Brewin Dolphin

RBC Brewin Dolphin (the trading name for Brewin Dolphin Holdings) is one of the largest British wealth management[3] firms with over 30 offices throughout the UK, Jersey and Ireland, and c. 2,000 employees.[4] It provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, companies, intermediaries and charities.

On 27 September 2022, Brewin Dolphin was acquired by the Royal Bank of Canada; the company has since been known as "RBC Brewin Dolphin".[5]

History

The business can trace its origins back to the establishment of the stockbroking firm of John Dawes, a founder of the London Stock Exchange, in 1762.[6] His firm evolved through many partner changes to become Wontner, Dolphin & Francis in 1970.[6] In 1974 Brewin & Co merged with Wontner, Dolphin & Francis to form Brewin Dolphin. The business was incorporated in 1987 and acquired by Scandinavian Bank the same year. It was then the subject of a management buy-out from Scandinavian Bank in 1992 and was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1994.[7]

It acquired Bell Lawrie, a Scottish firm of investment managers, in 1993.[8] It went on to buy Wise Speke, an investment manager operating in the North of England, in 1998[9] and Popes, a firm based in Stoke-on-Trent, in 2002.[10] It sold Stocktrade to Alliance Trust Savings in 2015.[11][12] It then acquired Duncan Lawrie Asset Management, a firm operating in London, in December 2016[13] and Investec Wealth Management, a firm operating in Ireland, in October 2019.[14] Other acquisitions include IFA firms Aylwin (2018),[15] Epoch Wealth Management (2019),[16] and actuarial consultancy Mathieson Consulting (2019).[17]

In March 2022, RBC made a recommended offer for the company worth £1.6 billion, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.[18][19] The necessary approvals were secured in September 2022.[20]

Further reading

• Archer, Angela The Making of Brewin Dolphin, Newport News, 2000 ISBN 0-9514601-2-9
• Hamilton, Kirstie Celebrating 250 Years, Wardour, 2012