Michael Nathanson, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of The Colony Group, is a highly respected and experienced leader in the wealth management industry. He is relentlessly dedicated to bringing meaning and joy to the lives of Colony Group clients and team members by fostering a culture that values lifelong learning, cultivates innovation, and offers opportunities to live lives full of passion and purpose.
Michael’s passion is reflected in the recognition he has received, having been selected ten times by Barron’s magazine as one of the top 100 independent financial advisors in the nation, included in Worth magazine’s list of the country’s top 250 wealth advisors and recognized as one of ThinkAdvisor’s 2022 LUMINARIES winners for Executive Leadership. He also was selected six times as a “Super Lawyer,” as published in Massachusetts Super Lawyers. He is most proud of The Colony Group being named as one of just 50 firms as a Best Place To Work for Financial Advisors by InvestmentNews.
As a lifelong learner, he is committed to sharing his knowledge and experience with clients, colleagues, and the next generation of industry leaders and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He also has served on the Fidelity Clearing and Custody Solutions Advisor Council and the Schwab Advisor Services Advisory Board. Previously, he served on the Board of Advisors for Boston University’s Program for Financial Planners and as Co-Chairman of the Boston Bar Association Tax Section.
Michael is a co-author of the book, Personal Financial Planning for Executives and Entrepreneurs: The Path to Financial Peace of Mind, and has frequently been interviewed and published on a wide variety of financial, tax, and legal topics by many national and local news outlets, including CNBC, MarketWatch, Reuters, Dow Jones, Bloomberg, Barron’s, the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, Chief Executive, Financial Times, InvestmentNews, Financial Planning, Advisor Perspectives, Financial Advisor, Real Assets Adviser, the Boston Business Journal, and numerous journals and industry publications.
Michael is also passionate about public service. Having served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Brain Tumor Society for over five years, he now serves as a member of its Emeritus Board and also serves on the Boards of Cure GBM and Pediatric Cancer Cure. He was the recipient of the 2016 Catalyst Award from the Invest In Others Charitable Foundation for his work with the National Brain Tumor Society. He is the founder of the Nathanson Family Catalyst Fund for Brain Tumor Research and the Nathanson Family Catalyst Fund for Cardiac Valve Research. He is a former member of the Israel Bonds National New Leadership Board and also has served as a member of the Investment Committee advisory group of the Massachusetts Service Alliance and as a Trustee and Director of the Needham Historical Society.
Previously, Michael served as President, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel of The Colony Group. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Senior Partner at the international law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, where he held several leadership positions.
He earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School, an LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Brandeis University, where he was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa and was the recipient of numerous academic honors.
Summary
Years of Experience: 14 years
Years in Current Firm: 14 Years
Certifications/Designations: Juris Doctor Masters of Law
Articles
How should executives and entrepreneurs think about prioritizing their financial goals?
Having worked with executives and entrepreneurs for decades, we still find that many come to us with similar problems to solve. While these individuals may be highly successful in their professional lives, many have yet to attend to their personal financial well-being. Unfortunately, life is unpredictable. There are times when executives and entrepreneurs may find […]
By Michael J. Nathanson
Dec 18, 2018Can I expect more than financial advice from my financial advisor?
Thirty years ago, the term financial advice commonly referred to a limited subset of services, with an emphasis on investment management. Over the interim years, more advisors expanded to retirement-planning services. And, more recently, demand grew for a more holistic approach to financial advice. That demand stimulated the growth of an entire industry of advisors, […]
By Michael J. Nathanson
Sep 18, 2018How can factor-based investing better position a portfolio for success?
Traditional asset allocation theory calls for constructing portfolios comprised of multiple asset classes, such as fixed-income, equities, alternative investments and real assets. Ideally, the allocation among these asset classes reflects an investor’s objectives, constraints and tolerance for risk, while also offering opportunities to generate performance and mitigate risk in a variety of market environments. In this sense, asset allocation has always been a complex exercise […]
By Michael J. Nathanson
Oct 13, 2017How should lawyers work with financial advisors?
In recent years, lawyers have found themselves increasingly drawn into the world of financial planning. The new realities of earlier retirement, lower capital market assumptions, longer life expectancy and rising healthcare and retirement costs all but ensure that even the busiest attorneys will at some point be forced to engage in a personal financial planning […]
By Michael J. Nathanson
Mar 28, 2017How can a nonprofit board improve financial outcomes?
In an economy in which governmental spending is increasingly strained, nonprofit organizations are forced to play a larger role in serving the greater good. Driven by boards that are dedicated to ambitious missions, today’s nonprofits must simultaneously navigate dynamic financial markets and keep pace with the spending demands associated with fulfilling their missions. In this […]
By Michael J. Nathanson
Oct 18, 2016Embracing the Complete ‘Why’ of Philanthropy for Maximum Impact
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” In our experience, those words ring true, as nearly all successful people have one thing in common: the urge to make an impact, often through philanthropy. From young professionals to founders and other executives at thriving […]