CASE studies • strategic partnerships

Scaling a High-Touch Advisory
Experience Without Losing
the Relationship.

LionsGate had built a successful advisory business. The next challenge was scaling it.

At a glance

Firm: LionsGate Advisors
Industry: Wealth Management / Financial Advisory
Transaction: Merger with Larson
Primary Opportunity: Expand client capabilities through greater scale and integrated resources
Key Areas of Alignment: Culture, holistic planning, tax strategy, alternative investments, client service and succession planning

THE OPPORTUNITY

Building on a Successful Foundation

The opportunity wasn’t about fixing a broken business. LionsGate had already established a high-touch approach to wealth management and a strong commitment to its clients.

Instead, leadership began asking a bigger question:

How could LionsGate expand its capabilities and create more value for clients without sacrificing the relationships and culture that defined the firm?

The answer began to emerge through an existing relationship with Larson.

LionsGate’s Jonathan Krueger and Larson’s Paul Larson initially connected at a private wealth summit. The relationship later developed into opportunities for the firms to work together with clients.

Through that collaboration, the teams began recognizing the potential of combining their complementary capabilities.

“That turned into really looking at what our synergies were and how we could be able to create more value for our own clients as well as yours.”

Jonathan Krueger

THE FIT

Finding a Partner, Not Just a Buyer

For LionsGate, expanding capabilities wasn’t enough. The people and culture behind those capabilities mattered just as much.

LionsGate had focused on building a team around people who were humble, hungry and smart. Larson emphasized qualities including being goal-oriented, servant leaders and having a warrior spirit.

Different language, but Jonathan saw considerable overlap in what the organizations valued.

That made cultural compatibility an important part of evaluating the opportunity.

“We first had to start off not only with our clients, but also for our staff. And was this a good cultural fit?”

Jonathan Krueger

The similarities extended beyond culture. LionsGate brought experience in areas such as tax strategy and advanced case design, while Larson offered broader resources and capabilities, including alternative investment strategies and a platform designed around holistic financial planning.

Together, the organizations saw an opportunity to build on one another’s strengths.

THE MERGER

Creating a Platform for the Next Chapter

The merger provided LionsGate with access to greater scale while also creating an opportunity to address the long-term needs of the business.

Jonathan specifically identified succession as one component of the transaction, noting that the combination could create an opportunity for fellow leadership to pursue retirement if desired.

For the remaining team, the merger offered something different: a larger platform from which to serve and grow.

Rather than rebuilding LionsGate’s model, the combination offered additional infrastructure and expertise behind the advisors already serving clients.

The goal was not to replace the existing relationship. It was to put more resources behind it.

THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE

More Resources. One Trusted Relationship.

As financial needs become more complex, clients can find themselves working with a growing collection of specialists.

An investment advisor manages one relationship. A CPA handles another. Insurance, legal services, mortgages and other needs may introduce still more providers.

Each additional relationship can require the client to repeat information, coordinate recommendations and make sure everyone is working toward the same goals.

Larson’s model seeks to reduce that friction.

Through greater scale, advisors can draw upon broader expertise across areas such as:

Wealth and investment management
Tax planning
Insurance
Legal expertise
Alternative investments
Advanced planning and case design

The client’s existing advisor can remain at the center of that ecosystem.

“Having a CPA in house and having attorneys in house and having all these people that sit down the hall from you really is a powerful combination.”

Paul Larson

THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE

More resources. One trusted relationship.

Why does this matter?

STRONGER
RELATIONSHIPS

Built on trust
and continuity

GREATER
EFFICIENCY

Less coordination, more clarity

BETTER
OUTCOMES

Informed decisions,
aligned goals

FUTURE
CONFIDENCE

A partner you
can count on

THE VALUE OF SCALE

Making “Bigger” Means Better for the Client

Scale alone wasn’t the objective.

The value came from what greater scale could make possible.

Paul described one of Larson’s goals as becoming a more holistic resource for clients. By bringing additional capabilities together, the organization can reduce some of the inefficiencies created when financial services are spread among unrelated providers.

That can create value through both expanded expertise and potential cost efficiencies.

Greater Scale
↓
Broader Expertise + Integrated Resources
↓
Less Client Friction
↓
Greater Client Value

For LionsGate, joining Larson offered an opportunity to participate in that platform while bringing its own areas of expertise into the larger organization.

THE IMPACT

Scaling Without Sacrificing What Made LionsGate Successful

The merger brought two organizations together around a shared belief: serving clients well begins with serving people well.

For LionsGate, the combination offered greater resources and expanded capabilities while maintaining the importance of the advisor relationships clients had already built.

For Larson, LionsGate brought additional experience in areas important to the organization’s vision for holistic wealth management.

Together, the firms created an opportunity to deliver more comprehensive service through a familiar relationship.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Growth Doesn’t Have to Mean Giving Up What You’ve Built

For independent advisory firms considering their next chapter, a merger can represent more than an exit.

The LionsGate and Larson story demonstrates how the right combination can create an opportunity to preserve established relationships and culture while giving advisors access to broader capabilities, greater scale, and additional resources.

The question isn’t simply how to become a larger firm.

It’s how to give the people who already make the firm successful more tools to succeed.

Let’s Start a Conversation

No pressure. No assumptions. Just clarity and a partner who understands the weight and the opportunity of ownership.

If you’re exploring growth, relief, succession, or simply want to understand your options, we’d welcome a confidential discussion.

Alex Brockman

Director of Corporate Development

As Director of Corporate Development, Alex leads strategic growth initiatives centered on thoughtful partnerships, long-term value creation, and sustainable expansion.

A strategist by nature, Alex understands what it takes to build and scale businesses in today’s evolving economy. He brings a rare blend of big-picture thinking and practical execution. Over the course of his career in financial services, he has worked across strategic growth, mergers and acquisitions, marketing, brand transformation, and change management, experience shaped through roles with organizations such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo Advisors, NewGround, csg, and Experience Fresh.

Entrepreneurship has always been a defining thread in Alex’s career. He has launched several companies focused on empowering business owners with growth strategies, revenue generation, and idea development. From hands-on ideation sessions to scalable solutions, Alex has helped entrepreneurs move from vision to execution with clarity and confidence.

Beyond the boardroom, Alex is deeply committed to service. Alongside his wife, he gives back to their community through their “Four-F’s” methodology, an approach rooted in generosity, intentionality, and impact. Their mission is simple but meaningful: creating change one living room at a time. At Larson, Alex is passionate about partnering with advisory firms in a way that honors what they’ve built while strengthening what comes next. His focus is on creating flexibility, reducing friction, and helping founders move forward with confidence, clarity, and choice.

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