# First Foundation Advisors

First Foundation Advisors is a Bank / Wealth / Trust based in Irvine, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Bank / Wealth / Trust
- **Headquarters:** Irvine, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Irvine, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 1985
- **Assets under management:** $7B
- **Website:** firstfoundationinc.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-foundation-inc

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 106075
- **SEC file number:** 801-35973
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** No
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/106075

## About

First Foundation Advisors was established in 1985 as part of First Foundation Inc., a holding company that also owns First Foundation Bank. It delivers investment advisory and wealth planning services to individuals, families, and institutions, alongside the bank’s deposit, lending, and trust offerings. Allocations span public equities, fixed income, and alternative investments, with internally managed bond portfolios that draw on the bank’s credit processes; both discretionary and non-discretionary mandates are offered. The unit operates as an RIA under the NYSE-listed parent, which reported roughly $13 billion in total assets as of late 2023 and raised $228 million in mid-2024 from Fortress Investment Group, Canyon Partners, and Strategic Value Bank Partners.

## Questions

### How are advisory assets separated from the bank's balance sheet?

First Foundation Advisors operates as a registered investment adviser, meaning client portfolios are held in custody separate from bank assets and are not subject to creditor claims against the bank. The parent company's July 2024 capital raise addressed the bank's commercial-real-estate loan book; advisory client assets were not directly impacted by those credit losses beyond reputational considerations.

### Does First Foundation Advisors manage proprietary fixed-income strategies?

Yes. The firm draws on First Foundation Bank's internal credit and underwriting capabilities to construct in-house fixed-income portfolios, primarily composed of high-quality municipal and corporate bonds. This is a structural differentiator — most independent RIAs outsource all fixed-income management to third-party managers rather than building their own bond capability alongside a bank credit team.

### What is First Foundation Inc.'s ownership structure?

First Foundation Inc. is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker FFWM. It is not privately held or family-controlled. Institutional shareholders include the recapitalization investors — Fortress Investment Group, Canyon Partners, and Strategic Value Bank Partners — who received significant equity stakes in the July 2024 capital raise.

## Related profiles

- [First Financial Bank](https://altss.com/profile/first-financial-bank)
- [First Heartland Consultants](https://altss.com/profile/first-heartland-consultants)

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Last updated: 2026-07-11T16:23:26.000Z

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