CAIS Announces Strategic Partnership with Focus Financial Partners

NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CAIS, a New York-based financial technology company providing an independent, alternatives investment platform to the global wealth management industry, is pleased to announce an agreement with Focus Financial Partners, the leading partnership of independent wealth management firms.

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Under the terms of the enterprise-level agreement, all Focus partner and affiliated firms have an opportunity to access the CAIS platform and will begin to benefit from CAIS's end-to-end alternatives investment solution, including access to a diversified menu of top-tier alternative investment funds, streamlined execution, integrated reporting capabilities, sophisticated analytics and independent, third-party due diligence. Focus Financial Partners comprises 23 independent wealth management firms throughout the U.S. and U.K. with over $45 billion in assets.

"Our partnership with Focus Financial is further evidence of the growing recognition within the financial services industry that the CAIS alternatives platform provides all the resources independent wealth management firms and private banks need to level the playing field as they compete for clients against larger institutions," said Matthew Brown, CEO and Managing Principal of CAIS.

"We're confident that our relationship with CAIS will provide our Partners with several tangible benefits," said Rudy Adolf, Founder and CEO of Focus Financial. "It will empower the Advisors to research and deliver to their clients the appropriate alternative investments available that are consistent with each client's individual financial goals and needs. The CAIS platform also furthers our economies of scale and differentiated services that help us attract new wealth management partners."

Focus Financial's network of wealth-management firms continues to expand at a rapid pace, validating the firm's strategy of providing resources to advisors seeking independence from the big wirehouses.   Focus has added several high-profile new partners in the last two months, including LVW Advisors. Based in Rochester, New York, LVW is led by Lori Van Dusen, who was ranked third on the Barron's 2011 list of Women Financial Advisors with $4.9 billion of assets under advisory.

"All of us at CAIS remain committed to evolving our offering in a way that anticipates the needs of our clients and keeps us at least one step ahead of our competitors," said CAIS Managing Principal Rafay Farooqui.

The CAIS platform currently services wealth management firms and private banks throughout the U.S., Asia, Europe, Brazil and other global markets. As a true strategic partner to the global wealth management industry, the CAIS proprietary solution enables users to eliminate the time, effort and expense required to build an internal alternatives platform, while better competing with internal bank platforms for clients and assets.

Beyond offering simple access to the best third-party alternative investment products, CAIS provides independent and fully integrated reporting, open architecture custody support and administration through State Street. CAIS also delivers operational and investment due diligence, including ongoing monitoring, through its partnership with Mercer Investment Consulting.

For more information about CAIS, please contact Dana Taormina at 973-850-7305 or [email protected].

About CAIS

CAIS is a New York-based financial technology company providing an alternatives investment platform to the global wealth management industry. The CAIS end-to-end solution offers improved access and independent oversight to a diversified menu of top-tier alternative investment funds coupled with streamlined execution and integrated reporting. The CAIS secure web-based interface provides advisors a menu of individual funds, strategy information, independent due diligence reports and a schedule of manager road-shows and educational events.

A true partner to the global wealth management industry, the CAIS proprietary solution empowers registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, private banks and other financial intermediaries to compete for clients while delivering a robust level of service. As a dedicated service provider, CAIS avoids key conflicts of interest by neither managing a wealth management business nor trading internal funds. Securities offered through CAIS Capital LLC, member FINRA, SIPC.

CAIS was named finalist in the 2011 Private Banker International Global Awards for Outstanding Private Banking Platform.

For more information, please visit www.caisgroup.com.

About Focus Financial Partners

Founded in 2006, Focus Financial Partners, LLC, is the leading international partnership of independent, un-biased and un-conflicted wealth management firms. With over $45 billion in assets and over 750 employees, Focus' Partners provide wealth management, benefit and investment consulting services to individuals, families, employers and institutions. Clients benefit from Focus' Partners independence, unrivaled access and continuity. Focus principals maintain their entrepreneurial independence, benefit from the synergies, scale, economics and best practices of the market leader, and achieve an eventual, smooth ownership transition. For more information, please visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com.

CONTACT: Dana Taormina
JCPR
973-850-7305
[email protected]

SOURCE CAIS