Macfarlanes has advised Stonehage Fleming, one of the world’s leading independently owned multi-family offices, and Stanhope Capital Group, one of Europe’s largest independent wealth management and advisory firms, on their combination with US-based wealth advisor Corient.

Stonehage Fleming and Stanhope Capital will bring more than $214bn in client assets to Corient, which will become the world’s largest independent wealth adviser and multi-family office focused on ultra-high-net-worth clients. The expansion also establishes Corient’s presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and creates the first global professional services partnership in wealth management.

Stonehage Fleming is a global leader in family office and fiduciary services, with nearly 50 years of experience supporting some of the world’s most prominent families and wealth creators. The firm has over $175bn in combined assets across 14 jurisdictions. 

Stanhope Capital is one of Europe’s largest independent wealth management and advisory firms, with almost $40bn in assets. It includes New York-based FWM Holdings, owner of FFT Wealth Management, a multi-family office that provides investment management and family office services to ultra-high-net-worth families in the US and globally.

Corient is a fiduciary wealth management firm, with more than 260 partners and over 1,300 employees managing approximately $216bn in client assets, on behalf of ultra-high and high-net-worth individuals, families and businesses in the US. It is backed by Mubadala Capital, following completion of a take-private of its parent company, CI Financial Corp., from the Toronto Stock Exchange in August 2025.

The acquisitions are being funded with equity contributions and are expected to close in the first half of 2026. Terms were not disclosed. 

The Macfarlanes team acting for Stonehage Fleming was led by M&A Partner Nicholas Page and co-head of Corporate and M&A Howard Corney, alongside Partner Alice Temkin and with support from Senior Associates Robert Longman and Steve Siopis. Tax advice was provided by Partners Joe Robinson, Robert Collard and James McCredie, with support from Senior Counsel Mark Petch and Senior Associates Florence Barnes and Jack Slater. Regulatory advice was provided by Partner Alexandra Green with support from Senior Associates Gemma Edey, Eugina Kwon and Sandeesh Shah. Competition advice was provided by Partner Malcolm Walton with support from Senior Associates Matthew Redfern and Rachel Carter. Employment advice was provided by Senior Counsel Tabitha Al-Mahdawie and Senior Associate Olivia Wistow-Hughes.

The Macfarlanes team acting for Stanhope Capital was led by M&A Partner Adam Campbell, supported by Senior Counsel Lauren Bretton and Senior Associate Michael Sweeney. Tax advice was provided by Partner Jeremy Moncrieff, Senior Counsel Alex Ereira and Senior Associate Beth Leggate. Regulatory advice was provided by Partner Michael Sholem and Senior Associate Alex Clothier. Employment advice was provided by Partner Hayley Robinson and Senior Associate Louise Pereira. Finance advice was provided by Partner Kirstie Hutchinson.

Nicholas Page, Partner at Macfarlanes, acting for Stonehage Fleming, said:

“These transactions reflect the momentum we are seeing in both the wealth management and family office/OCIO M&A space, where scale and global reach are increasingly seen as critical differentiators when dealing with internationally mobile clients, and in professional services and partnership M&A, where there has been a flurry of strategic and sponsor-led deals over recent years. Stonehage Fleming is a longstanding client of Macfarlanes’, and it was a pleasure to support them on this next step in their evolution.”

Adam Campbell, Partner at Macfarlanes, acting for Stanhope Capital, said:

"Having advised Stanhope for a number of years, we’re delighted to have been able to support them once again on this exciting combination, which creates a platform of exceptional global reach and capability in independent wealth management.”