LVW Advisors, LLC (“LVW Advisors,” “we,” “us,” or the “Firm”) is an investment advisory firm that has been providing
custom and comprehensive wealth management services since October 2011. LVW Advisors conducts certain business
as LVW Flynn. The Firm provides a full suite of sophisticated services including investment and wealth management,
financial planning, research, and consulting to high net worth individuals, trusts, estates, private foundations, and
business entities.
LVW Advisors is part of the Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus LLC”) partnership. Specifically, LVW Advisors is a
wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Focus LLC. Ferdinand FFP Acquisition, LLC is the sole managing member of Focus
LLC. Ultimate governance of Focus LLC is conducted through the board of directors at Ferdinand FFP Ultimate Holdings,
LP. Focus LLC is majority-owned, indirectly and collectively, by investment vehicles affiliated with Clayton, Dubilier &
Rice, LLC (“CD&R”). Investment vehicles affiliated with Stone Point Capital LLC (“Stone Point”) are indirect owners of
Focus LLC. Because LVW Advisors is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Focus LLC, CD&R and Stone Point
investment vehicles are indirect owners of LVW Advisors.
Focus LLC also owns other registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, pension consultants, insurance firms,
business managers and other firms (the “Focus Partners”), most of which provide wealth management, benefit
consulting and investment consulting services to individuals, families, employers, and institutions. Some Focus Partners
also manage or advise limited partnerships, private funds, or investment companies as disclosed on their respective
Form ADVs.
LVW Advisors is managed by Lori Van Dusen, Joseph Zappia, and Jeffrey Wagner (“LVW Advisors Principals”) pursuant
to a management agreement between Focus Financial Partners, LLC; LRCC, LLC; LVW Flynn, LLC; Lori Van Dusen;
Joseph Zappia, and Jeffrey Wagner. LVW Advisors Principals serve as leaders and officers of LVW Advisors and are
responsible for the management, supervision, and oversight of LVW Advisors.
We offer clients the option of obtaining certain financial solutions from unaffiliated third-party financial institutions
through UPTIQ Treasury & Credit Solutions, LLC (together with UPTIQ, Inc. and its affiliates, “UPTIQ”). We help our
clients obtain certain insurance solutions from unaffiliated, third-party insurance brokers by introducing clients to our
affiliate, Focus Risk Solutions, LLC (“FRS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of our parent company, Focus Financial Partners,
LLC. Please see Items 5 and 10 for a fuller discussion of these services and other important information.
We have a business arrangement with a Focus Partner firm, SCS Capital Management, LLC (“SCS”), which is an indirect,
wholly-owned subsidiary of Focus LLC, under which we are recommending that certain of our clients invest in certain
private investment vehicles managed by SCS. We are an affiliate of this Focus Partner firm by virtue of being under
common control with it. Please see Items 5 and 10 of this Brochure for further details.
This Disclosure Brochure provides important information about the qualifications and business practices of LVW Advisors.
Certain sections may also describe the activities of Supervised Persons. Supervised Persons are any of the Firm’s officers,
partners, directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employees, or any
other person who provides investment advice on LVW Advisors’ behalf and is subject to their supervision or control.
Prior to engaging LVW Advisors to provide investment advisory services, the client is required to enter into one or more
written agreements with the Firm setting forth the terms and conditions under which LVW Advisors renders its services
(collectively the “Agreement”).
Investment Advisory Services and Wealth Management for Individuals
Clients can engage LVW Advisors to manage all or a portion of their assets on a discretionary or nondiscretionary basis.
The securities utilized by LVW Advisors for investment in client accounts mainly consist of registered mutual funds and
exchange traded funds (ETFs), but we may invest directly in equity securities, corporate bonds, REITS, and certain
private fund vehicles, among others, if we determine such investments fit within a client’s objectives and are in the best
interest of our clients. In addition, we utilize Independent Managers (defined below) for client accounts. LVW Advisors
seeks to allocate clients’ investments in a manner suitable for their goals and objectives.
Please refer to Item 8 for detailed information on our method of analysis and the risks involved with the types of
securities we utilize.
LVW Advisors offers discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services to 401K plans and other employer sponsored
retirement plans, which may include, depending on the needs of the plan client, recommending, or for discretionary
clients selecting, investment options for plans to offer to participants, ongoing monitoring of a plan’s investment options,
assisting plan fiduciaries in creating and/or updating the plan’s written investment policy statements, working with plan
service providers, and providing general investment education to plan participants.
LVW Advisors is a fiduciary under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”),
with respect to investment management services and investment advice provided to ERISA plans and ERISA plan
participants. LVW Advisors is also a fiduciary under section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “IRC”) with respect to investment management services and investment advice provided to individual retirement
accounts (“IRAs”), ERISA plans, and ERISA plan participants. As such, LVW Advisors is subject to specific duties and
obligations under ERISA and the IRC, as applicable, that include, among other things, prohibited transaction rules which
are intended to prohibit fiduciaries from acting on conflicts of interest. When a fiduciary gives advice, the fiduciary must
either avoid certain conflicts of interest or rely upon an applicable prohibited transaction exemption (a “PTE”).
As a fiduciary, we have duties of care and of loyalty to you and are subject to obligations imposed on us by the federal
and state securities laws. As a result, you have certain rights that you cannot waive or limit by contract. Nothing in
our agreement with you should be interpreted as a limitation of our obligations under the federal and state securities
laws or as a waiver of any unwaivable rights you possess.
LVW Advisors offers personal comprehensive financial planning services to set forth goals, objectives, and
implementation strategies for
the client over the long-term. The financial plan may include recommendations for
retirement planning, educational planning, estate planning, cash flow planning, tax planning and insurance needs and
analysis. LVW Advisors prepares and provides the financial planning client with a written comprehensive financial plan
and performs quarterly, semi-annual, or annual reviews of the plan with the client. In addition, LVW Advisors may assist
certain clients in sourcing loans. Clients should notify us promptly anytime there is a change in their financial situation,
goals, objectives, or needs and/or if there is any change to the financial information initially provided to us.
We also provide consulting services for clients who currently operate their own business, are considering starting a
business, or are planning for an exit from their current business. Under this type of engagement, we work with clients
to assess their current situation, identify their objectives, educate them on potential options for financing and cash flow
strategies, and develop a plan aimed at achieving their goals.
We implement investment advice on behalf of clients in certain held-away accounts – for example, 401(k) or 529 plan
accounts – maintained either at the custodians with whom we have an institutional relationship or at other independent
third-party custodians. We have the capability to review, monitor, and manage these held-away accounts in a fashion
similar to the way in which we review, monitor, and manage accounts that are not held away.
Investment Advisory Services for Institutions
LVW Advisors also provides customized investment advisory services to institutional clients, including corporate pension
plans, foundations, endowments, nonprofits, and other tax-exempt entities. Institutional clients may engage LVW
Advisors to manage all or a portion of their assets on a discretionary or nondiscretionary basis. The securities utilized
by LVW Advisors for investment in client accounts mainly consist of registered mutual funds and exchange traded funds
(ETFs), but we may invest directly in equity securities, corporate bonds, REITS, and certain private fund vehicles, among
others, if we determine such investments fit within a client’s objectives and are in the best interest of our clients. We
also utilize Independent Managers for institutional client accounts. LVW Advisors seeks to allocate clients’ investments
in a manner suitable for their goals and objectives.
With respect to our services, we view ourselves as an extension of both the investment committee and the trustees,
and work to add value and improve the effectiveness in all aspects of managing the institutional investment process.
We work with our institutional clients to understand how the pool of assets fits within the broader organization, identify
risk tolerance and liquidity needs, and establish strategic asset allocations. Once the portfolio has been built, we conduct
ongoing monitoring and oversight to evaluate progress toward the established goals.
We act as a single point of contact between our clients’ custodians, investment managers, and attorneys, and often
work directly with an organization’s auditors to simplify and streamline the investment aspects of the audit process. We
also offer comprehensive support to the Finance office / CFO with operational implementation, including assistance in
review and completion of required subscription documents and manager agreements.
Please refer to Item 8 for detailed information on our method of analysis and the risks involved with the types of
securities we utilize.
Use of Independent Managers
As mentioned above, LVW Advisors recommends that certain clients authorize the active discretionary management of
a portion of their assets by and/or among certain independent investment managers (“Independent Managers”), based
upon the stated investment objectives of the client. The Firm conducts due diligence of the independent managers and
continues to monitor and review the client’s account performance and investment objectives.
When selecting an Independent Manager for a client, LVW Advisors reviews information about the Independent Manager
such as the disclosure brochure and/or material supplied by the Independent Manager or independent third parties for
a description of the Independent Manager’s investment strategies, past performance, and risk results to the extent
available. Factors that the Firm considers in recommending an Independent Manager include the client’s stated
investment objectives, management style, performance, reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing, and research.
The investment management fees charged by the designated Independent Managers, any fee charged by their platform
manager, and the fees charged by the corresponding designated broker dealer/custodian of the client’s assets, are
generally exclusive of, and in addition to, LVW Advisors’ investment advisory fee. The client may incur additional fees
to those charged by the Firm, the designated Independent Managers, and the corresponding broker dealer and
custodian.
In addition to LVW Advisors’ written disclosure brochure, the client also receives the written disclosure brochure of the
designated Independent Manager.
Information Received from Client
LVW Advisors will not assume any responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided by the client. We are not
obligated to verify any information received from the client or other professionals (e.g., attorney, accountant, etc.)
designated by client, and LVW Advisors is expressly authorized by the client to rely on such information provided. Under
all circumstances, clients are responsible for promptly notifying LVW Advisors in writing of any material changes to the
client’s financial situation, investment objectives, time horizon, or risk tolerance. In the event that a client notifies LVW
Advisors of changes in the client’s financial circumstances or investment objectives, we will review such changes and
recommend any necessary revisions to the client’s portfolio.
Clients are advised to promptly notify LVW Advisors if they wish to impose any reasonable restrictions upon the Firm’s
management services. Clients may impose reasonable restrictions or mandates on the management of their account if,
in LVW Advisors’ sole discretion, the conditions will not materially impact the performance of a portfolio strategy or
prove overly burdensome to its management efforts. LVW Advisors cannot provide any guarantees or promises that a
client’s financial goals and objectives will be met.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, LVW Advisors had $2,137,887,826 in assets under management, of which $1,585,013,224
was managed on a discretionary basis and $552,874,602 on a non-discretionary basis.