Today’s opportunities. Tomorrow’s legacy. Private Wealth Management

When you have created or inherited substantial wealth, you face daily decisions about your immediate needs, your longer-term goals and aspirations for future generations. From business to finance to family, you have possibilities limited only by your own imagination, courage and determination.

As Private Wealth Advisors and Family Office Consultants, we offer the access, perspective and, importantly, the passion to help our clients pursue what is possible today and for generations to come. Our deep history with multigenerational families, entrepreneurs, senior executives and family offices means we have the experience you need to unlock opportunities, preserve wealth and create continuity.

Get a clear view of your wealth

The Freides Kanigher Westerman Group


phone

310-734-2400



phone

855-208-6171





address

UBS Financial Services Inc.
2000 Avenue of the Stars
7th Floor North
Los Angeles, CA 90067




Recognized for making a real impact in the lives of our clients

Freides Kanigher Westerman Group

Drew Freides

  • Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, CA, 2019–2021 (#4)
  • Forbes Top 100 Wealth Advisors, 2019 (#41)
  • Forbes/SHOOK America’s Top Wealth Advisors, 2016 – 2018
  • Barron’s Top 100 Financial Advisors, 2015 – 2020 (#61)
  • Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors, 2015 – 2020 (#20)
  • Barron’s Top 1,000 Financial Advisors, 2013
  • Financial Times Top 400 Financial Advisor, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020

Michael Kanigher

  • Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, CA, 2019 –2021 (#10)
  • Forbes/SHOOK America’s Top Wealth Advisors, 2016 – 2018
  • Forbes Top 200 Wealth Advisors, 2016 
  • Forbes Top 250 Wealth Advisors, 2017, 2018, 2019 (#163)
  • Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors, 2014 – 2020 (#35)

The value of Family Office Consultants


 

Drew Freides, Michael Kanigher and Steven Westerman are among a select group of Private Wealth Advisors who have earned the Family Office Consultant (FOC) business designation. Understanding the complexities of intergenerational wealth and the associated challenges, FOCs align specific needs to the full suite of UBS capabilities, managing the investment, business, passion and legacy needs their clients face.


The Freides Kanigher Westerman Group in the media


Who we are

“Whether we’re helping you realize your dream because you have retired or sold your business, are pursuing a new business venture, exploring a philanthropic passion or we’re assisting you in the education of your children about future financial responsibility, our team has the insight, resources and broad access you need across the firm and around the globe.”

— Drew Freides

Senior leaders with deep industry experience
Our Private Wealth Advisors start with a frank discussion about your goals, your values and the future you envision for your family. We consider how your financial assets and liabilities integrate with all the complexities of your business ventures, family needs and legacy objectives.

Drew Freides

Managing Director–Wealth Management
Private Wealth Advisor
Family Office Consultant

Experience in wealth and liability management, estate planning strategies and philanthropy

Learn more about Drew

Michael Kanigher

Managing Director–Wealth Management
Private Wealth Advisor
Family Office Consultant

Knowledge and training addressing the needs of UHNW clients

Learn more about Michael


Steven Westerman

Senior Vice President–Wealth Management
Private Wealth Advisor
Family Office Consultant

Experience working with entrepreneurs and private company owners who have sold a business as well as executives of public companies

Learn more about Steven

Brendan Carroll

Vice President - Wealth Management

Experience providing comprehensive wealth management, including estate and legacy planning strategies, investing, philanthropy and tax minimization strategies

Learn more about Brendan

Strategies for each generation of your family
Our team of wealth strategists can help build, articulate and monitor an integrated plan that is designed to keep pace with your changing perspective on wealth, your family’s lifestyle and your financial priorities. We have access to the global depth and breadth of UBS platforms, perspective and expertise—advanced estate planning strategists to portfolio and alternative investment management and philanthropy specialists.

Nadine Azzam

Investment Associate

Nadine concentrates on trading, portfolio construction, performance reporting and lending.

Learn more about Nadine

Mark Thompson

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

Mark is in charge of portfolio analysis, custom reporting and modeling, and implementation of client portfolios.

Learn more about Mark

Langdon Froomer

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

Langdon's key areas of focus include financial planning, portfolio construction, and custom reporting for clients.

Learn more about Langdon

Gilberto Sanchez

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

Gilbert Sanchez joined the Freides Kanigher Westerman Group as a Senior Wealth Strategy Associate in 2020.

Learn more about Gilbert

A high-touch client experience
The clients we serve are busy and face complex financial decisions. Their concerns always take precedent. Our client team’s attention to detail—touching on literally every aspect of our clients’ lives—has created strong bonds across generations and helped earn lifelong trust.

Melanie Desma

Team Administrator

Melanie is in charge of account opening and transfers, incoming and outgoing disbursements, implementation of asset allocations, trading and day-to-day client requests.

Learn more about Melanie

Lise Ly

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

With her experience as an analyst in mortgage-backed securities, Lise provides client service specific to liability management as well as special projects, account monitoring and trade executions.

Learn more about Lise


Corinne Carroll

Senior Wealth Strategy Associate

Corinne assists with account opening and transfers, incoming and outgoing disbursements, implementation of asset allocations, trading and day-to-day client requests.

Learn more about Corinne

Katie Whitlock

Client Service Associate

Katie is dedicated to creating an exceptional client experience by developing and optimizing processes so they can work efficiently and maintain the highest level of client satisfaction.

Learn more about Katie

Amanda Meraz

Client Service Associate

With a clear focus on serving the specific needs of each client, Amanda handles a broad array of operational, account and administrative responsibilities.

Learn more about Amanda


What we do

“We are laser-focused on helping to ensure that the wealth you have created best serves you and those you care about most, today and for generations to come.”

— Michael Kanigher

Clients count on us to work directly with their accountants, estate attorneys, insurance professionals and a wide range of UBS banking and investment specialists. We incorporate all perspectives into one integrated approach.

Exceptional families

A comprehensive experience for each generation

We seamlessly integrate comprehensive wealth management with institutional-level investment solutions for a comprehensive experience. Our team understands the dynamics of families working together to make important life decisions. Working with the UBS Global Family Office and Family Advisory and Philanthropy Services groups, we can help bridge generations to offer advice on family decision-making, business transition, wealth transfer and family office governance. Collaborating with our Family Office Solutions Group, we bring the best of UBS insights and expertise to our clients—helping them explore highly bespoke opportunities for growth, capital preservation and wealth transition.


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Delivering the full resources of the Family Office Services Group


Entrepreneurs

Understanding the full cycle of business needs

We address the full cycle of business needs from strategic business financing to succession and exit strategies to post-liquidity planning. Whether you’re building capital and growing your business, selling your company, looking to manage existing liquid assets or transferring wealth, we have a honed process for helping you make smart, informed financial decisions.

Pre-liquidity planning
Prior to the transaction, we help you develop a personalized strategy to maximize the value of this event so you can confidently pursue your life goals post-sale.

Post-liquidity wealth management
To help inform our recommendations about deal structure, valuation opportunities and tax considerations, we’ll coordinate with our network of both third-party and UBS.


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Preparing for a Strategic Exit


Executives

Building relationships with founders and senior executives

With complicated equity award packages—as well as potentially complex tax consequences—executives and other insiders need specialized advice. Our team has deep experience providing integrated financial guidance for company founders, public and private executives and business owners.

    • Impact of stock options (ISOs, NQSOs), RSUs, Founders Stock and QSBS
    • Restricted stock sales, 10b5-1, Section 16
    • Pre-IPO planning
    • M & A planning
    • 401(k) benefit and compensation plan management
    • Income and estate tax planning and strategies
    • Concentrated stock management and diversification

Learn more

The ins and outs of stock options and equity compensation

How we help

“We play key roles in the lives of our clients. We stay in touch and on top of clients’ needs for themselves, their children and grandchildren.”

— Steven Westerman

Our team has the training, access and understanding of complex wealth and the individuals and families who create it, inherit it and pass it on. They count on us for comprehensive planning, credit and liability management, education planning and wealth transfer strategies.

Investment management

Institution-level solutions for individual clients
By listening and aligning with your objectives, we focus on asset allocation strategies that are designed to allow for sensible growth and help mitigate risk.

  • Multi-step investment process
  • Tailored asset allocation
  • Global private equity and private real estate
  • Management of illiquid, concentrated positions
  • Investment advisory responsibility

Estate planning and philanthropic strategies

Helping your wealth create greater impact
We help ensure your assets are preserved and transferred to future generations and charitable organizations in a tax-efficient manner. Collaborating with your tax and legal specialists, we’ll help you pursue your specific estate planning and charitable giving goals.

  • Pre-transaction planning
  • Liability management
  • Tax liability minimization
  • Wealth transfer strategies and vehicles
  • Charitable giving strategies
  • Educating each generation. Shaping your multigenerational legacy

Educating each generation

Shaping your multigenerational legacy

Attuned to preserving the financial independence of your entire family, we can help structure a deliberate and meaningful family legacy and direct capital to reflect your values.

  • Financial literacy program
  • Access to exclusive UBS events, including the Young Successors Program and Philanthropy Forum
  • Business succession planning
  • Family foundation considerations, set-up and supervision
  • Advisory services for real estate, art collections, aircraft, hedge fund portfolios and more

Liquidity. Longevity. Legacy.

Our approach can help you organize your financial life into three key dimensions: Liquidity—to help provide cash flow for short-term expenses, Longevity—for longer-term needs and Legacy—for needs that go beyond your own. Through the plan we create together, we can help you pursue what matters most today, tomorrow and for generations to come.




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