRPS®

“Much like the services of a family office, we bring a comprehensive and experienced approach to each generation in your family. Clients turn to us for our service and advocacy and count on us for our ethical and diligent process.”

— Michael Simone

Investment management

Customized investing for your specific situation
Investments are the way we make your plan work. Our goals-based investment philosophy allows for highly customized portfolios driven by a strategic wealth allocation process. We practice a balanced, non-proprietary investment strategy and believe that research, diversification, and risk monitoring are the foundation of financial success.

As we implement your investment strategy, we communicate regularly and track performance, rebalancing and making adjustments for life changes and economic conditions.

Tailored portfolio management
As active portfolio managers or by working with select money managers, we build custom portfolios from a broad array of investments that help match your objectives and risk preferences.

Asset allocation
Through our comprehensive due diligence and planning process, we gain a deep understanding of your financial picture so we help balance your tolerance for risk with your family’s goals, growth and income needs. This allows us to craft an asset allocation that supports your financial plan and seeks to limit risk and lower volatility.

Steady guidance for managing risk
By listening and aligning with your objectives, we focus on strategies that help mitigate risk. We communicate regularly and track performance, rebalancing and making adjustments for life changes and economic conditions.

“Our priorities involve helping our clients reach their total financial goals from estate planning strategies, financial planning, and portfolio management, to company restructuring. We have structured our team to provide solutions for all of our client’s needs.”

— William T. Read III, CFP®, CIMA®

“Our priority is to help ensure our clients’ ability to meet their needs of today, while instilling confidence towards their future aspirations.”

— Paul E. Lee, CRPS®, CRPC®

For business owners

Guidance throughout your business lifecycle
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, a substantial portion of your family wealth is invested in your business. Through financial planning and risk management strategies, we can help you address these challenges at each stage of your business maturity. When you are ready to transition, we will help you do so with confidence on your terms and schedule.

Growth strategies
We will help you understand opportunities to grow and expand your business by looking at your entire financial picture. This includes tax planning strategies, retirement plans, cash management, private capital sourcing, investments and banking and lending services.

Succession planning
If considering transitioning your business internally through a management buyout, sale to an ESOP, or an inter-family transfer, we can facilitate introductions to professional advisors with the dedicated expertise to assist you in executing on your chosen succession plan. We can work with CPAs and attorneys to help create customized cash flow models comparing the economic benefits of various tax-efficient succession scenarios.

Monetize your business
Understanding the current value of your business, its attractiveness to a potential buyer and your own readiness to exit are essential steps in the transition process. Our process incorporates detailed cash flow modeling, clearly illustrating various internal and external exit options. Some examples include selling to a strategic or financial buyer, utilizing a dividend recap, or selling to an ESOP.

Plan for life post-exit
We can help you develop a post-sale transition plan to ensure you are personally and financially ready for the next chapter in your life. We will help you transition from receiving a K-1 distribution or salary to living comfortably off your investment income. We’ll work with you in a one-on-one relationship to design and execute customized investment strategies based on your plan.

“We believe lasting legacies are often the result of well informed choices and thoughtful decision making. But given today's many uncertainties and challenges, how do you continue to protect all you've achieved and ensure that it is thoughtfully passed on to those next in line- and beyond?”

— Randy Wiggs, CIMA®

“Our work ethic is simple and powerful. It is based on the value of collaboration. We work side by side with you, taking the time to understand your individual needs and ambitions. This deep understanding, combined with the powerful global resources of UBS, will lay the foundation for a lasting relationship.”

— Ryan Lindgren

Multigenerational planning

A goals-based approach for long-term success
With our diverse backgrounds, we provide an experienced perspective on both financial and legacy planning. Through our comprehensive planning process, we help prioritize your goals, establish your proper asset allocation, manage risk, and assess estate and charitable planning strategies.

Our planning process begins with a series of meaningful conversations. We then work with you to establish a comprehensive financial plan that prioritizes your goals.

How will you integrate all aspects of my financial life into one plan?

Retirement and lifetime income planning
With a focus on retirement income planning, our team can work with you to preserve your lifestyle and livelihood in retirement.

Estate and legacy planning strategies
We have the experience and the network to address the complexities of your estate and legacy planning needs.

Insurance review
Our team views insurance as a tool to help protect your family’s assets, replace income, and create a legacy for future generations and philanthropic beneficiaries.

Liability management
We’ll work with you to find solution to both sides of your balance sheet and help you access the banking and lending services you need.

Multigenerational strategies for your family’s wealth
We understand the connections between wealth and family, and we’re positioned to help you address your family’s needs, ranging from growth strategies, to wealth transfer and preservation to philanthropic pursuits.

“How do you want to be remembered? This is but one question we ask our clients as we guide them through life’s journey. To help them pursue their dreams, we provide tailored multigenerational financial planning to grow, preserve and transfer their legacy.”

— Christopher Paterakos, CRPC® AAMS®, CFP®

“Our families have an imbedded expectation for service and results prior to working with us. It is our pursuit, throughout the relationship, to exceed their expectations in both categories.”

— Bradley P. Parks, ChFC®

Paul Lee has been recognized as an industry leader

Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, 2019, 2020, 2021