OUR STORY

For more than 20 years we have worked with highly successful privately held business owners and their families. Our clients come from all walks of life and many diverse industries.

We understand that business owners face many challenges and concerns. While these challenges vary at different stages, we have learned that eventually, many business owners struggle to learn about strategies to monetize their business as they approach retirement or transition. Others may have simply been too busy "running their business" to think about their own personal future.

As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, we work with owners to create plans and strategies to transition into, and thrive throughout, their post-business life. Our focus is on both business planning and personal wealth management that is positioned around a customized, unified strategy; aligning a business owner's professional transition with their personal goals and objectives to help create the retirement they envision

From 2020-2025, Joseph Verri has been named to the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list.

2025 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams
  • Source: Forbes (Awarded Jan 2025) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based for the period 3/31/23-3/31/24.
  • Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2020-2025). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in June of year prior to the issuance of the award.
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Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

IS AN ESOP RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are a powerful option for business owners nearing retirement or transition to monetize their company. With an ESOP, the owner sells his or her interest in a business to a Trust – this arrangement allows for beneficial ownership to be distributed over time to employees as a qualified retirement plan.

Business owners choose an ESOP for a variety of reasons:

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    Financial Growth

    For many owners, interest in their private company is a large part of their net worth. Selling all or part of their interest to an ESOP enables them to diversify their wealth.

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    Reward Employees

    An ESOP provides beneficial ownership to employees; a 'stake' in the company via a qualified retirement plan.

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    Control

    ESOPs may allow the retiring owner to retain a degree of control over the vision, direction and identity of their company. Control can be transferred all at once or gradually.

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    Continuity

    With an ESOP, no "outside" investment is needed. So, monetizing the company need not involve a wholesale change in management.

    Bottom Line: For many privately-held businesses, ESOPs allow the owner to "cash out," knowing that the company will remain in good-potentially familiar- hands.

PLANNING FOR YOUR FUTURE

99% of business owners agree that having a transition plan is important for both their business and their personal future, but incredibly, only 21% have a written transition plan in place*. We get it. When you are so focused on running your business, we understand that sometimes it's a low priority to think about what comes next. But with 50% of business transitions in the US being involuntary, we believe that starting to plan now is important –for both you and your business.

Many owners have spent a good portion of their working life building their business and, want to do everything they can to ensure that their business continues to flourish. There are a number of transition alternatives for a business owner to consider and owners often struggle to understand these opportunities. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), we can help you better understand these options and the potential impact on the business and, your transition goals. Understanding and weighing these options takes time. Even if you aren't ready to make a change right now, there are steps you can take to better prepare and potentially, create additional value in your business.

Our process starts with:

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    1. Analysis of your goals, both personal and business.

    Do you want to remain engaged in day-to-day?

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    2. Helping you to specifically articulate your financial and lifestyle goals.

    What do you want to "buy and do" with your money?

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    3. Understanding the many transitions options that are available and how do they may compliment your personal and business goals?

    Outright sale to a financial or strategic buyer? Family transition? Management buyout? ESOP?

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    4. Help to coordinate and execute a successful transition.

    It may take a team to execute a successful transition, in conjunction with your tax and legal professionals.

    *Exit Planning Institute State of Owner Readiness Survey, 2022

    Many business owners are unsure how to transition out of their business. We have extensive experience in working with business owners through what might be, the most significant financial event of their life.

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    1. Understanding your priorities
    For many owners, their business is a passion built upon a lifetime of hard work, commitment, and, yes, a deep affection for the business and its staff. We understand how to combine your personal commitment with your own wealth management needs.
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    2. A commitment to understanding all of your exit opportunities
    As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, we are versed in all your available alternatives. We have extensive experience with ESOPs, which may be an attractive alternative. We have both the knowledge to guide you through the process, and extensive contacts who can assist when needed.
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    3. Your legacy
    When approaching transition, many business owners think about what they will leave behind – for the business, the employees, and especially the family. We work with clients and families to educate, envision, deliver and protect the legacy you want.
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    Working with Business Owners in Transition
    No matter how you feel about your business and your transition to retirement, you can be sure that we’ve been there before with many clients. After more than 20 years of working with business owners, we have learned a few things about them:

    • They care deeply about their business, and its future.
    • They care about their employees.
    • They want to take care of their family members, whether they want to participate in the business or not.
    • They care about their customers, their partners, and all the other constituents the business serves.

Upcoming 128 Group Events

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ESOP 101: Ownership Transition

Please join us Monday, April 21st for this ESOP 101 event.

RSVP Here - the128group@morganstanley.com

WORKPLACE FINANCIAL BENEFITS WITH MORGAN STANLEY AT WORK

Our mission is to help your company elevate your workplace financial benefits—helping you to attract and retain top talent. Our end-to-end solutions support your company and employees at any stage of growth through a powerful combination of modern technology, insightful guidance, and dedicated service.

    Equity Solutions

    Equity ownership is a powerful motivator. Streamline equity management through our leading-edge technology and provide global audit-ready reporting and insights, alongside customizable participant experiences to engage and educate your employees on how to make the most of their benefits. Our global solutions support private and public companies at any stage of growth.

    • Equity Administration and Financial Reporting
    • Liquidity Events
    • 409A Valuation Services and Cap Table Management

    Learn more
    Retirement

    For your employees, retirement is more than a date in the future—it's a milestone that takes time, hard work, and the right tools. Through our consultative process, we strive to assist with the management of your fiduciary responsibilities and risk, simplify plan management, and help you improve retirement readiness for your employees.

    • Defined Contribution Consulting
    • Solutions-Oriented Plans
    • Fiduciary Investment Oversight

    Learn more
    Deferred Compensation

    Access a range of Nonqualified Deferred Compensation plan services or pick the ones that best fit your needs. We provide recordkeeping and plan design, portfolio construction services, and plan education for your executive talent. We help you determine the appropriate plan design and inform a funding strategy through a needs-based assessment and consultative approach.

    Services include:

    • Recordkeeping and Plan Design
    • Portfolio Construction
    • Wealth Management Services
    Learn more
    Executive Services

    Our dedicated team provides concierge-level support for your executives' equity compensation plans, from 10b5-1 trading plans to form filing related to Rule 144 transactions, to access to wealth management and tax-optimization strategies, so helping them navigate their complex financial needs with greater confidence and certainty:

    • Equity Compensation Services
    • Equity Award Analysis
    • Specialized Solutions
    Learn more
    Saving and Giving

    Saving and Giving benefits can make a real difference in your employees' lives as they can support the things that matter most to them—like saving for education and repaying student loans. Show that you are committed to your employees' priorities with leading-edge solutions that help them chart a path toward financial well-being.

    • College Savings
    • Student Loan Repayment and Refinancing
    • Charitable Giving
    Learn more
    Financial Wellness

    We offer Financial Wellness with every solution we provide. Through a powerful combination of education, digital tools and guidance, Financial Wellness is designed to address the unique needs of your employees and empower their financial journey at every stage. Give your employees the confidence to take charge of their finances.

    • Financial Education
    • Digital Tools
    • Financial Guidance

    Learn more

Location

112 Worcester Street
Wellesley, MA 02481
US
Direct:
(781) 672-5140(781) 672-5140

Meet The 128 Group

About Joseph D Verri

Morgan Stanley's Presidents Club - 2025

Joe has been working with successful privately-held business owners and their families for more than 20 years. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, he helps business owners create an organized process around the eventual transition of their business. This process includes working collaboratively to develop clarity in the form of a plan; the plan serves as a roadmap that helps business owners better understand when and how to best transition their business and the impact it will have on their business, their family members, and their employees.

While Joe has been involved with several different transition strategies over the years, he provides specific emphasis on the education, utilization and maintenance of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Joe is involved with The ESOP Association (TEA), based in Washington DC and locally with TEA’s New England Chapter. He is also a member of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). Joe is an ardent supporter for employee ownership nationally.

As a Corporate Retirement Director, Joe also works with a number of companies nationally providing advice on the design and maintenance of their company retirement plan(s). He is also a Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist, a designation offered by The College of Financial Planning.

Joe earned a BS in Finance from the University of Massachusetts.

Joe and his wife Meaghan have two sons and live in eastern Massachusetts. He is a competitive ski racer and, in the warmer months, enjoys mountain biking, gardening and home improvement projects.
Securities Agent: UT, MN, MI, MD, TX, RI, NY, ME, LA, MO, KS, IN, IA, AK, KY, GA, SD, OH, NV, MA, ID, DC, VA, SC, NH, AZ, NM, NJ, CO, OR, NC, IL, HI, FL, DE, PA, NE, CT, CA, WI, WA, VT; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1274459

About Michael Buntin Jr.

Mike joined Morgan Stanley as a Wealth Advisor Associate in 2020. During his Wealth Advisor Associate tenure and over the course of his career, he has created over 600 financial plans across the firm. He obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in 2022 and works with clients to help them highlight their unique financial goals so that he can initiate and monitor a tailored financial plan. On The 128 Group, Mike is integral in building out the team’s planning capabilities and continuing to highlight why planning is a cornerstone of the team. He is Series 7 and 66 licensed as well as insurance licensed.

Mike graduated from The University of Rhode Island with a BS in finance. In his free time he enjoys playing basketball, snowboarding and staying up to date on the latest automotive news.
Securities Agent: MO, GA, DE, WI, WA, OR, FL, TX, NC, MI, KS, VA, UT, OK, NE, IL, CA, AK, KY, SC, NY, MN, ME, AZ, VT, MD, HI, PA, NH, MA, SD, NM, CT, RI, NV, DC, IA, CO, OH, NJ, IN, ID; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 2327291

About Elyse Slotnick

Elyse has more than 25 years of experience in the financial industry. She leads the group client service initiatives.

Elyse lives on the south shore with her daughter, Luran. She treasures her time with her daughter, especially being outdoors, visiting the ocean and kayaking together. She has a background in art and design and loves to draw and photograph nature.

About Lauren Komins

Lauren is a Portfolio Associate and Financial Planning Associate. Graduating from Oberlin College in 1998 with a degree in Art History, Lauren started in financial services in 1999 and has been dedicated to ensuring that client needs are met with a high level of service ever since. While she aides in administrating the day-to-day business of the Group, as a fully registered associate with her FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses, Lauren assists in executing transactions as well.

An accomplished figure skater as a child, Lauren competed in the first ever World Precision Ice Skating Competition in Helsinki in 1992 and continues to be a fan today. She grew up in Lexington, MA and lives in the Boston area.

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

About Katie Prendergast

Kathleen Prendergast is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in New York City.

Private Bankers partner with Financial Advisors to develop a specialized approach for managing clients’ cash flow, liquidity and financing needs, leveraging our comprehensive suite of cash management and lending solutions.

Kathleen began her career in financial services in 2014, when she joined Morgan Stanley as a Financial Advisor Associate. She became an Associate Private Banker in 2018 and promoted to Private Banker in 2021. Prior to joining the firm, she was a Major Donor Development Officer at the Reeve Foundation.

Kathleen is a graduate of the Fairfield University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and Montclair State University where she received her Teacher’s Certification. She lives in Weehawken, NJ. Outside of the office, Kathleen enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering at the Hoboken Community Shelter, hiking with her dog Barry, and traveling to new destinations.
NMLS#: 1750426

About Todd Vogel

Todd Vogel is a Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Massachusetts.

Private Bankers partner with Financial Advisors to develop a specialized approach for managing clients’ cash flow, liquidity and financing needs, leveraging our comprehensive suite of cash management and lending solutions.

Todd began his career in financial services in 1997, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2016. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Wealth Management Banker at Merrill Lynch.

Todd is a graduate of Bates College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and Clark University, where he received his Master of Business Administration. He lives in Newton, MA with his family. Outside of the office, Todd enjoys coaching for the Newton Boys and Girls Soccer Clubs.
NMLS#: 1150893
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Financial Advisers can conduct their business in several ways: individually, as a member of a team of Financial Advisors, or through the formation of a Strategic Partnership with another Financial Advisor or team of Financial Advisors. A Strategic Partnership is an arrangement between a Financial Advisor or a team of Financial Advisors with another Financial Advisor or team of Financial Advisors that has a unique focus or knowledge regarding a specific business concentration, product area, and/or client type. If your account is with an individual Financial Advisor, that Financial Advisor services all facets of your account. If your account is with a Financial Advisor who is a member of a team, any Financial Advisor on the team can service your account. If your Financial Advisor is part of a Strategic Partnership, his or her role in that Strategic Partnership may be limited to a specific business and/or product area and may not cover all facets of your account. The use of the terms “Partner” or “Strategic Partner” and/or “Partnership” or “Strategic Partnership” are used as terms of art and not used to imply or connote any legal relationship.

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Retirement

Working with you to understand your life goals and develop a personalized wealth strategy. Today and for the years to come.
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Financial Wellness

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Ready to start a conversation? Contact The 128 Group today.
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6Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or 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 legal matters.

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Awards Disclosures
CRC 6491812 (04/2024), 3582895 (6/2024)