Mercer Advisors expands Los Angeles footprint with acquisition of women-led firm

Martine Lellis tells InvestmentNews that the deal reflects the competitive deal market and the $98B RIA’s advisor continuity strategy.

Mercer Advisors is accelerating its expansion in Southern California with the acquisition of Eagleson Arndt Financial Advisors, a Thousand Oaks-based, women-led firm overseeing roughly $100 million in assets under management.

The transaction adds a planning-focused team to Mercer’s growing presence across Greater Los Angeles, reinforcing its strategy of scaling holistic, client-centered advice in key markets.

Founded by Vicki Arndt, the firm has built its reputation on a comprehensive approach to financial planning, helping clients navigate major life decisions and long-term financial goals. Arndt will remain actively involved post-acquisition, continuing to work with existing clients while tapping into Mercer’s broader platform.

The deal strengthens Mercer’s foothold in Ventura County and the broader Los Angeles region, where it already operates offices in Woodland Hills, Encino, and Century City.

Growth strategy

In an interview with InvestmentNews, Martine Lellis, executive managing partner for M&A partner development at Mercer Advisors stressed the importance of the region to Mercer’s long-term growth strategy.

“The Greater Los Angeles market is an important area of focus for Mercer Advisors as we continue to expand our presence in key regions,” she said. “There is a large opportunity to serve more clients in the region and many value having an advisor located nearby. This partnership helps us further build out our footprint across the broader LA area and specifically in Ventura County.”

The addition of Eagleson Arndt also enhances Mercer’s integrated family office capabilities, particularly in delivering coordinated services across multiple disciplines.

“This partnership strengthens our ability to deliver a comprehensive, integrated family office experience by adding talented advisors in a key market,” Lellis said. “By bringing firms like Eagleson Arndt onto our platform, we’re able to extend our capabilities and provide clients with a more coordinated approach across investment management, financial planning, estate planning and tax services.”

Cultural alignment

Mercer has been active on the acquisition front, targeting firms that align with its fiduciary, planning-led model. According to Lellis, cultural alignment plays a central role in those decisions.

“We are looking for fiduciary-based wealth management firms that put a high priority on financial planning and have a similar philosophy of always putting clients first,” she said. “Talent is of great value to us. We are always looking for firms with experienced CFP professionals and other practitioners. Vicki Arndt is an example of the type of talent that we seek to attract to Mercer Advisors, which we believe is an environment where leading fiduciary professionals can do their best work.”

She added that cultural fit often outweighs purely financial considerations. “Culture and fit are paramount to success. Generally, when those two elements are strong, there is a context for financial performance to be aligned.”

Integration remains a key focus as the firm continues to onboard new partners at scale.

“Over 40 employees, dedicated to the success of new partners, work to ensure as seamless as possible of an integration and onboarding experience for our partner firms and their clients. With nearly 120 partner firms onboarded to date, we continue to refine our processes over time to deliver success with onboarding and for the long-term,” Lellis said.

Competitive landscape

The competitive landscape for deals in California remains intense, reflecting broader industry trends.

“We see a highly competitive RIA M&A environment in California, and it’s representative of what’s happening nationwide where a large pool of buyers is competing for high-quality sellers,” she said.

Clients of Eagleson Arndt will gain access to Mercer’s full suite of services, including tax planning, estate planning, and institutional-grade investment management, as the firm continues to build out its national footprint.