NorthRock Partners Expands Bay Area Presence with $800M Acquisition
NorthRock Partners, a financial and lifestyle advisory firm, has acquired Parkside Advisors, a San Francisco Bay Area wealth management firm with approximately $800 million in assets under management. This deal marks NorthRock’s second acquisition of 2025 and underscores its ongoing commitment to expanding its presence in key high-net-worth markets across the U.S.
Parkside Advisors has long served high-net-worth clients, including corporate executives, tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners throughout the Bay Area. The firm’s financial planning approach aligns with NorthRock’s Personal Office® model, which combines wealth, tax, estate, insurance, philanthropic, and lifestyle advisory services under one umbrella.
“Parkside shares our passion for delivering comprehensive, relationship-driven advice,” said Sean Baenen, Managing Partner at NorthRock Partners. “Their expertise and deep roots in the Bay Area further strengthen our ability to serve clients in one of the nation’s most dynamic and innovative markets.”
As part of the transaction, Managing Principals Charlie Benziger and Audrey Grubman, along with Parkside’s team of advisors and support staff, will join NorthRock Partners. The deal also establishes a new Berkeley office, adding to NorthRock’s current San Francisco and San Rafael locations and expanding its local footprint in Northern California.
“Joining NorthRock was a decision driven by shared vision and alignment,” said Charlie Benziger, Managing Principal at Parkside Advisors. “The firm’s Personal Office® model gives us the scale and infrastructure to deliver broader, more integrated solutions to our clients while staying true to the personalized service they expect.”
NorthRock now manages more than $8.6 billion in client assets across more than 2,800 client relationships. The firm has kept its momentum through strategic acquisitions and expansions, including recent additions in Chicago, Raleigh-Durham, and Appleton, and a growing presence in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Alongside its traditional wealth management business, NorthRock’s specialized divisions — including NorthRock X for athletes and entertainers, Foundation X for philanthropists, and NRX Hockey for professional hockey players — continue to attract niche client segments seeking comprehensive financial and lifestyle planning under one roof.