The Boutique Advantage:
Independent Agility, Institutional Force
Your case is managed by the founders—former CPAs, Investment Bankers, and Private Bankers (no longer practicing). There is no "junior associate" hand-off.
We custody all assets at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, providing the security of a $1.9 Trillion institution.
The Attorney’s Private Balance Sheet:
Mastery of Fee Deferrals & Practice Capital
We manage the underlying investments for fee structures (Childs v. Commissioner models), helping capital grow in a tax-advantaged environment.
We look beyond the investment account. We analyze your firm’s debt-to-income, tax liabilities, and capital requirements in an effort to optimize your entire net worth.
Coordinating with your legal team to help your firm’s value and your personal legacy are preserved through generational trusts and buy-sell agreement funding.
Wealth & Investment Management (WIM) offers financial products and services through bank and brokerage affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company. Bank products and services are available through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Wells Fargo Trust is a part of WIM and offers services through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo Delaware Trust Company, N.A..
Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network does not provide legal or tax advice.
Plaintiff Advocacy:
Comprehensive Life-Cycle Planning
We help plaintiffs transition from the trauma of litigation to the stability of wealth through empathetic, holistic planning.
We analyze a plaintiff’s existing liabilities (credit cards, high-interest loans) and use settlement proceeds to help optimize their credit profile.
Managing court-mandated assets with a focus on long-term growth.
We don't just "invest the money." We provide ongoing education on budgeting, "burn-rate" management, and wealth preservation designed to help ensure the settlement lasts a lifetime.
Expert management to preserve government benefit eligibility (SSI/Medicaid) while providing for a high quality of life.
The Lifetime Guardrail:
Planning for Every Stage
• Financial Literacy Education: We provide a human-centered "onboarding" to wealth. We teach you how to read your statements, how to manage a budget, and how to preserve your assets from "sudden wealth" pressures.
• Estate & Trust Architecture: We coordinate with specialized attorneys to help build your legacy:
• Revocable & Irrevocable Trusts: To help preserve assets from creditors and help ensure your family is cared for.
• Minor-to-Adult Transitions: For minor settlements, we create a roadmap for when the child reaches the age of majority, focusing on education and long-term financial maturity.
The Lifetime Guardrail:
Planning for Every Stage
Financial Literacy Education
We provide a human-centered "onboarding" to wealth. We teach you how to read your statements, how to manage a budget, and how to preserve your assets from "sudden wealth" pressures.
Estate & Trust Architecture
We coordinate with specialized attorneys to to help build your legacy.
Revocable & Irrevocable Trusts
To help preserve assets from creditors and help ensure your family is cared for.
Minor-to-Adult Transitions
For minor settlements, we create a roadmap for when the child reaches the age of majority, focusing on education and long-term financial maturity.
The Collaborative Promise:
A Synergistic Collaboration
We are Implementation Partners. We do not draft the settlement agreements, we do not negotiate liens, and we do not act as the structuring agent.
For our partners, we offer our resources to help better your own treasury services.
You provide the structure; we provide the institutional investment engine and holistic planning. Together, we deliver a "Family Office" experience to the claimant.
We are Implementation Partners. We do not draft the settlement agreements, we do not negotiate liens, and we do not act as the structuring agent.
For our partners, we offer our resources to help better your own treasury services.
You provide the structure; we provide the institutional investment engine and holistic planning. Together, we deliver a "Family Office" experience to the claimant.
Your Back-Office Powerhouse
The Non-Compete Guarantee
Clear Lane Departure
We do not structure. We do not negotiate liens.
Mutual Success
When you bring us in, we handle the comprehensive investing and lifetime planning You remain the architect of the settlement; we are the builders of the wealth plan.
A Message from the Founders
Turning Legal Resolution into Financial Evolution
In the wake of a significant legal settlement, the transition from the courtroom to the future can be daunting. Whether you are an attorney protecting a hard-won contingency fee, a plaintiff navigating life-changing recovery, or a settlement planner architecting a complex legal structure—the stakes are personal.
We founded this practice on a singular premise: the legal industry deserves a financial partner that speaks its language and understands its unique pressures. With previous experiences across the CPA, Investment Banking, and Private Wealth sectors (no longer practicing), we have supported billions in settlement assets. We’ve seen firsthand that a successful resolution isn't just about the "check", it’s about the stewardship of the legacy that follows.
Our Commitment to the Value Chain
• For the Plaintiff & Claimant: We understand the trauma behind the settlement. Our role is to act as your "Life-After-Settlement" guardrail, providing holistic planning, financial literacy, and a bridge to the national retail resources of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network to help ensure your dignity and security for a lifetime.
• For our Structuring Partners: We are your implementation desk. We do not compete; we collaborate. While you handle the legal mechanics and the structure, we provide the sophisticated investment policy and institutional custody that make your structures even more robust.
Boutique Agility. Institutional Force.
We invite you to experience a high standard of settlement investment. We strive to add value to every link in the chain, helping to ensure that when the legal work ends, the financial future can begin.
Fred Grand
Co-Founder, Chief Financial Architect
Email Address
[email protected]Phone Number
(949) 781-3930Fred Grand is the Co-Founder, Chief Financial Architect of Financial Architects Advisors, a financial boutique practice dedicated to the sophisticated needs of trial attorneys, claimants, and the broader resolution industry. With a career defined by managing billions in settlement-related assets, Fred serves as a pivotal bridge between complex legal resolutions and long-term financial stability.
Fred’s unique perspective is rooted in a rare multi-disciplinary background. As a former CPA, Investment Banker, and Commercial Banker (no longer practicing), he possesses the technical fluency required to navigate the high-stakes world of Qualified Settlement Funds (QSFs), attorney fee deferrals, and institutional treasury management. His approach is holistic; he doesn’t just manage portfolios—he architects entire balance sheets, providing access to banking products and services through Wells Fargo affiliates, and intricate estate planning strategies into every client relationship
Prior to founding Financial Architect Advisors, he managed the intricate wealth of ultra-high-net-worth families. where he catered to middle-market companies and their owners. As an Investment Banker, Fred led mergers, acquisitions, and financing advisory services.
A Southern California native, Fred earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accountancy and Financial Planning from the University of San Diego. He has served as a top-ranked adjunct professor at his alma mater, teaching the next generation of finance professionals.
Outside of his professional life, Fred is an avid outdoorsman and a dedicated family man. He can be found skiing, cycling, or playing golf and tennis with his wife and three daughters. Committed to the community he serves, Fred volunteers extensively and sits on several corporate and non-profit boards, bringing the same spirit of advocacy to his community that he brings to the plaintiffs and attorneys he supports.