Doug Deaton
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Senior Portfolio Manager, Alternative Investments Director, Insurance Planning Director
Phone:
(512) 633-9281(512) 633-9281
The Deaton Group at Morgan Stanley
Our Mission Statement
We guide founders, families, and businesses through inflection points — delivering seamless execution and extraordinary outcomes powered by the full scope and capabilities of
Morgan Stanley.
Morgan Stanley.
Our Story and Services
The Deaton Group works with founders, sponsors, and families when important financial decisions start to overlap.
These moments often involve:
- Capital or Liquidity Events
- Ownership or Partner Transitions
- Business Growth or Refinancing Decisions
- Succession and Long-Term Planning
In most cases, the business is strong. The challenge is coordinating decisions that affect the business, the balance sheet, and personal priorities at the same time.
Our role is to help clients slow these moments down, get clear on what matters most, and make decisions in the right order before execution begins.
Once direction is clear, we bring the appropriate resources of Morgan Stanley to support those decisions in a coordinated and deliberate way.
How We Work
We begin with clarity, not transactions.
Doug focuses on helping clients think through complex decisions involving capital, ownership, and liquidity.
Rachel ensures continuity, alignment, and follow-through as decisions are carried out across the practice.
Our team provides a steady point of contact, so clients are not left managing multiple advisors, timelines, or conversations on their own.
What We Help With
We use Morgan Stanley's platform to support decisions across several areas, including:
- Investment Banking and Capital Markets
- Customized Lending and Liquidity Solutions
- Executive Compensation and Corporate Services
- Wealth Management and Family Office Planning
- Commercial Real Estate Lending
These capabilities are brought in intentionally, based on the decision at hand.
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*
Location
301 Congress Avenue
Suite 1400
Austin, TX 78701
US
Meet The Deaton Group
Rachel Deaton
Financial Advisor, Insurance Planning Director
Phone:
(737) 742-1842(737) 742-1842
Patty Brueckner
Senior Registered Client Service Associate
Phone:
(512) 370-0481(512) 370-0481
About Doug Deaton
Doug Deaton advises founders, financial sponsors, and business owners at moments when capital decisions carry lasting consequences.
His perspective has been shaped by experience on both sides of the table. As an operator and entrepreneur, Doug lived the pressure and complexity of building a business. Later, as an executive within a multi-billion-dollar family office, he worked through the challenges that follow success — liquidity decisions, capital structure, governance, and the responsibility of stewarding outcomes across time.
Today, Doug brings that experience to clients through The Deaton Group at Morgan Stanley, combining seasoned judgment with access to one of the world’s most comprehensive global financial platforms.
Doug’s work centers on leading decision-making at key inflection points, including refinancing cycles, liquidity events, ownership transitions, growth and scale moments, and succession planning. In most cases, the underlying business is strong. The complexity lies in alignment — between the business, the capital structure, and the personal priorities of the founder or ownership group.
Doug approaches these moments as a decision leader. His role is to help clients evaluate tradeoffs, sequence actions, and design optionality before execution begins, ensuring decisions are made deliberately rather than reactively.
Once direction is clear, Doug and his team leverage the full breadth of Morgan Stanley’s capabilities — including global investment banking, corporate advisory, structured lending, insurance, and wealth management — deploying the right resources at the right time in a coordinated and disciplined manner. The platform is activated intentionally, in service of the decisions already made.
Wealth, in this context, is viewed as an outcome of good decisions, supporting long-term stewardship, flexibility, and continuity once clarity has been achieved.
Doug works alongside his wife and partner, Rachel Deaton, who serves as the orchestrator of The Deaton Group. Rachel coordinates execution across Morgan Stanley’s platform and external specialists to ensure alignment, accountability, and consistency as complexity scales. The team is further supported by Patty, Senior Client Associate and operating partner, who anchors day-to-day execution and the client experience.
His perspective has been shaped by experience on both sides of the table. As an operator and entrepreneur, Doug lived the pressure and complexity of building a business. Later, as an executive within a multi-billion-dollar family office, he worked through the challenges that follow success — liquidity decisions, capital structure, governance, and the responsibility of stewarding outcomes across time.
Today, Doug brings that experience to clients through The Deaton Group at Morgan Stanley, combining seasoned judgment with access to one of the world’s most comprehensive global financial platforms.
Doug’s work centers on leading decision-making at key inflection points, including refinancing cycles, liquidity events, ownership transitions, growth and scale moments, and succession planning. In most cases, the underlying business is strong. The complexity lies in alignment — between the business, the capital structure, and the personal priorities of the founder or ownership group.
Doug approaches these moments as a decision leader. His role is to help clients evaluate tradeoffs, sequence actions, and design optionality before execution begins, ensuring decisions are made deliberately rather than reactively.
Once direction is clear, Doug and his team leverage the full breadth of Morgan Stanley’s capabilities — including global investment banking, corporate advisory, structured lending, insurance, and wealth management — deploying the right resources at the right time in a coordinated and disciplined manner. The platform is activated intentionally, in service of the decisions already made.
Wealth, in this context, is viewed as an outcome of good decisions, supporting long-term stewardship, flexibility, and continuity once clarity has been achieved.
Doug works alongside his wife and partner, Rachel Deaton, who serves as the orchestrator of The Deaton Group. Rachel coordinates execution across Morgan Stanley’s platform and external specialists to ensure alignment, accountability, and consistency as complexity scales. The team is further supported by Patty, Senior Client Associate and operating partner, who anchors day-to-day execution and the client experience.
Securities Agent: IN, DE, MT, FL, NC, WA, KS, LA, CA, GA, CO, AR, OK, IL, TX, NY, VA, NJ; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1857665
NMLS#: 1857665
About Rachel Deaton
Rachel Deaton serves as the Orchestrator of The Deaton Group at Morgan Stanley, bringing structure, coordination, and execution discipline to complex advisory relationships.
She works alongside her husband and partner, Doug Deaton, to ensure that strategic decisions translate into precise, coordinated action across Morgan Stanley’s global platform. While Doug leads judgment and decision-making at key inflection points, Rachel is responsible for orchestrating execution—aligning specialists, managing momentum, and ensuring accountability as complexity scales.
Rachel’s perspective is shaped by a diverse professional background spanning project management, business development, and venture creation. This experience gives her a unique ability to see how the many dimensions of a founder’s life—business, capital, family priorities, and long-term objectives—must fit together in practice, not just on paper.
As the architect of client engagements, Rachel designs the strategic execution map and conducts the coordination of Morgan Stanley’s specialists to deliver against it. Her role is to collapse friction, maintain continuity, and ensure that the firm’s resources are deployed deliberately, efficiently, and in full alignment with the client’s objectives.
Clients value Rachel’s ability to bring order to complexity—ensuring that strategy does not stall at intent, and that execution remains disciplined, responsive, and integrated over time.
Rachel and Doug met at Texas Tech University and have been married for more than three decades. They are the parents of four grown children and live in downtown Austin. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys time with family in Colorado and Montana, exploring local farmers’ markets, following Red Raider sports, and unwinding with a great documentary.
She works alongside her husband and partner, Doug Deaton, to ensure that strategic decisions translate into precise, coordinated action across Morgan Stanley’s global platform. While Doug leads judgment and decision-making at key inflection points, Rachel is responsible for orchestrating execution—aligning specialists, managing momentum, and ensuring accountability as complexity scales.
Rachel’s perspective is shaped by a diverse professional background spanning project management, business development, and venture creation. This experience gives her a unique ability to see how the many dimensions of a founder’s life—business, capital, family priorities, and long-term objectives—must fit together in practice, not just on paper.
As the architect of client engagements, Rachel designs the strategic execution map and conducts the coordination of Morgan Stanley’s specialists to deliver against it. Her role is to collapse friction, maintain continuity, and ensure that the firm’s resources are deployed deliberately, efficiently, and in full alignment with the client’s objectives.
Clients value Rachel’s ability to bring order to complexity—ensuring that strategy does not stall at intent, and that execution remains disciplined, responsive, and integrated over time.
Rachel and Doug met at Texas Tech University and have been married for more than three decades. They are the parents of four grown children and live in downtown Austin. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys time with family in Colorado and Montana, exploring local farmers’ markets, following Red Raider sports, and unwinding with a great documentary.
Securities Agent: KS, NC, MT, GA, VA, TX, DE, CO, AR, NJ, IL, LA, FL, WA, OK, NY, IN; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 2172891
NMLS#: 2172891
About Patty Brueckner
Patty Brueckner serves as Senior Registered Client Service Associate for The Deaton Group at Morgan Stanley, anchoring execution, continuity, and the day-to-day client experience.
As a core member of the team, Patty ensures that complex advisory relationships operate with precision and reliability. While strategic judgment and orchestration guide each engagement, Patty’s role is to make certain that execution is seamless—details are handled, processes are coordinated, and clients experience consistency and responsiveness at every stage.
Patty brings a broad background across retail banking, retirement services, and equity compensation, with a career defined by operational rigor and a client-first mindset. She joined Morgan Stanley in 2022, bringing with her a deep appreciation for how thoughtful execution supports high-stakes decisions over time.
Within The Deaton Group, Patty works closely with Doug and Rachel to coordinate across Morgan Stanley’s platform, supporting engagements that span capital markets, investment banking, tailored lending, insurance, and wealth management. Her focus is ensuring that the firm’s resources are accessed efficiently, specialists are integrated smoothly, and execution remains aligned as complexity increases.
Clients value Patty for her attention to detail, follow-through, and calm professionalism—qualities that allow them to focus on decisions rather than logistics.
Patty holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Cybersecurity from the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as degrees in Business Administration and Economics from Austin Community College. She holds Series 7 and 66 licenses and is fluent in English, Spanish, and German, with working knowledge of Italian, French, and Portuguese.
Originally from Cuba, Patty has lived in the Austin area since 2014, following several years in Germany that shaped her global perspective. Outside of work, she enjoys waterskiing, synchronized swimming, golf, tennis, travel, and time with her husband, Elvis, and their Persian Chinchilla cat, Angel.
As a core member of the team, Patty ensures that complex advisory relationships operate with precision and reliability. While strategic judgment and orchestration guide each engagement, Patty’s role is to make certain that execution is seamless—details are handled, processes are coordinated, and clients experience consistency and responsiveness at every stage.
Patty brings a broad background across retail banking, retirement services, and equity compensation, with a career defined by operational rigor and a client-first mindset. She joined Morgan Stanley in 2022, bringing with her a deep appreciation for how thoughtful execution supports high-stakes decisions over time.
Within The Deaton Group, Patty works closely with Doug and Rachel to coordinate across Morgan Stanley’s platform, supporting engagements that span capital markets, investment banking, tailored lending, insurance, and wealth management. Her focus is ensuring that the firm’s resources are accessed efficiently, specialists are integrated smoothly, and execution remains aligned as complexity increases.
Clients value Patty for her attention to detail, follow-through, and calm professionalism—qualities that allow them to focus on decisions rather than logistics.
Patty holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Cybersecurity from the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as degrees in Business Administration and Economics from Austin Community College. She holds Series 7 and 66 licenses and is fluent in English, Spanish, and German, with working knowledge of Italian, French, and Portuguese.
Originally from Cuba, Patty has lived in the Austin area since 2014, following several years in Germany that shaped her global perspective. Outside of work, she enjoys waterskiing, synchronized swimming, golf, tennis, travel, and time with her husband, Elvis, and their Persian Chinchilla cat, Angel.
Contact Doug Deaton
Contact Rachel Deaton
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Ready to start a conversation? Contact The Deaton Group today.
Check the background of our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck*.
The information, products and services described here are intended only for individuals residing in states where this Financial Advisor is properly registered as described in this site.
Morgan Stanley reserves the right, to the extent permitted under applicable law, to retain and monitor all electronic communications. Morgan Stanley will not accept purchase or sale orders via any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. Morgan Stanley does not endorse and is not responsible and assumes no liability for content, products or services posted by third-parties on any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. All electronic communications are subject to terms available at the following link:
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The securities/instruments, services, investments and investment strategies discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment, investment strategy or service will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, strategies and services, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) is not implying an affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement with/of the third party or that any monitoring is being done by Morgan Stanley of any information contained within the website. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information contained on the third-party website or the use of or inability to use such site. Nor do we guarantee their accuracy or completeness.
The views, opinions or advice contained within third party websites or materials are solely those of the author, who is not a Morgan Stanley employee, and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, or its affiliates. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be appropriate for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.
*References to length of service at Morgan Stanley include years at Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms.
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.
The use of the CDFA designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney. The CDFA designation is not intended to imply that either Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors are acting as experts in this field.
Awards Disclosures | Morgan Stanley
The information, products and services described here are intended only for individuals residing in states where this Financial Advisor is properly registered as described in this site.
Morgan Stanley reserves the right, to the extent permitted under applicable law, to retain and monitor all electronic communications. Morgan Stanley will not accept purchase or sale orders via any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. Morgan Stanley does not endorse and is not responsible and assumes no liability for content, products or services posted by third-parties on any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. All electronic communications are subject to terms available at the following link:
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclaimers/mswm-email.html. Any profiles and associated content are for U.S. residents only.
The securities/instruments, services, investments and investment strategies discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment, investment strategy or service will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, strategies and services, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) is not implying an affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement with/of the third party or that any monitoring is being done by Morgan Stanley of any information contained within the website. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information contained on the third-party website or the use of or inability to use such site. Nor do we guarantee their accuracy or completeness.
The views, opinions or advice contained within third party websites or materials are solely those of the author, who is not a Morgan Stanley employee, and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, or its affiliates. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be appropriate for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.
*References to length of service at Morgan Stanley include years at Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms.
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.
The use of the CDFA designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney. The CDFA designation is not intended to imply that either Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors are acting as experts in this field.
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CRC 4665150 (8/2025)
