The Menlo Group at Morgan Stanley, Silicon Valley

The Menlo Group at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides affluent families and individuals with tailored solutions for their unique and sophisticated wealth management needs. From investment management and tax planning to advanced estate planning, wealth transfer and risk management, we have the multi-disciplinary expertise to serve clients like you, delivered with extraordinary service.

For the past 20 years, our team has focused on the wealth management needs of entrepreneurs, executives, venture capitalists, coaches and athletes. Placing our client’s interests first, we deliver a collaborative planning experience, empowering our clients to make well informed decisions that meet or exceed their expectations.

Based out of Menlo Park, California, and managing upwards of $2.5 billion as of August 2021, our team offers the personal and tailored approach of a boutique firm, coupled with the capacity to deliver the global resources and intellectual capital of a world class financial institution.

We look forward to meeting you and learning more about your goals and aspirations.
Services Include
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Approach

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Our Clients

Our clients come from diverse financial backgrounds, and we understand that the needs of our clients are unique to their story. Our mission is to tailor solutions and create plans that align seamlessly with your objectives.
Founders & Entrepreneurs
We have decades of experience working with founders and business owners, we understand the importance of a strong and collaborative advisory team that works to support your personal and professional goals. With our network of trusted advisors, our team will help you navigate the business landscape and provide support through every stage of your company's growth.
Learn more about Entrepreneur Services
Public Company Executives
As "Dedicated Equity Plan Specialists" we are very familiar with the complex planning considerations of corporate executives. Given the privilege of working with numerous Fortune 500 executives, we routinely deal with sizeable, concentrated equity positions. We have extensive experience providing solutions as 10b5-1 plans, hedging and monetization strategies, exchange funds, and tailored lending lines of credit.
Learn more about Corporate Executive Services
Athletes & Coaches
We work with several current and former coaches and athletes as well as clients in the entertainment industry. We understand the complexity of dealing with contracts, unstructured cash flows, royalties and benefits packages. We have the resources and capability to bring structure and security to the wealth you worked hard to create. Let us focus on managing your finances so that you can dedicate your energy to the court, field, or stage.
Learn more about Global Sports & Entertainment Services

Our Extensive Network

Our clients' interests always come first.

Together with our Silicon Valley-based team's network of trusted legal and tax professionals, we deliver our clients an objective and collaborative planning experience, that, when properly orchestrated, integrated and implemented, will create a holistic and complete approach to their financial ambitions.
Our Legal Professionals
In coordination with the efforts of our legal advisors, we ensure that development and execution of documents and transactions cover all legal requirements as to not impose and create disruptions in our clients' plans. Our areas of focus include but are not limited to:

- Estate Planning
- Wills and Trusts
- Income, Estate, and Gift Tax Planning
- Charitable Planning
- Business Succession
- Life Insurance and Risk Management Planning
- Asset Protection
Our Tax Professionals
We work closely with our CPA partners to guide you through tax sensitive issues and aid in the process of developing and implementing tax efficient strategies. Our areas of focus include but are not limited to:

- Personal and Business income Tax Planning
- Sale of Purchase of a Business
- Business Succession Planning
- Business Valuation
- Estate Tax Planning
- Equity Compensation Plans
- Stock Options

Location

2882 Sand Hill Road
Suite 200
Menlo Park, CA 94025
US
Direct:
(650) 234-5865(650) 234-5865

Meet The Menlo Group

About James Matthew Palleschi

Matthew Palleschi serves as Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor with Morgan Stanley’s Menlo Park office. Drawing on almost two decades of experience in the wealth management industry, Matthew leverages his extensive network of internal and external partners to understand his client’s complex situations and deliver clear and thoughtful planning solutions. Matthew focuses on pre-liquidity event planning, trust and estate planning, concentrated stock management, hedging and monetization strategies and tailored lending services.

Matthew also serves as Senior Portfolio Manager, working with the investment team on strategic and tactical allocation models.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Matthew spent nine years with J.P. Morgan in San Francisco as an Executive Director. He began his career in 2001 with Bear Stearns & Company as a trader for their largest hedge fund coverage team.

Matthew earned both a bachelor’s degree and M.B.A. in Finance from Saint Mary’s College. He lives in Incline Village, Nevada with his wife and two daughters.

About Morgan Stanley - Menlo Park

For more than 30 years, Morgan Stanley's Menlo Park office has served a wide range of distinguished clients from major corporations, private equity and venture capital firms to senior corporate executives, sophisticated investors, and high net worth families. These clients have relied on our experience and resources to help them meet their financial needs and objectives.

Areas of focus include Comprehensive Wealth Planning, Trust and Estate Planning, Pre-Liquidity Planning, Investment Management, Concentrated Stock Management, Hedging and Monetization Strategies, Equity Compensation Plans, Corporate Cash Management, Corporate Retirement Plans, Tailored Lending Solutions.
Securities Agent: PA, CT, WY, VA, MO, NV, NH, MT, AZ, RI, KY, AR, MS, AK, SD, KS, VI, VT, OK, AL, WI, ND, IA, WV, SC, PR, NJ, MA, LA, WA, CO, OR, NY, NC, DE, TX, MN, MD, IL, ID, GA, CA, TN, OH, NM, NE, ME, IN, FL, DC, UT, MI, HI; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 530286

About Donald Fung

Donald Fung began his investment career in 1988 after earning his bachelor's degree in Finance from California State University. As a Senior Vice President in The Menlo Group, his primary responsibilities include portfolio management, investment strategy, and international client advisory. Don also serves as the Senior Portfolio Manager and manages the team's three core discretionary portfolios.

Don holds the Portfolio Management Director and ICA (International Client Advisor) designation from Morgan Stanley. Portfolio management directors are a group of advisors that must pass rigorous training and examinations and uphold a high level of performance in order to provide clients with discretionary portfolio services. In addition, Don belongs to a group of advisors who hold the ICA designation. They are able to leverage their unique perspective alongside the firm's vast resources to provide wealth management services to international clients. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Don spent over two decades with firms such as Credit Suisse/Donaldson Lufkin and Jenrette and JP Morgan/Bear Stearns where he worked closely with institutions, corporations, venture capitalists and ultra-high net worth individuals.

About Morgan Stanley - Menlo Park

For more than 30 years, Morgan Stanley's Menlo Park office has served a wide range of distinguished clients from major corporations, private equity and venture capital firms to senior corporate executives, sophisticated investors, and high net worth families. These clients have relied on our experience and resources to help them meet their financial needs and objectives.

Areas of focus include Portfolio Management, Comprehensive Wealth Planning, Trust and Estate Planning, Pre-Liquidity Planning, Investment Management, Concentrated Stock Management, Hedging and Monetization Strategies, Equity Compensation Plans, Corporate Cash Management, Corporate Retirement Plans, and Tailored Lending Solutions.
Securities Agent: TX, KY, MI, GA, FL, DE, UT, IL, HI, NY, NV, MT, MO, TN, OR, MD, CT, WA, PA, MA, DC, VA, OH, NH, NC, KS, CA, ID, CO, AZ, WY, NM, NJ, ME, NE, MN, LA, IN, AL; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 530062

About Brian Bechelli

Brian Bechelli is a Vice President, Wealth Management, for Morgan Stanley based in Silicon Valley. As a member of The Menlo Partners Group, he focuses on helping employees of public and private companies navigate their equity compensation. He has extensive experience working with stock plan participants and a deep understanding of strategies around optimizing RSUs, Incentive and Non-Qualified Stock Options, Employee Stock Purchase, and 10b5-1 plans. His goal is to help his clients not only better understand how their stock plan assets fit in to their broader financial picture, but to get the most out of them.

In addition, Brian has a background in portfolio management and provides due diligence on manager selection, portfolio reporting and trading.

As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, planning is at the forefront of every relationship. It is paramount to understand the needs and goals of his clients and Brian aims to help provide a road map to reach those goals. He prides himself on his strong client relationships— consistent and honest communication with clients is central to his practice. He’s regularly available to help solve issues and offer strategic solutions in all aspects of his clients’ financial lives.

Brian joined Morgan Stanley in 2017. He began his career in financial services in 2010 with Bank of America’s mortgage bank before spending 5 years at J.P. Morgan Securities.

Brian grew up in Newport Beach, CA and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A. in Economics. He lives with his wife, Stephanie, and son, Benny, in San Francisco, CA. In his spare time, Brian enjoys spending time with his family, golf, and travel.
Securities Agent: CA, AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1619962
Wealth Management
Global Investment Office

Portfolio Insights

Business Planning

Helping you on key aspects of your business such as ownership, liquidity and developing opportunities.
  • Succession Planning
  • Business Planning
  • Qualified Retirement Plans
Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business
Article Image

Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business

Selling your business can mean big changes for your life, both personally and financially. Know how to make the most of your windfall.

Family

Creating customized financial strategies for the challenges that today’s families face.
  • Estate Planning Strategies
  • 529 Plans / Education Savings Planning
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Special Needs Planning
  • Trust Services
Are You Prepared for Tax Day?
Article Image

Are You Prepared for Tax Day?

The countdown to Tax Day has begun. Here are some strategies to consider as the deadline approaches.

Financial Wellness

Enhancing Financial Wellness enables your workforce to do their best work. Companies that invest in financial wellness have an opportunity to:
  • Reduce employee stress,
  • Improve retention and engagement, and
  • Set themselves apart by offering comprehensive financial wellness benefits.
The Business Case for a Financially Resilient Workforce
Article Image

The Business Case for a Financially Resilient Workforce

In the face of turbulent markets, the word “resilience” may be top of mind. Broadly speaking, resilience is the ability to “bounce back” when encountering life’s inevitable challenges.

Wealth Management for Athletes and Entertainers

Understanding the unique financial challenges of athletes and entertainers and how they differ from one profession to the next, we deliver the experience and resources you need to help create and implement a comprehensive, multigenerational wealth management plan based on your needs, values and aspirations.
  • Investment Management
  • Wealth Transfer & Philanthropy
  • Private Banking Solutions
  • Family Governance & Wealth Education
  • Lifestyle Advisory
You are your Own CEO: Build a Dream Team for Your Career
Article Image

You are your Own CEO: Build a Dream Team for Your Career

Assembling a team of trusted professionals to manage your career—and your money—is essential to help best position you to thrive. Here’s how.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact The Menlo Group today.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

1Morgan 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

Back to top



2Morgan 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.

Back to top



3When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors (collectively, “Morgan Stanley”) provide “investment advice” regarding a retirement or welfare benefit plan account, an individual retirement account or a Coverdell education savings account (“Retirement Account”), Morgan Stanley is a “fiduciary” as those terms are defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), as applicable. When Morgan Stanley provides investment education, takes orders on an unsolicited basis or otherwise does not provide “investment advice”, Morgan Stanley will not be considered a “fiduciary” under ERISA and/or the Code. For more information regarding Morgan Stanley’s role with respect to a Retirement Account, please visit www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley does not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a Retirement Account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments or other transactions made with respect to a Retirement Account. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

Back to top



4Morgan 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.

Back to top



5Morgan Stanley’s investment advisory programs may require a minimum asset level and, depending on your specific investment objectives and financial position, may not be appropriate for you. Please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC program disclosure brochure (the “Morgan Stanley ADV”) for more information in the investment advisory programs available. The Morgan Stanley ADV is available at www.morganstanley.com/ADV.

Back to top



6Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences or review our Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships brochure available at www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.

Back to top



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:
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 Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

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
CRC 6491812 (04/2024)