David Barton, vice chairman and leader of mergers and acquisitions at Mercer Advisors, directed the acquisition of 12 firms in 2023, totaling $4.6 billion. Notable additions included Kingfisher Capital ($630 million), Steward Wealth Management ($680 million) and Private Asset Management ($720 million).

Mercer Advisors was the second top acquirer of RIAs in 2023 according to DeVoe & Co. M&A contributed to a 22% increase in total client assets from 2022 to 2023. Barton, a former CEO and attorney, relates to prospective sellers through owner-to-owner positioning and faster assessment, negotiation and close.

The acquisition of Seattle-based MDK Private Wealth Management in early 2024 added an additional $2.5 billion in client assets.