New England Investment & Retirement Group to Join Focus Partner Firm Connectus Wealth Advisers, Continuing Connectus' Strong Momentum in the United States

NEW YORK, US - ACCESSWIRE - 2 October  2021 - Focus Financial Partners Inc. (NASDAQ:FOCS) ("Focus"), a leading partnership of independent, fiduciary wealth management firms, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which New England Investment & Retirement Group, Inc. ("NEIRG"), a registered investment adviser headquartered in North Andover, MA, will join Connectus Wealth Advisers ("Connectus"). The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

Founded in 1995, NEIRG provides holistic wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals and families, trusts, estates, endowments and retirement plans. Through sophisticated financial planning and a differentiated investment management approach, including access to proprietary alternative investment solutions, NEIRG provides its clients with highly personalized services to help them attain their objectives.

"Joining Connectus will position us to achieve the next phase of our firm's evolution and growth while maintaining our boutique service approach and culture. Connectus will equip us with a very attractive suite of tools and resources, which will further enhance our ability to meet each of our client's unique needs," said Nick Giacoumakis, NEIRG's President and Founder. "Leveraging these capabilities to both expand our business and deepen our relationships with clients will make this an ideal partnership."

"The NEIRG team is a highly experienced group and an impressive new member of the Connectus family," said Rajini Kodialam, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Focus. "This transaction is evidence of Connectus' continued strong momentum in the United States. Connectus' ability to empower advisers, through access to deep resources and state-of-the-art client service capabilities, provides a unique balance of scale and expertise with a vital emphasis on the client relationship. We are confident that NEIRG will benefit from all that Connectus has to offer to drive its continued growth."

About Focus Financial Partners Inc.

Focus Financial Partners Inc. is a leading partnership of independent, fiduciary wealth management firms. Focus provides access to best practices, resources, and continuity planning for its partner firms who serve individuals, families, employers and institutions with comprehensive wealth management services. Focus partner firms maintain their operational independence, while they benefit from the synergies, scale, economics and best practices offered by Focus to achieve their business objectives. For more information about Focus, please visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com.

About Connectus Wealth Advisers

Connectus is a global consortium of client-centric advisers that deliver comprehensive wealth management advice through access to expanded services, shared resources and best practices. Connectus exemplifies the spirit of partnership and collaboration yet celebrates the entrepreneurial mind-set of its advisers. Connectus is designed for founders and teams who want to continue to manage their client relationships and maintain their boutique cultures, while gaining the operational efficiencies of shared infrastructure and access to expanded client service capabilities.

Through Focus, Connectus advisers gain a strategic growth partner with specialized expertise. They benefit from Focus' scale and extensive network, continuity planning, insights and best practices. Focus is also a source of permanent capital to accelerate growth and enhance business and client outcomes. For more information, please visit www.connectuswealth.com.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect Focus' current views with respect to certain current and future events. These forward-looking statements are and will be, subject to many risks, uncertainties and factors relating to Focus' operations and business environment, including, without limitation, uncertainty surrounding the current COVID-19 pandemic, which may cause future events to be materially different from these forward-looking statements or anything implied therein. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Focus on the date of this release. Focus does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any statements expressed or implied therein will not be realized. Additional information on risk factors that could affect Focus may be found in Focus' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.