St James's Place takes stake to retain one of its largest partner firms

Taunton-based Cooper Associates Group has mortgage and accountancy services alongside its wealth management arm - Cooper Associates Wealth Management - which has been an SJP partner firm since 2010. The wealth manager bought the shares in December for an undisclosed sum from executive chair Lee Cooper. He remains the majority shareholder with a holding of 60.1%. Meanwhile, director of partner remuneration John Owen has also joined the group's board. As one of SJP's largest partner firms, Cooper Associates Wealth Management has approximately £750m in assets under management and 18 f...