Alvarez & Marsal Launches Delaware Trust to Tackle Complex Wealth

WILMINGTON, Del. – March 03, 2026 – Alvarez & Marsal, a global firm renowned for navigating corporate distress and restructuring, has made a significant move into the world of private wealth management with the launch of Alvarez & Marsal Trust Company, National Association ("A&M Trust"). The new entity, an affiliate of Alvarez & Marsal Private Wealth Partners (AMPWP), is strategically based in Wilmington, Delaware, aiming to leverage the state's famously advantageous trust laws to serve ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and foundations.

This launch marks a deliberate expansion from the firm's traditional corporate focus into the intricate domain of personal legacy and generational wealth. A&M Trust promises to provide a comprehensive suite of fiduciary services, including professional trustee and estate settlement, philanthropic advisory, and specialized support for family businesses and real estate holdings. The move signals a clear intent to build a modern fiduciary platform that extends the parent company's four-decade legacy of handling complex financial situations.

"A&M Trust is an extension of our firm's fiduciary heritage and culture of helping our clients navigate sophisticated issues," said Tony Alvarez II, Co-Founder of Alvarez & Marsal, in the announcement. "We are building a modern fiduciary platform where we can serve as an independent and objective advisor, execute with expertise, and serve as a trusted partner for our clients across generations."

A Strategic Expansion into Private Wealth

For over 40 years, the Alvarez & Marsal name has been synonymous with high-stakes corporate turnarounds, most notably its management of the Lehman Brothers liquidation. The firm's pivot toward private wealth, which began with the launch of AMPWP in 2024, is now solidified with the establishment of A&M Trust. This integration is designed to create a seamless ecosystem for its elite clientele, combining top-tier wealth planning with expert fiduciary execution.

Jonathan Fitzgerald, Co-Founder of AMPWP and Head of Wealth Planning, emphasized the synergy. "Launching our fiduciary platform reflects our view that a comprehensive fiduciary offering should complement wealth planning services," he stated. "By integrating our fiduciary team with our wealth planning process, we can help clients implement plans with coordinated support across trusts, estates, and other key assets."

This integrated model aims to address a persistent pain point for ultra-wealthy families: the fragmentation of advice. UHNW clients often juggle multiple advisors for legal, tax, and investment matters, creating potential for miscommunication and inefficiency. By housing wealth planning and trust administration under one umbrella, A&M aims to provide a more holistic and coordinated client experience, leveraging the operational DNA that has defined the firm since 1983.

The Delaware Advantage and a Modern Mandate

Choosing Wilmington, Delaware, as its headquarters is a calculated move. Delaware is widely regarded as the premier U.S. jurisdiction for trusts due to its modern and flexible laws. The state offers powerful advantages, including significant tax savings for non-resident beneficiaries, robust asset protection statutes, and the ability to create perpetual "dynasty trusts" that can preserve wealth for multiple generations. Furthermore, its specialized Court of Chancery provides a reliable and expert legal forum for fiduciary matters.

Beyond its location, A&M Trust is positioning itself to fill what it identifies as a "complexity gap" in the market. Many traditional corporate fiduciaries are often reluctant to manage illiquid and hard-to-value assets, such as closely-held family businesses, commercial real estate, or private equity stakes. These complex assets frequently form the bedrock of UHNW family wealth.

Leveraging the parent firm's deep operational expertise in sectors like real estate and business management, A&M Trust is explicitly marketing its ability and willingness to take on this complexity. "We bring a modern approach to fiduciary services," said Beth King, the newly appointed President of A&M Trust Company. "Leveraging the operational expertise and fiduciary legacy of A&M, we are well-positioned to execute with the knowledge and care required to be there for our clients when they need us most."

A Leadership Team Built on Fiduciary Expertise

The credibility of the new venture is anchored by its leadership team, which comprises veterans from the highest echelons of law and finance. Beth King brings nearly two decades of direct experience, having previously served as president of the Delaware trust companies for both Brown Brothers Harriman and J.P. Morgan. Her deep expertise in Delaware's trust environment is a critical asset.

The broader leadership of AMPWP reinforces this foundation. Chairman Peter Sacripanti, formerly the chairman of the law firm McDermott Will & Emery, has spent over 40 years as a trusted advisor to Fortune 50 companies and wealthy families. "I have served as a fiduciary for leading businesses and wealthy families my whole career," said Sacripanti. "The opening of our trust company is an extension of that work."

Co-founder Jonathan Fitzgerald brings a formidable background as a CPA and lawyer, having previously led domestic wealth planning for North America at Citi Private Bank and managed the business owner advisory practice at Wilmington Trust. This concentration of legal, tax, and fiduciary expertise is designed to assure clients that the firm can handle the most sophisticated challenges in estate and legacy planning.

Filling a Niche in a Crowded Market

The launch of A&M Trust comes at a time of massive generational wealth transfer, with trillions of dollars expected to change hands in the coming decades. While the wealth management space is crowded, A&M is betting that its unique value proposition—a combination of the parent firm's operational prowess and a specialized focus on asset complexity—will carve out a significant niche.

By obtaining a national bank charter while being based in Delaware, A&M Trust has also secured the flexibility to operate across state lines without needing to navigate multiple state chartering processes, positioning it for future growth. Its stated goal is to become the "fiduciary of choice" not just for its service and expertise, but for its flexible and execution-driven approach. In a market where ultra-high-net-worth families demand increasingly sophisticated and integrated solutions, Alvarez & Marsal's new trust company is a bold play to become the go-to partner for managing complex legacies.