• Firm is named to list for third consecutive year
• Barron’s Top 100 RIA Firms annually showcases financial advisors across the country that prioritize advancement and raise the standards for other firms

CHICAGO, October 5, 2023 – Mesirow, an independent, employee-owned financial services firm, today announced that the firm has once again been named to Barron’s Top 100 RIA Firms list1, ranking #48 in 2023. Barron’s bases its annual ranking of independent advisory companies on assets managed by the firms, technology spending, staff diversity, succession planning and other metrics. 

Each year, Barron’s ranks the Top 100 RIA Firms, showcasing financial advisors across the country that prioritize advancement and work toward raising the standards for other firms. 

"We are honored to again be included on Barron’s list of the Top 100 Registered Investment Advisor Firms," said Natalie Brown, CEO of Mesirow. "As our founding capability, Mesirow Wealth Management has an 86-year history of advising families, entrepreneurs and non-profits on their most important financial goals. Today, our wealth advisors continue to seek competitive investment returns, deliver a high level of personalized financial advice and provide deep client service."

Mesirow recently announced the acquisition of Front Barnett Associates, LLC, further expanding Mesirow’s wealth management offering to high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients. Front Barnett, A Mesirow Company, will operate as a distinct platform within the broader Mesirow Wealth Management offering. 

“Our inclusion in Barron’s list of the 2023 Top 100 RIA Firms speaks to the hard work, commitment and entrepreneurial spirit of our wealth advisor teams,” said Brian Price, Head of Mesirow Advisory Services. “We look forward to ongoing organic growth and continued momentum through potential future acquisitions in the wealth management space.”

Mesirow has $256.6 billion in assets under supervision2 and 86 years of market experience. The firm has been named one of the Best Places to Work by Crain’s Chicago Business for five consecutive years and has received a top score of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for six consecutive years.3 

Other recent accolades for the firm include: Top DC Advisor Multi-Office Firms by the National Association of Plan Advisors, Currency Manager of the Year, and Best Places to Work in Money Management by Pensions and Investments4.

Learn more about Mesirow Wealth Management.

About Mesirow 

Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices around the world, we serve clients through a personal, custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good. With capabilities spanning Global Investment Management, Capital Markets & Investment Banking, and Advisory Services, we invest in what matters: our clients, our communities and our culture. To learn more, visit mesirow.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

1. 2023 Barron’s Top RIAs (Received September 2023 for the year 2022 – Licensing fees paid post award for use of the ranking). In order to be considered for the Barron’s 2023 Top RIA Firms list, applicants were required to complete a 145-question survey, with the firm’s ADV informing the majority of responses. Firms were also required to meet a number of other specified requirements to be eligible for inclusion. Firms were ranked based on various qualitative and quantitative factors, including assets managed, the size and experience of teams, regulatory records of the advisors and firms, technology spending, staff diversity, organic and M&A growth, client segmentation as well as succession planning.

2. As of 06.30.23 unless otherwise noted. | 1. Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. (“MFIM”) is an investment advisory and management services firm and is an SEC-registered investment adviser, CFTC-registered commodity trading advisor (“CTA”) and member of the NFA. Investment management services are provided through MFIM, Mesirow Institutional Investment Management, Inc. (“MIIM”), , and Mesirow Financial Private Equity Advisors, Inc. (“MFPEA”), all SEC-registered investment advisors. Currency-related services are provided through MFIM (Currency Division), in its capacity as a registered CTA. | 2. “Assets under supervision” includes regulatory assets under management; assets under advisement; and non-securities currency assets under management. For these purposes: (1) regulatory assets under management (“RAUM”) is calculated in accordance with Instruction 5A of Form ADV and includes all assets of securities portfolios (both discretionary and non-discretionary). (2) Some assets under advisement (“AUA”) are on a 45-to-90-day lag due to time needed to confirm away assets. (3) Currency assets under management includes AUM associated with (i) active and passive currency risk management products $141.15 billion, (ii) non-fx overlay strategies such as equitization and beta overlays $713.60 million, and (iii) alpha strategies $633.50 million. In all such cases, AUM is calculated based on notional value of currency investments. Additionally, AUM for alpha strategies is adjusted because clients can select a volatility target (generally between 2% and 12% annualized), which is normalized to 2% in order to create a consistent depiction of alpha strategy AUM. This results in a “scaled” AUM, which is higher than the actual aggregate notional value of all alpha strategy portfolios if clients have selected a volatility target higher than 2%. As of 06.30.2023, the “unscaled” AUM for alpha strategies was $205.85 million. | 3. As of the most recent fiscal year end, 03.31.23.

3.  For Crain’s | 2022 Crain’s Best Places to Work (Received August 2022 reflective of previous 12 months – Licensing fees paid post award for use of the ranking). Best Companies Group (BCG), an independent workplace excellence research firm, conducted a two-part survey. Part one, consisted of an employer questionnaire, used to collect information about benefits, policies, practices, and other general information. Part two was a confidential 77-question employee survey used to evaluate local employee’s workplace experience and culture. For HRC | 2022 Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (Received January 2022 reflective of previous 12 months – Licensing fees paid post award for use of the ranking).  The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses. The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: Non-discrimination policies across business entities, Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, Supporting an inclusive culture, and Corporate social responsibility. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

4. Award recognition disclosures: mesirow.com/award-recognition-disclosures