Cerity Partners Acquires Palo Alto Wealth Manager Cornerstone Capital

The merger brings together a veteran firm founded in 1978 with the broader, national resources of Cerity Partners. Cornerstone Capital has long built its reputation on high-touch financial planning, estate coordination, and tax services for high-net-worth families, endowments, and charitable foundations. Under the agreement, the combined entity will operate exclusively under the Cerity Partners brand.

Claire O’Keefe, Head of Partner Development at Cerity, cited the firm’s long-standing client trust as the primary driver for the acquisition. For Cornerstone partners, the move provides access to expanded tax and estate planning infrastructure that was previously unavailable to the independent firm. Brad Dinsmore, a partner at Cornerstone, noted that the transition aims to protect their existing service philosophy while scaling their offerings. Advice Dynamics Partners facilitated the transaction, with legal counsel provided by HansonBridgett for Cornerstone and Lowenstein Sandler for Cerity Partners.