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COOKSON PEIRCE WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Cookson Peirce is a Pittsburgh-based partner-owned RIA running concentrated equity portfolios since 1989.
COOKSON PEIRCE WEALTH MANAGEMENT
COOKSON PEIRCE WEALTH MANAGEMENT is an SEC-registered investment adviser in PITTSBURGH, PA, since 1984. The firm manages approximately $2.6 billion in assets. It has 29 employees and 18 investment advisers.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
1989
AUM
~$1B–$3B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Pittsburgh
Corporate office
Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Principals
James M. Peirce
Chairman
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does Cookson Peirce construct client equity portfolios?
The firm uses a concentrated separate-account model, typically holding 25–40 individual stocks selected through bottom-up fundamental research. The strategy emphasizes durable cash-flow compounders and avoids the packaged mutual-fund or ETF allocations common at larger bank-affiliated wealth managers. Stock selection is driven by an internal research process rather than third-party model portfolios, though detailed investment committee membership is not publicly documented.
Who owns Cookson Peirce today?
The firm remains privately held by its active partners. No outside private-equity investment, strategic acquirer, or family-office backing has been publicly disclosed. This ownership structure is increasingly unusual among RIAs managing assets in the $1B–$3B range, many of which have been acquired by national consolidators since 2015.
What types of clients does the firm serve?
The firm primarily serves high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, endowments and foundations, according to its regulatory disclosures. The practice is built around long-tenure relationships in the Pittsburgh region rather than broad national marketing. Institutional clients include small foundations and endowments that value the firm's direct-equity approach over fund-of-fund structures.
Does Cookson Peirce offer alternative investments or private-market exposure?
There is no public evidence that Cookson Peirce offers dedicated private equity, venture capital or hedge fund-of-fund vehicles. The firm's documented strategy centers on publicly traded equities, fixed income and cash management, consistent with the fiduciary posture of a direct-securities manager rather than an alternative-investment allocator.
What is the firm's geographic footprint?
The firm operates from a single headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with no additional offices publicly identified. Client relationships are concentrated in the Western Pennsylvania market, though regulatory disclosures may include clients in other states where the firm is registered. The localized footprint reflects the partnership's deliberate choice to avoid the national expansion pursued by many RIA platforms.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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