Berman Capital Advisors, LLC (Atlanta)


Berman Capital Advisors, LLC is a large advisory firm based in Atlanta. It manages $2.28 billion of regulatory assets for 668 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2011 and has operated in the jurisdictions of Alabama, California, Florida, and 5 other states.

Berman Capital Advisors provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles, portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients, selection of other advisers, and bookkeeping, financial reporting, clerical assistance in other financial matters. It prepares financial plans for more than 25 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

Berman Capital Advisors: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of Berman Capital Advisors, LLC is $2.28 billion. The firm's AUM has grown by 208% since the beginning of its operation, and $5 million of the total AUM is attributable to clients outside of the United States.

The firm manages $866.75 million in discretionary accounts and $1.41 billion in non-discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $2.15 million each. Non-discretionary accounts, where clients actively manage their portfolios, generally hold around $5.34 million.
Berman Capital Advisors has custody of $544.52 million in cash and securities for 150 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in exchange traded securities the most. They account for 52% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is cash and cash equivalents, which make up 24% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in investment and business development companies form 20% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay Berman Capital Advisors, LLC for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, fixed fees, and performance-based fees. Compensation based on assets under management promotes a long-term relationship between a client and the adviser and helps align mutual interests. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients Wendell Switzer Reilly serves?

The firm provides services to individuals, high net worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, corporations or other businesses, and state or municipal government entities. The largest group of clients of Wendell Switzer Reilly is high net worth individuals with 177 clients and $2.2 billion of assets under management. Among the 9 most similar advisory firms, Berman Capital Advisors has the 2nd highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $2.28 billion for 188 clients that can include trusts, estates, and 401(k) plans and IRAs of individuals and their family members. None of the firm’s clients are foreign persons or businesses.

Berman Capital Advisors also advises several private funds. Namely, one other private fund. The minimum investment commitment required of non-related persons is $250,000 for each fund.

Careers at Berman Capital Advisors, LLC

The company employs 24 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 46 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 11 employees are registered as investment adviser representatives with the state securities authorities.

There are 3 people with the role of looking for and bringing in new clients on behalf of the firm. The firm compensates employees in addition to the salary for bringing in new clients. Employees don’t receive compensation from other entities for client referrals.

Wendell Switzer Reilly has been acting as President since 1 Oct 2011. John Russell Allen has served as the Chief Investment Officer since 1 Aug 2014. David Lee Fisher joined the executive team most recently as the President.

Direct owners and executive officers


Name Entity Date acquired Ownership Employer ID
Justin Berman Principal 1 Oct 2010 75% - 100% 4858475
Elizabeth Dolyniuk Lasco Chief compliance officer 1 Oct 2010 Other 2506654
Kelly Ann Downs Chief operating officer 1 Feb 2011 Other 4217109
Jill Brodie Asrael Principal, chief compliance officer, chief financial officer 1 Oct 2011 Other 6001851
Wendell Switzer Reilly Chairman 1 Oct 2011 Other 6033625
John Russell Allen Chief investment officer 1 Aug 2014 Other 5454936
Wen Yuan Tang Wealth advisor 1 Aug 2014 Other 5795761
David Lee Fisher President 1 Dec 2018 Other 6935865

Based in Atlanta

The principal office where Berman Capital Advisors, LLC performs its advisory services is located at 3475 Lenox Road, Atlanta, GA 30326, which is also the mailing address of the firm. An additional office of the firm is in Johns Creek, GA. It doesn’t run an office outside of the United States.

You can reach the main office by calling the phone number 404-554-4999 or by fax 404-554-0455. The normal business hours are 8:30am-5:30pm on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at bermancapital.com.