NewEdge Capital Group has added a $6 billion advisory firm to the W-2 channel of its NewEdge Advisor, boosting the size of a program the firm launched two years ago to attract established advisory teams.
Birmingham, Alabama-based Stonegate Investment Group has affiliated with the Pillar Channel of NewEdge Advisors, according to an announcement on Monday. The 13-person team, led by chief executive Tony Smith, oversees roughly $6 billion in client assets.
The addition brings the Pillar Channel to more than $14 billion in client assets across 14 advisory teams, nearly doubling the size of the employee affiliation model since its launch in 2023.
Stonegate is the largest team to join the channel so far. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Smith, a 33-year industry veteran, founded Stonegate in 2021 after leaving UBS with his team, where they had spent more than a decade. He said the move to NewEdge was designed to bolster the firm’s long-term infrastructure while allowing advisors to remain focused on client relationships.
“This partnership strengthens the infrastructure, resources, and continuity supporting our client relationships, allowing us to focus even more on delivering thoughtful, personalized advice without compromise,” Smith said in a statement.
NewEdge created the Pillar Channel to offer an alternative structure for established advisory practices seeking liquidity or growth capital while remaining closely aligned with an RIA platform. Advisors who join the channel operate under the NewEdge Advisors brand and receive a combination of cash and equity in the firm.
Alex Goss, chief executive and co-founder of NewEdge Advisors, said the structure is designed to help advisors monetize their businesses without disrupting the client relationships that underpin their practices.
“Our Pillar Channel affiliation ensures that a transaction doesn’t change the continuity and quality of service for clients,” Goss said in the announcement.
The program targets mid-career advisors and breakaway teams looking to expand their practices or pursue acquisitions while accessing additional resources.
Founded in 2020, NewEdge Advisors had more than $88 billion in client assets at the end of 2025, according to the firm.
