Reed Smith is a co-founder and leader of Smith Warren and Associates, a wealth management team that provides intensive outreach and strategy to an elite group of families throughout the Southwest. Reed and his team are privileged to work with clients who have attained extraordinary success, typically through their own ingenuity and applied effort. Reed looks to serve these clients and their families with the same caliber of insight and care that the clients apply to their own business affairs. Attuned to the distinctive needs that significant wealth can pose, Reed directs a team of professionals, each of whom provides a niche strategy or service to the team’s ultra-affluent clientele.

Reed leads the team’s outreach, and enjoys his role in distilling client priorities, issues, and concerns. Fundamentally, Reed sees himself as a problem solver. He and his team continually push themselves to design smart and practical responses to client needs. At the core of his client approach is a desire to treat clients as he would wish to be treated: strategies and offerings that are forward-thinking and fee sensitive, customized offerings that unify multiple goals, and a service model focused on deeds –not words.

A career-long professional at Merrill, Reed joined the firm in 1993. He has been a member of Merrill Private Wealth Management since its inception 2001. Reed has garnered a number of national accolades. Barron’s named him one of “America’s Top 1,200 Advisors” from 2011-2022(Published annually in February-March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of prior year). The Financial Times recognized him as one of the “Top 400 Financial Advisors” in 2013-2016(Published annually Mar – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year). Reed frequently serves as a commentator on wealth management issues for local media, including the Houston Business Journal and KPRC-TV (NBC) in Houston.

Reed earned his B.A. from The University of St. Thomas with concentrations in both Economics and Business. He is an active supporter of local charities. Reed lives with his wife Betty Ann in the Champions area of Houston.
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*Source: The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State” list, published annually in February-March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of prior year.

The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” ranking considered advisors with a minimum of seven years financial services experience and who have been employed at their current firm for at least one year. This is a list of the top advisors in each state, with the number of ranking spots determined by each state’s population and wealth. Other quantitative and qualitative measures include assets under management, revenues generated by advisors for their firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices, regulatory records, internal company documents, and 100-plus points of data provided by the advisors themselves. Rankings and recognition from Barron’s are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Years prior to 2014, this Barron’s list consisted of 1,000 advisors.

**Source: Financial Times “400 Top Financial Advisers” list, published annually Mar - April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

The Financial Times “400 Top Financial Advisers” (FT 400) list is an independent listing produced annually by Ignites Research, a division of Money-Media, Inc., on behalf of the Financial Times. The FT 400 is based on data gathered from advisers, broker-dealer home offices, regulatory disclosures, and the FT’s research. The listing reflects each adviser’s status in six primary areas: assets under management (AUM), asset growth, compliance record, experience, credentials and online accessibility. This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients and is not indicative of this adviser’s future performance. Neither the brokerages nor the advisers pay a fee to the Financial Times in exchange for inclusion in the FT 400. Rankings and recognition from the Financial Times are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the adviser. All rights reserved.

 

Champ Warren is a Private Wealth Advisor and senior partner on one of the largest Private Wealth Management teams in the Southwest region of Merrill. Champ has thirty-three years of experience, twenty-nine with Merrill, focusing on wealth management, corporate finance and business succession planning. He has been recognized by Forbes Best-in-state Wealth Advisors in 2018-2022(Published annually Jan – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year), Barron’s Top 1200 Financial Advisors in 2011-2022(Published annually in February-March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of prior year), and The Financial Times Top 400 Financial Advisors in 2017(Published on March 30, 2017. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2016). Prior to joining the Merrill Private Wealth Management, he co-managed the firm’s Business Finance Group in Houston. Prior to joining Merrill, Champ worked as a banker in the Middle Market Lending Group of First City Bank (now JP Morgan Chase). He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in Finance.

Awards and Distinctions:

•      Barron’s Top 50 Private Wealth Advisory Teams – Made the inaugural list in 2019 and the only team from Texas to receive this distinction (Published on April 17. 2019. Rankings based on data as of December 31, 2018)

•      2017 Bank of America Global Diversity and Inclusion Award Winner – Recognized by the Chairman of Bank of America for his community service

Community Service: 

•      Southside Place Volunteer Fire Department – Served as Assistant Fire Chief for sixteen years

•      Strake Jesuit College Preparatory – Foundation Board Member, providing scholarships to low income high school students

•      KIPP Texas Public Schools – Board Member, providing children from low income communities with a free, open-enrollment, college preparatory education so they can lead a more fulfilling life  

•      Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory – Financial Sponsor and Mentor for the Student Work Study Program which enables low income high school students to pay for their own tuition
•      Kickstart Kids – Board Member, teaching character and life changing values through karate to underserved high school children so they avoid lure of drugs and gangs
•      8 Million Stories – Board Member, providing non-violent, previously incarcerated youth with a second chance on life by helping them receive a GED, trade certifications, and a meaningful job
•      Pro-Unitas – Advisory Board Member, connecting underserved high school children and their families with non-profit resources
•      Elliott Chandler Foundation – Advisory Board Member, providing college scholarships to underserved high school students
•      CareerSpring – Board Member, helping to inform, advise, and place first generation college graduates with high quality employment to unlock their true potential
 

Disclosures:
*Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list, published annually Jan - April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.

Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual, and telephone due diligence meetings to measure best practices; also considered are: client retention, industry experience, credentials, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, such as: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.
*Source: Financial Times “400 Top Financial Advisers” list, published on March 30, 2017. Rankings based on data as of June 30, 2016.
The Financial Times “400 Top Financial Advisers” (FT 400) is an independent listing produced by the Financial Times. The FT 400 is based on data gathered from firms and verified by broker-dealer home offices, regulatory disclosures, and the FT’s research. The listing reflects each adviser’s performance in six primary areas, including assets under management, asset growth, compliance record, experience, credentials and accessibility as identified by the FT. Neither the brokerages nor the advisers pay a fee to the Financial Times in exchange for inclusion in the FT 400. The ranking or ratings shown here may not be representative of all client experiences because they reflect an average or sampling of the client experiences. These rankings or ratings are not indicative of any future performance or investment outcome.
*Source: The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State” list, published annually in February-March. Rankings based on data as of September 30 of prior year.
The Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” ranking considered advisors with a minimum of seven years financial services experience and who have been employed at their current firm for at least one year. This is a list of the top advisors in each state, with the number of ranking spots determined by each state’s population and wealth. Other quantitative and qualitative measures include assets under management, revenues generated by advisors for their firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices, regulatory records, internal company documents, and 100-plus points of data provided by the advisors themselves. Rankings and recognition from Barron’s are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Years prior to 2014, this Barron’s list consisted of 1,000 advisors.
*Source: The Barron’s “Top 50 Private Wealth Management Teams” list, published on April 17. 2019. Rankings based on data as of December 31, 2018.
This first-ever ranking of wealth advisory teams that specialize in serving individuals and families was published with the Barron’s “Top 100 Financial Advisors” 2019 list. The teams are ranked on a variety of factors, including their size and shape, the regulatory records and credentials of their members and the resources they have at their disposal to serve their client bases. Advisors considered for the “Top 50 Private Wealth Advisory Teams” list ranking have a minimum of seven years of financial services experience and have been employed at their current firm for at least one year. Quantitative and qualitative measures used to determine the Advisor rankings include: client assets, return on assets, client satisfaction/retention, compliance records, and community involvement, among others. Barron’s does not receive compensation from Advisors, participating firms and their affiliates, or the media in exchange for rankings. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Rankings and recognition from Barron’s are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor.
The Bank of America Global D&I Award is an internal annual program recognizing individuals who help make Bank of America a diverse and inclusive place to work where all employees have the opportunity to succeed. The employee must have at least six months tenure and be a full- or part-time employee who works 20 or more hours per week.
Ranking and recognition are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor.
*The Bank of America Global D&I Award is an internal annual program recognizing individuals who help make Bank of America a diverse and inclusive place to work where all employees have the opportunity to succeed. The employee must have at least six months tenure and
be a full- or part-time employee who works 20 or more hours per week.

Barry Goldblatt has worked in financial services since 1986. He has significant experience in commodities and structured products as a trader, division head, and managing director for banks and exchanges. Most recently, Barry was Managing Director of Citigroup Global Commodities, where he was the Head of Americas Institutional Sales. While at Citigroup, he was also responsible for driving the collaboration between the commodities unit and the private bank. Previously, Barry spent a year with the CME Group, where he was Global Head of Commodities, Energy, and Metals business. From 1997 – 2009, Barry worked at Merrill Lynch Commodities/Koch Industries, where he was a Managing Director.

Within Smith Warren and Associates, Barry works closely with ultra-high-net-worth clients, including executives, entrepreneurs and families. He recognizes that affluent clients have similar resources, concerns, and priorities as institutional investors. Barry applies the knowledge and experience he has gained in serving institutional clients to offer the rigorous analysis, thoughtful strategy, and customized service that significant wealth warrants. Barry’s decades of experience in trading and monitoring the energy markets enable him to develop hedging strategies, investment approaches, and risk management techniques that are infused with a nuanced understanding of these markets and a long-term perspective.

Barry earned his B.A. in History from Binghamton University and his M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Barry and his wife Cindy live in Bellaire, Texas, with their two children.
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*Some or all alternative investments may not be in the best interests for certain investors. Certain alternative investments carry significant risk and are not subject to the same regulatory oversight as mutual funds and other traditional investments. For these reasons, access to alternative investments may be limited to investors who are designated as sophisticated, high-net-worth investors.