Seasoned, business succession planning financial advisors in Sunnyvale, CA

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

If you're preparing to transfer your business to new ownership or family, you need an advisor who understands the complexities of business succession planning. A common mistake is overlooking how tax implications and property values can affect your long-term financial security.

  • Tax impact awareness. Confirm they consider local tax factors like high income taxes and Proposition 13's property tax limits when crafting your plan.
  • Ownership transition strategies. Ask how they balance keeping the business operational with your personal financial goals during succession.
  • Family dynamics navigation. Effective advisors address potential conflicts and communication challenges among heirs or partners.
  • Experience depth. Seasoned advisors bring insights from many succession cases, helping you avoid pitfalls unique to your business type and location.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Steven H

Series 63, Series 65

Sunnyvale, CA

IP Financial Advisory Services LLC

Steven Hoffman is a financial advisor with IP Financial Advisory Services LLC in Sunnyvale, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role since 2020, he has been a financial education instructor at Sunnyvale-Cupertino Adult School and a college planning consultant at Hife College Planning since 2013. Hoffman is also CEO of Backproject Corporation, a medical device manufacturer. IP Financial Advisory Services primarily serves individual retail clients, focusing on portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm constructs customized portfolios using various analytical approaches and also refers clients to third-party investment advisors while providing a range of consulting and insurance-related services.

Business succession planning Charitable giving & philanthropy Income planning Long-term care insurance Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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William D

Series 63

Sunnyvale, CA

Newedge Advisors

William Donnelly is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with 29 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 designation and has worked at Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation and Mid Atlantic Financial Management, Inc. He is also the CEO and president of Donnelly Accountancy Corporation, a CPA firm, and has been involved in both accountancy and investment advisory businesses for several decades. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers a wide range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing multiple program structures and technology tools to support advisor and client needs.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Shrddha S

Series 63, Series 66

Sunnyvale, CA

LPL Financial

Shrddha Singhi is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with three years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at Wells Fargo Bank and its clearing division, as well as BMO Bank NA. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual and institutional clients through a broad network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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John C

Sunnyvale, CA

Conway Partners

John Conway is a financial advisor at Conway Partners with two years of industry experience. Prior to his work in financial advising, he has been operating John Conway Law since 1992. Outside of finance, he is also a restaurant owner. Conway Partners provides wealth management, financial planning, consulting, and investment management services to a variety of clients, including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and insurance companies. The firm’s investment approach centers on diversified, asset-allocation portfolios using low-cost ETFs and third-party independent managers, with additional services covering retirement plan consulting and specialized financial planning.

Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General tax planning General retirement planning Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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Saravanaraj S

Series 66

Sunnyvale, CA

Legacy Wealth Management, LLC

Saravanaraj Sathyaseelan is a financial advisor at Legacy Wealth Management, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Bloom Global, Inc., GT Securities, Inc., and ArightCo. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a director of BloomSports, a youth basketball league. Legacy Wealth Management serves individual clients, charitable organizations, and business entities by providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and related services. The firm employs in-house model portfolios, sub-advisers, and a broad investment menu that includes alternative and illiquid investments.

Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Annuities
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Ethan S

CFP®, Series 65

Auburn Hills, MI

Plante Moran financial advisors

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jeffrey M

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Greenville, DE

Investment Management & Planning LLC

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.

General retirement planning Business succession planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Patrick F

Series 66

New Market, MD

Intentional

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Business exit / sale strategy Multi-generational wealth transfer Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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Jerald L

Series 63

San Antonio, TX

Frost Investment Services

Jerald Liesman is a financial advisor at Frost Investment Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. and Frost Bank since 1993 and 1987, respectively. Frost Investment Services is a retail-focused, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and managed account programs that integrate model portfolios from its affiliate with third-party managers, utilizing a research-driven investment process and providing optional tax and ESG overlay services.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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David C

Series 63, Series 65

Houston, TX

LPL Financial

David Cade is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Houston, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 42 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he worked at Next Financial Group, Inc. for 20 years and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. for six years. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions, integrating proprietary research and third-party strategies.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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Linda P

Series 63

Mt. Laurel, NJ

BC Advisors, LLC

Linda Postorivo is a financial advisor at BC Advisors, LLC with 43 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with MAFG RIA Services, Inc. since 1994 and with Mid-Atlantic Companies since 1981. BC Advisors provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional clients. The firm emphasizes non-discretionary investment recommendations grounded in fundamental analysis alongside technical and cyclical reviews, employing a variety of strategies including long-term, short-term, trading, options, and alternatives.

Active portfolio management

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