Transition Announcement: $1.2B UBS Private Wealth Team Launches RIA with Support from Sanctuary Wealth

We’re proud to share that a nationally recognized team from UBS Private Wealth, led by Jim Chiate and Tony Guinane, has launched Dial Square Private Wealth, a new independent firm based in Irvine, CA. The team manages approximately $1.2B in client assets and will operate with the support of Sanctuary Wealth.

A Career Built at UBS—And a Vision That Outgrew It

With more than 20 years each in the wirehouse world, Jim Chiate and Tony Guinane built highly successful careers at Merrill Lynch PBIG and UBS PWM, advising some of the most sophisticated ultra-high net worth families and institutions. They leveraged the scale and resources of large firms to grow their business and serve clients well.

Yet, after decades inside the wirehouse model – and with many productive years still ahead of them – they began asking what the final and most fulfilling chapter of their professional lives should look like. The answer pointed squarely toward independence.

Over time, several key motivators converged:

A culture of lowest-common-denominator management: UBS’s increasingly risk-averse environment made practicing less rewarding than it once was.
Entrepreneurial drive: Both Jim and Tony felt they had always been entrepreneurs at heart, but confined in a captive environment.
Next-generation vision: With the possibility of children joining the business in the future, creating a firm with true legacy value became paramount.
Control of the future: Independence meant freedom to make strategic decisions on their terms, rather than adapting to shifts in firm policy.

As Jim shared, “Once we understood the evolution of the independent space over the last decade, we couldn’t ignore the value independence would provide to our clients. For the first time in years, we feel that we have a partner that will put our needs, and those of our clients, above their own.”

Why Sanctuary

While independence was the clear goal, Jim and Tony knew they wanted a partner to help them bring their vision to life. In Sanctuary Wealth, they found the cultural alignment, scale, and support to make it possible, plus:

Comprehensive infrastructure: Technology, compliance, trading, and back-office support that allowed the team to stay focused on clients.
Full ownership retained: Dial Square did not sell equity, ensuring they maintained complete control of their destiny.
Premier custodial choice: Leveraging Charles Schwab and Goldman Sachs brought institutional credibility and optionality.
Trusted leadership: Their longstanding relationship with Michael Goldfader – who originally recruited them to UBS and now leads Sanctuary’s West Coast region – added confidence.

For Jim and Tony, Sanctuary provided the perfect balance of the autonomy of ownership with the resources of a scaled platform.

A New Chapter for Dial Square Private Wealth

The launch of Dial Square Private Wealth represents a defining moment in both their careers and their lives. It is a chance to:

Practice wealth management in a way that is fun and rewarding again.
Build a business that reflects their entrepreneurial DNA.
Create lasting enterprise value that can support family succession and next gen advisors.
Gain full control over the direction and culture of their firm.

With Sanctuary as a partner, Jim and Tony have entered a new chapter with clarity, conviction, and enthusiasm for the future.

Diamond Consultants’ Role

Diamond Consultants had the privilege of guiding Jim and Tony through this career-defining transition, including:

Educating them on the full spectrum of independent models and partner platforms.
Helping them weigh trade-offs between minority investors, forgivable loans, and long-term value.
Serving as thought partners to define their vision for a fulfilling final chapter.
Identifying Sanctuary Wealth as the right partner to bring that vision to life.
Supporting them through the complexities of launching Dial Square.

Diamond Consultants is proud to have helped this extraordinary team embrace independence and create a firm that aligns with their professional goals, personal values, and long-term legacy.