Chicago-based wealth manager Gresham Partners has used an innovative funding option offered by New York City-based Asset Management Finance to transfer equity from the firm's senior founder to its second generation of principals. The firm used a Revenue Share Interest mechanism structured by New York-based Asset Management Finance, which provides capital for internal equity transfers in exchange for passive, non-voting revenue sharing interests over a limited period. Asset managers retain complete control and the majority of their firm's revenues during the transaction term with all the economic benefits reverting to the owners when AMF's interest expires. Gresham said the deal has enabled it to buck the trend for smaller wealth management firms to sell out to larger firms to achieve liquidity and has bolstered the firm's commitment to remain private and focused solely on quality service and performance. "The beauty of AMF's Revenue Share Interest (RSI) mechanism," said Gresham's co-founder and chairman Ben Beavers, "is that we are able to keep 100 per cent control of our firm and, more importantly, maintain the highest degree of integrity in two important ways. "First, it is critical that we remain independent, unburdened by the demands of a large parent company whose objectives might conflict with those of our clients. Second, we must continue to provide risk-conscious, long-term solutions to clients in an atmosphere of trust, competence and service." Gresham Partners serves wealthy business leaders, families and professional investors with $20 million or more in assets. The firm is focused on growing and preserving existing assets through long-term performance over multiple generations. Services include integrated wealth management, estate and wealth transfer planning and family office services. AMF managing director Rob Jakacki said: "We're seeing more and more interest in our RSI model every year, and we're thrilled that we can now count Gresham as our first client in the wealth management space. We understood from the beginning that their priority was keeping the promises they had made to their clients."