A firm named Grail has changed its name—but it’s not the asset manager, nor is it the merchant bank that specializes in financial services.

Grail Advisory Partners, a specialist M&A advisory boutique with offices in New York and Geneva that focuses on global investment and wealth management, has changed its name to PL Advisors.

The name change helps differentiate the firm from Grail Partners, an M&A shop that specializes in asset managers and mutual fund firms.

And there is yet a third Grail firm, which operates in our space. Grail Advisors was bought by Columbia Management in 2011.

To add to the coincidences, Grail Partners backed Grail Advisors before it was bought by Columbia.

Here is the press release:

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Company Press Release

M&A Advisory Boutique Grail Advisory Partners Changes its Name to PL Advisors

NEW YORK & GENEVA-- Grail Advisory Partners, a specialist M&A advisory boutique with offices in New York and Geneva, has changed its name to PL Advisors. The new branding further emphasizes the firm’s exclusive focus on strategic advice for financial services firms and distinguishes it from Grail Partners, a merchant bank focused on private equity investing in the financial services industry.

Within the financial services sector, PL Advisors focuses on the global investment and wealth management industry and other high-growth, high-margin sub-sectors, including financial technology, brokerage and investment services.

Colette R. Taylor and Domonkos L. Koltai, the firm’s partners and co-founders, worked together at Grail Partners and Putnam Lovell prior to launching Grail Advisory Partners as a dedicated advisory firm. Ms. Taylor also held senior positions at Proctor NBF Capital and Freeman & Co., while Mr. Koltai served on the investment committee at Amber Capital and was a senior member of the financial institutions investment banking group at Lehman Brothers.

Donald H. Putnam, Managing Partner of Grail Partners and co-founder of Putnam Lovell, is chairman of PL Advisors. In addition, Neil Rudolph and Robert Picard, two veteran investment management executives, serve as senior advisors. Mr. Rudolph was a co-founder of Symphony Asset Management, now a subsidiary of Nuveen Investments, and CFO of Wells Fargo Nikko. Mr. Picard is a former CIO of Optima Fund Management and Managing Director of the Rock Creek Group.

“I am thrilled to be associated with PL Advisors, a firm distinguished by its high standards and clarity of advice,” said Mr. Putnam. “It is a great pleasure to continue my partnership with Colette and Domonkos, now extending over a decade.”

“With the convergence of alternative and traditional investment strategies and the impact of globalization, investment managers need objective, impactful, strategic M&A advice more than ever,” said Ms. Taylor. “Our independent voice and uncompromising focus on the needs of our clients allows us to fill that role.”

“We offer our clients high-quality, independent M&A and strategic advice critical to their growth and success,” added Mr. Koltai. “We are differentiated by our comprehensive understanding of the issues facing our clients, having been practitioners on the buy-side as well as advisors.”

About PL Advisors

PL Advisors is a global advisory boutique focused on the financial services sector. Headquartered in New York and Geneva, PL Advisors leverages its broad network of global client relationships and several decades of industry experience to provide M&A and strategic advisory services to the traditional and alternative investment and wealth management industries globally. More information on PL Advisors is available at www.PL-Advisors.com.

 

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