The Napa Harvest Group at Morgan Stanley

Zach Taylor serves as the managing partner of the Napa Harvest Group. He leads our team’s services in the area of equity compensation, where we guide clients that receive substantial amounts of company stock from their employers that range from well-known, top-tier enterprises to dynamic innovators on the verge of going public. Well-versed in the nuances of navigating that complex realm, Zach is equally at home preparing long-term financial plans for retirees and those that aspire to retire. For more than 15 years Zach’s been helping individuals and business owners make key decisions for their financial future. His stewardship is essential to our team’s multi-decade investment relationships with several non-profit foundations in the Bay Area.

A 2004 graduate of Pacific Union College, where he majored in Finance, Zach’s dedication to ethical client service motivated him to earn the Certified Financial Planner™ designation early in his career. Zach lives in Napa with his wife Ashley and their children Jackson and Georgia. He’s an avid golfer and can often be found at the Napa Valley Country Club, as well as entertaining friends and family with grand feasts inspired by his collection of cookbooks.

Tom Huynh, a partner at The Napa Harvest Group within Morgan Stanley, is a Certified Financial Planner™ with over 11 years of industry experience. Based in our Oakland office, Tom serves as a key strategic advisor to a diverse clientele, including affluent families with global interests, technology executives from both private and public sectors, and successful real estate entrepreneurs.

Tom has taken great pride in crafting bespoke solutions tailored to the unique needs of each family he serves. He and his partners are deeply committed to simplifying the financial planning process, taking great honor in their ability to clearly articulate every detail and action item. Their approach ensures that clients fully understand their financial strategies and have well-defined expectations throughout their advisory relationship.

Using a consultative approach to help him understand each client’s unique perspective and priorities, Tom utilizes both qualitative and quantitative factors to help clients achieve their goals and objectives. His commitment to fostering long-term relationships built on trust, and transparency is a key reason families choose to work with him. He believes that collaborating closely with clients' CPAs and attorneys is essential for the seamless implementation and execution of financial plans.

Tom's experience in executive corporate financial services and equity compensation includes helping corporate insiders manage concentrated equity risks, develop predetermined trading plans (10b5-1), and plan philanthropic contributions. He provided guidance to families in managing the intricacies associated with having equity as a substantial part of their compensation, helping plan for both current and future goals.

For his clients who have a bi-continental presence, Tom actively engages in conversations about estate planning, gifting strategies, and alternative investments, tailoring his approach to accommodate changing policies. With most of his international clients based in Asia, he has developed a deep understanding of the complexities involved in managing both onshore and offshore assets of these families. This has allowed him to navigate the subtleties of cross-border relationships.

Before joining Morgan Stanley, Tom served as a Vice President - Senior Wealth Advisor at Citigroup Global Markets. At Citigroup, Tom advised first-generation affluent, international families, technology executives, and attorneys. Earlier in his career, he managed private banking services for both individuals and small businesses and specialized in financial planning for high-net-worth clients. His career in finance began during his college years with internships in private wealth management and technology investment banking.

Tom, a native of the Bay Area, has deep connections to the East Bay, and he currently resides in Walnut Creek. Outside of work, he enjoys playing tennis, traveling, and exploring a variety of restaurants throughout the Bay Area.

Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics from the University of California, Davis.

Nick Mendelson works with some of the world’s largest equity compensation plans, as well as with privately held companies and those about to go public, guiding employees to smoothly navigate the complexities of stock awards, tender offers and other liquidity events. He’s frequently called upon to deliver education on this topic to corporate audiences of hundreds and thousands.

Nick lives and breathes financial planning. He excels at evaluating the minute details of a client’s financial situation, then creating a strategy to help fulfill the client’s goals with a tax-sensitive focus. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2016, and is based in our Santa Rosa office.

Born and raised in Sonoma County, he graduated cum laude with a B.S. in finance from Sonoma State University, where he founded the school’s Student Managed Investment Fund. He remains dedicated to his community, and serves on the board of La Luz Center, a local nonprofit. Nick loves hiking and backpacking, working out, playing guitar, and photography.