Wealth manager, bank-affiliated · Irvine, CA
First Foundation Advisors
SEC-registered investment adviser · CRD 106075 · SEC 801-35973
At a glance
First Foundation Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser based in Irvine, California, with $5.1B in regulatory assets under management as of its Form ADV filed July 29, 2026. It reports 1,053 individual clients, 623 of them high-net-worth, holding an average of about $3.5 million each, and 57 employees. That ranks it 215th among the nation’s 5,657 independent wealth management RIAs and 26th of 714 in California. It reports Charles Schwab as the custodian for its clients’ separately managed accounts.
Main office 949-476-0300ff-inc.comLinkedInAs filed on Form ADV
- Regulatory AUM
- $5.1B
- Rank among independent wealth managers
- #215 of 5,657
- Rank among all SEC RIAs
- #2,081 of 17,210
- Rank in California
- #26 of 714
- Individual clients
- 1,053
- High-net-worth clients
- 623
- Accounts
- 3,373
- Discretionary
- 98% of AUM
- Employees
- 57
- Advisory staff
- 28
- Offices
- 12
Owners and executives on its Form ADV
- John A. HakopianPresident/chief Investment Officer
- Robert J. RocheChief Compliance Officer
Custody and brokerage
Broker-dealer
No broker-dealer ties
First Foundation Advisors reports no employees registered with a broker-dealer and no affiliated broker-dealer.
Who it serves
| Client type | Clients | Regulatory AUM | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-net-worth individuals | 623 | $3.5B | 69% |
| Banking or thrift institutions | 157 | $483M | 10% |
| Corporations or other businesses | 57 | $345M | 7% |
| Charitable organizations | 30 | $315M | 6% |
| Individuals | 430 | $235M | 5% |
| Investment companies | 1 | $144M | 3% |
| Other | 18 | $47M | <1% |
Disciplinary disclosures
First Foundation Advisors reports no disciplinary disclosures in Item 11 of Form ADV. Read the details on the SEC’s adviser search ↗
Services
- Financial planning
- Portfolio management for individuals and small businesses
- Portfolio management for investment companies
- Pension consulting
- Selecting other advisers
How it’s paid
- A percentage of assets under management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees
- Performance-based fees
Form ADV and brochures on the SEC’s adviser search ↗ff-inc.com ↗
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Ten years of SEC filings, its owners and contacts, and how it stacks up against its peers. Atlas members see all of it.
- Assets, accounts, clients and staff, ten years of filings
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- Growth over one, three and five years
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- Rank against 798 peers of its type and size
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- Owners and executives, with titles and stakes
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- Main office, fax and compliance officer
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- Filing changes this year, with alerts
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Free while Atlas launches: create a free account and confirm your email. Every figure comes from SEC filings.
Similar-size RIAs in California
All of California →| Firm | Regulatory AUM | Clients |
|---|---|---|
| Westmount Partners, LLCLOS Angeles | $5.9B | 1,418 |
| Index Fund Advisors, Inc.Irvine | $5.9B | 2,095 |
| BakeravenueSAN Francisco | $5.1B | 1,019 |
| Destination Wealth ManagementWalnut Creek | $4.9B | 2,272 |
| Clifford Swan Investment CounselorsPasadena | $4.5B | 884 |
| Sand Hill Global Advisors, LLCPalo Alto | $4.4B | 546 |
Background
Questions
How much does First Foundation Advisors manage?
First Foundation Advisors reports $5.1B in regulatory assets under management across 3,373 accounts, 98% of it on a discretionary basis, on its Form ADV filed July 29, 2026.
How many clients does First Foundation Advisors have?
It reports 1,053 individual clients: 623 high-net-worth individuals and 430 other individuals. Individuals account for about 74% of its regulatory assets.
Where is First Foundation Advisors headquartered?
Its main office is in Irvine, California. It reports 12 offices in total and 57 employees, 28 of whom perform investment advisory functions.
How does First Foundation Advisors charge clients?
On Form ADV it lists these forms of compensation: a percentage of assets under management; hourly charges; fixed fees; performance-based fees. Fees and minimums are set out in its Form ADV Part 2A brochure, available on the SEC’s adviser search.
What custodian does First Foundation Advisors use?
It reports Charles Schwab as the custodian for its clients’ separately managed accounts. On Schedule D of its Form ADV filed July 29, 2026, it reports these amounts held: Charles Schwab ($4.8B). Form ADV lists only custodians holding 10% or more of separately managed account assets.
Is First Foundation Advisors a hybrid RIA with a broker-dealer?
First Foundation Advisors reports no employees registered with a broker-dealer and no affiliated broker-dealer.
Is First Foundation Advisors a fiduciary?
As an SEC-registered investment adviser, First Foundation Advisors owes its advisory clients a fiduciary duty under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, which includes duties of care and loyalty. It reports no employees who are registered representatives of a broker-dealer.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure is First Foundation Advisors’s own answer on its latest Form ADV, from the SEC’s registered-adviser list as of October 1, 2026: regulatory assets and accounts (Item 5.F), clients by type (5.D), employees (5.A and 5.B), compensation (5.E) and services (5.G). Custodians come from Schedule D 5.K(3) of its latest filing (2026-07-29), which lists those holding 10% or more of separately managed account assets and the amount at each. “Hybrid” means some employees are also registered representatives of a broker-dealer (Item 5.B(2)); affiliated broker-dealers are the related persons it lists in Item 7.A and Schedule D. Firm type comes from its own answers: broker-dealer firms are registered broker-dealers themselves (Item 6.A); private fund advisers manage mostly private funds (Item 7.B, 5.D); wealth managers manage at least half their assets for individuals (5.D). Its national rank compares it with every US-based independent wealth management RIA, the same field as The Largest RIAs. Figures are as of the firm’s last annual update, so they can lag recent deals and market moves. Regulatory AUM counts assets the firm continuously supervises and can differ from what a firm markets.
Not an endorsement or a recommendation. Before hiring any adviser, read its Form ADV Part 2A brochure and check its record on the SEC’s adviser search. How to check a financial advisor →