Gregory Zappas
Executive Director, Private Wealth Advisor
Phone:
(949) 760-2465(949) 760-2465
Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management
Gregory Zappas
Executive Director, Private Wealth Management,
Private Wealth Advisor
Direct:
(949) 760-2465(949) 760-2465
My Mission Statement
I help highly affluent families preserve and enhance their wealth, strengthen their legacies, and pursue their unique visions of successful lives.
Working with You
For the past 30 years, I have had the privilege of working with a select clientele of highly accomplished entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, family offices and other stewards of significant generational wealth. By purposely limiting my practice to a relatively small number of clients, I have been able to develop a nuanced understanding of each family’s needs and aspirations. This understanding hones the advice that I’m able to offer and contributes to the creation of a more comprehensive plan. In many cases, these plans have evolved over decades and across multiple generations.
As clients are in the process of securing substantial legacies, our work often involves sophisticated investment strategies, and thoughtful tax, trust, and estate planning considerations. I pride myself on helping each client make clear and well-informed decisions and walking them through the action steps we can take today to progress toward their personal, professional and philanthropic objectives.
As clients are in the process of securing substantial legacies, our work often involves sophisticated investment strategies, and thoughtful tax, trust, and estate planning considerations. I pride myself on helping each client make clear and well-informed decisions and walking them through the action steps we can take today to progress toward their personal, professional and philanthropic objectives.
Securities Agent: NV, VA, AL, TN, NY, TX, WA, CA, CO; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 2574354
NMLS#: 2574354
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*
About PWM
Founded in 1977, Private Wealth Management is the division of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management that is dedicated to serving the firm’s most affluent clients, including some of the world’s most accomplished entrepreneurs, executives and stewards of multigenerational wealth. Functioning as an exclusive investment boutique within a global financial firm, we deliver sophisticated solutions that leverage the intellectual capital and insight of Morgan Stanley’s substantial global resources. Drawing on a deep understanding of your financial life, our goal is to help you:
- Manage investments with an unwavering focus on your financial strategy and personal goals
- Create comprehensive, multigenerational wealth management plans based on your needs, challenges and the values that guide your life and legacy
- Simplify financial complexity to help you achieve clarity and control
Private Wealth Management Highlights
- Approximately 300 teams specialized in assisting individuals and families with $20MM+ in investable assets
- Over $1.2 trillion in AUM
- Comprising 26% of the Barron’s Top 100 Financial Advisors list for 2025
- Direct access to ultra high net worth experts in philanthropy, family dynamics, wealth transfer, lifestyle advisory and other areas of interest to ultra high net worth families
1 Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, September 2025
Source: Barron's (Awarded March 2025) This ranking was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by Barron's for the period Oct 2023-Sept 2024. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors paid a fee to Barron's to obtain or use the ranking. This ranking is based on an algorithm that includes client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations, and quantitative criteria, including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion. Rankings are based on the assessment of Barron's and may not be representative of any one client’s experience. This ranking is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is not affiliated with Barron's. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved.
Family Office Capabilities
We deliver the full range of expertise to help address different aspects of your financial life: strategies to invest assets, but also to mitigate taxes, transfer wealth, enhance philanthropic impact, reduce family conflict, and manage the affluent lifestyle.
Estate Planning and Business Succession
The key to determining which trust, tax, and estate strategies to execute is to understand the interplay of personal and exogenous factors. Liquidity events such as an initial public offering or a merger or acquisition may provide income and estate planning opportunities.
The Phases of Estate Planning
Trust Planning
The road to financial well-being and success is an evolving one with three key phases that require careful planning and long-term commitment: Wealth accumulation, wealth preservation and wealth transition.
Tax, Trust, and Estate Planning Overview
Monetization Planning
Monetizing a privately held company requires seamless coordination of your personal wealth management
and business monetization strategies.
Planning Your Exit Strategyand business monetization strategies.
My Clients
I work with a national clientele of financially successful families, building close working relationships that often span several decades and multiple generations. The knowledge and insight I gain over the course of these relationships allows me to serve as a close family advisor who understands my clients' concerns and aspirations. Doing so enables me to offer proactive, creative solutions that align with their values as well as their goals.
While my clients tend to share the complex, multigenerational planning issues common among highly affluent families, they also face unique challenges that are specific to the ways in which they created their wealth. These clients include:
Entrepreneurs and Business Owners across a broad range of industries, including owners of long-established businesses and a younger generation of entrepreneurs who are in the process of creating generational wealth for their families.
Senior Executives who have complex incentive compensation packages and concentrated equity positions in public companies. While most are highly sophisticated in financial matters, their personal, business and civic commitments often leave them little time to focus on their personal finances.
Family Offices offer an extensive range of capabilities to extend and enhance the services they deliver to their owners, and the consultative expertise to improve their operations.
Approach
Step 1: Discovery Process
Investing the time to learn about you and your family; your assets and liabilities and the risk exposures, enables us to formulate strategies and customize the relationship to your needs.
Step 2: Formulation of Tax, Trust and Estate Strategy
Working with your tax and legal advisors, we help analyze your income and estate tax circumstances to identify and tailor planning techniques that may be used to address your objectives.
Step 3: Creation of Customized Strategic Asset Allocation
Your customized asset allocation reflects risk, opportunities and taxation across multiple entities, while integrating your investing and estate plans.
Step 4: Integration of Tactical Asset Allocation
Short-term adjustments seek to capitalize on temporary market distortions. Before making adjustments, we analyze the impact of taxes and trading costs on potential returns.
Step 5: Implementation of a Customized Wealth Strategy
After comprehensive due diligence and analysis of expected results across multiple market scenarios, strategies are chosen from our expansive investment platform.
Step 6: Ongoing Assessment
In coordination with your other advisors, we can conduct ongoing reviews and comprehensive reporting to ensure that your strategy adapts to changing financial and family needs.
Location
800 Newport Center Dr.
Ste 500
Newport Beach, CA 92660
US
Direct:
(949) 760-2465(949) 760-2465
Meet My Team
George Felstiner
PWM Registered Client Service Associate
Phone:
(310) 788-1709(310) 788-1709
About Gregory Zappas
Drawing on three decades of institutional investing and wealth management experience, Greg Zappas crafts comprehensive strategies for an elite clientele of affluent families, individuals, and their family offices. Greg serves as a consultant for his clients, working to develop a thorough understanding of their needs so he can align their objectives with their broader investment management, private banking, and estate planning needs.
Originally from New York, Greg earned his B.B.A. in accounting and tax from Pace University and began his career in institutional asset management at Security Pacific Corporation. He later transitioned to the private wealth side at Bankers Trust and U.S. Trust Company in Los Angeles. Greg joined UBS Private Wealth in Newport Beach in 2011 and eventually moved to Morgan Stanley to support a growing base of sophisticated clients.
Greg lives in San Clemente, California, with his wife, Sarah. His two children are now adults and living on their own, so Greg and Sarah spend a great deal of time volunteering at their church, and with other charitable organizations. He regularly participates in Stanford University's Executive Division program. Greg was also the founder and board member of St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel for eight years, followed by five years at J. Serra Catholic High as a board member. He has a longstanding relationship with AYSO both as a soccer coach and commissioner for the league. Greg is also the former president of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine. Greg is a member of The Farms Golf club in Ranch Santa Fe and the Andalusia Country Club in La Quinta, CA. He is also an avid runner and has competed in two New York City marathons and the Boston marathon.
Originally from New York, Greg earned his B.B.A. in accounting and tax from Pace University and began his career in institutional asset management at Security Pacific Corporation. He later transitioned to the private wealth side at Bankers Trust and U.S. Trust Company in Los Angeles. Greg joined UBS Private Wealth in Newport Beach in 2011 and eventually moved to Morgan Stanley to support a growing base of sophisticated clients.
Greg lives in San Clemente, California, with his wife, Sarah. His two children are now adults and living on their own, so Greg and Sarah spend a great deal of time volunteering at their church, and with other charitable organizations. He regularly participates in Stanford University's Executive Division program. Greg was also the founder and board member of St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel for eight years, followed by five years at J. Serra Catholic High as a board member. He has a longstanding relationship with AYSO both as a soccer coach and commissioner for the league. Greg is also the former president of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine. Greg is a member of The Farms Golf club in Ranch Santa Fe and the Andalusia Country Club in La Quinta, CA. He is also an avid runner and has competed in two New York City marathons and the Boston marathon.
Securities Agent: NV, VA, AL, TN, NY, TX, WA, CA, CO; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
About George Felstiner
George Felstiner is responsible for a broad range of day-to-day administrative, operational and trading activities. He works closely with Greg Zappas to deliver an outstanding overall service experience to the team’s clients.
Prior to joining Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in 2023, George interned at Blackstone in their infrastructure tax division and, earlier, at The Stanton Foundation as a Program Analyst. George graduated from Northeastern University with a B.S. in economics and business administration with a concentration in finance and a minor in psychology. He holds the Series 7 and 66 securities licenses.
Born and raised in Santa Monica, George currently resides in Venice, where he enjoys basketball, volleyball, and gardening.
Prior to joining Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in 2023, George interned at Blackstone in their infrastructure tax division and, earlier, at The Stanton Foundation as a Program Analyst. George graduated from Northeastern University with a B.S. in economics and business administration with a concentration in finance and a minor in psychology. He holds the Series 7 and 66 securities licenses.
Born and raised in Santa Monica, George currently resides in Venice, where he enjoys basketball, volleyball, and gardening.
The Power of Partnerships
By partnering with experienced individuals across wealth disciplines, Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors can align specialized resources with your custom needs and deliver strategic guidance through the familiarity and trust of existing relationships
Sean Lavin
Trust Specialist
About Sean Lavin
Sean is a Regional Trust Specialist for Morgan Stanley based in Los Angeles. He is responsible for supporting Private Wealth Advisors and their clients’ legal counsel in developing trust and fiduciary solutions for families, institutions and charities. Sean works closely with clients and their legal and strategic advisors to help educate them on appropriate trust vehicles designed to meet the clients’ specific goals and objectives. Sean also provides advice on how to utilize the fiduciary services available through the Morgan Stanley’s comprehensive third party trustee platform that is available to clients.
Sean joined Morgan Stanley in 1999 including several years as a Senior Vice President and Regional Trust Specialist with Smith Barney and Citi Trust. Prior to then, Sean was a Senior Trust Officer with Merrill Lynch / Bank of America.
Sean graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and received his master’s degree in business administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Sean holds the Certified Financial Planner and Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designations and is Series 7 and 66 licensed.
Sean joined Morgan Stanley in 1999 including several years as a Senior Vice President and Regional Trust Specialist with Smith Barney and Citi Trust. Prior to then, Sean was a Senior Trust Officer with Merrill Lynch / Bank of America.
Sean graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and received his master’s degree in business administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Sean holds the Certified Financial Planner and Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designations and is Series 7 and 66 licensed.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trusts, estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.
Morgan Stanley does not accept appointments, nor will it act as a trustee, but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
Trusts are not necessarily appropriate for all clients. There are risks and considerations which may outweigh any potential benefits. Establishing a trust will incur fees and expenses which may be substantial. Trusts often incur ongoing administrative fees and expenses such as the services of a corporate trustee, attorney, or tax professional.
Trust services are provided by third parties who are not affiliated with Morgan Stanley. Neither Morgan Stanley nor its affiliates are the provider of such trust services and will not have any input or responsibility concerning a client’s eligibility for, or the terms and conditions associated with these trust services. Neither Morgan Stanley nor its affiliates shall be responsible for any advice or services provided by the unaffiliated third parties. Morgan Stanley or its affiliates may participate in transactions on a basis separate from the referral of clients to these third parties and may receive compensation in connection with referrals made to them.
Morgan Stanley does not accept appointments, nor will it act as a trustee, but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
Trusts are not necessarily appropriate for all clients. There are risks and considerations which may outweigh any potential benefits. Establishing a trust will incur fees and expenses which may be substantial. Trusts often incur ongoing administrative fees and expenses such as the services of a corporate trustee, attorney, or tax professional.
Trust services are provided by third parties who are not affiliated with Morgan Stanley. Neither Morgan Stanley nor its affiliates are the provider of such trust services and will not have any input or responsibility concerning a client’s eligibility for, or the terms and conditions associated with these trust services. Neither Morgan Stanley nor its affiliates shall be responsible for any advice or services provided by the unaffiliated third parties. Morgan Stanley or its affiliates may participate in transactions on a basis separate from the referral of clients to these third parties and may receive compensation in connection with referrals made to them.
Wealth Management
Global Investment Office
Portfolio Insights
Managing Significant Wealth
- Investment Management
- Wealth Transfer & Philanthropy
- Cash Management & Lending
- Family Governance & Wealth Education
- Lifestyle Advisory
- Business Services
Insights and Outcomes
Thought Leadership for our ultra high net worth clients, which contains thought-provoking articles, authored by leading experts from Morgan Stanley Family Office Resources.
Private Wealth Management Podcast
Bringing you engaging stories and key insights surrounding the complexities associated with significant wealth, including:
- Intergenerational Planning
- Philanthropic Giving
- Non-Traditional Assets
- Managing Family Wealth
LISTEN | Passion Assets: Investing in Art
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We look forward to discussing your needs and goals, and the exceptional resources we can place at your disposal.
1Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and its affiliates and their employees (including Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors) are not in the business of providing tax or legal advice. These materials and any statements contained herein should not be construed as tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult their personal tax advisor or attorney for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving personal trusts and estate planning.
2Alternative Investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his/her investment. Alternative investments are appropriate only for qualified, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time.
3Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.
Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
Asset Allocation does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining financial markets.
The securities/instruments, investments and investment strategies discussed on this website may not be suitable for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment or investment strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. The views and opinions expressed on this website may not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). This website and its associated content are intended for U.S. residents only.
Morgan Stanley and its Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Visitors to this website should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.
Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Advisers may only transact business in states where they are registered or excluded or exempted from registration. Transacting business, follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons in states where Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Advisers are not registered or excluded or exempt from registration.
For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.
See the Financial Advisors Biographies for Registration and Licensing information.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc. owns the marks CIMA®, Certified Investment Management Analyst® (with graph element)®, and Certified Investment Management Analyst® .
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC offers insurance products in conjunction with its licensed insurance agency affiliates.
Life insurance, disability income insurance, and long-term care insurance are offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC's licensed insurance agency affiliates.
Lifestyle Advisory Services: Products and services are provided by third party service providers, not Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley may not receive a referral fee or have any input concerning such products or services. There may be additional service providers for comparative purposes. Please perform a thorough due diligence and make your own independent decision.
Private Bankers are employees of Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.
Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
Awards Disclosures | Morgan Stanley
2Alternative Investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his/her investment. Alternative investments are appropriate only for qualified, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time.
3Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.
Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
Asset Allocation does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining financial markets.
The securities/instruments, investments and investment strategies discussed on this website may not be suitable for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment or investment strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. The views and opinions expressed on this website may not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). This website and its associated content are intended for U.S. residents only.
Morgan Stanley and its Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Visitors to this website should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.
Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Advisers may only transact business in states where they are registered or excluded or exempted from registration. Transacting business, follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons in states where Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Advisers are not registered or excluded or exempt from registration.
For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.
See the Financial Advisors Biographies for Registration and Licensing information.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc. owns the marks CIMA®, Certified Investment Management Analyst® (with graph element)®, and Certified Investment Management Analyst® .
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC offers insurance products in conjunction with its licensed insurance agency affiliates.
Life insurance, disability income insurance, and long-term care insurance are offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC's licensed insurance agency affiliates.
Lifestyle Advisory Services: Products and services are provided by third party service providers, not Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley may not receive a referral fee or have any input concerning such products or services. There may be additional service providers for comparative purposes. Please perform a thorough due diligence and make your own independent decision.
Private Bankers are employees of Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.
Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
Awards Disclosures | Morgan Stanley
CRC 4237142 (02/2025)
