chris lee & partners

What chris lee & partners does

Chris Lee & Partners Ltd is a New Zealand-based independent financial advisory firm founded in 1985 and headquartered in Paraparaumu on the Kāpiti Coast, with a satellite day office in Wellington. The firm is family-led, operating with an estimated 1 to 10 staff across advisory, leadership, and administrative functions, and oversees approximately NZ$1.85 billion in funds under advice (FUA). Its core offering is discretionary and advised wealth management custody charged at 0.50% + GST per annum, complemented by self-managed investment advice, share broking, estate sales, KiwiSaver advice, and reverse mortgage advice. The target client base is pre-retirees, retirees, and self-directed investors, with an emphasis on KiwiSaver and estate planning outcomes.

The business model is fee-based and asset-driven. Recurring revenue is generated from the percentage fee applied to the wealth management custody book, supplemented by transactional brokerage commissions on share trades and episodic fees from estate sale execution. There is no proprietary technology platform, in-house investment product, or distribution channel beyond the firm's direct advisor relationships, and the firm operates under New Zealand financial advisory licensing requirements with client assets held through approved custodial arrangements rather than on-balance-sheet.

Commercially, the firm exhibits high operating leverage: service revenue scales with AUM while fixed costs are largely limited to staff, regulatory compliance, and office overhead. The competitive position rests on personal trust, family continuity (Chris Lee as Executive Chairman, Edward Lee as CEO, James Lee as Chairman, Johnny Lee as Financial Advisor), and four decades of operating history rather than on product innovation, scale economics, or technology differentiation. There is no disclosed evidence of AI/ML capability, recent funding activity, acquisition behaviour, or offshore expansion.

Name

chris lee & partners

Legal name

Chris Lee & Partners Ltd

Website

https://chrislee.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chris Lee & Partners is a family-led New Zealand independent financial advisory firm founded in 1985. It oversees approximately NZ$1.85 billion in funds under advice for pre-retirees, retirees, and self-directed investors through wealth management, KiwiSaver, broking, and estate advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Financial Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL), Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

Keywords

• Independent financial advice
• Wealth management services
• Retirement planning advice
• Share broking services
• Estate sales advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Paraparaumu

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wealth Management Fees: Charges 0.50% + GST per annum of portfolio value for comprehensive portfolio monitoring, reviews, advice, meetings, and reporting. This covers all services under the Wealth Management Custody Service.
2. Brokerage Commissions: Charges standard market rates for buying and selling shares and bonds. Minimum brokerage rate of $45 for NZ-based investments. No additional trade fees charged.
3. Estate Sales Services: Provides estate sale services for clients managing estate investments, charging competitive rates without additional trade fees per trade.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chris Lee & Partners provides independent financial advisory services to New Zealand investors, including a comprehensive Wealth Management Custody Service that combines portfolio management, custody, and administration, a Self-Managed Financial Advice Service for investors who want adviser input while retaining control, execution-only Share Broking for NZ and Australian securities, and Estate Sales assistance for executors and solicitors. Core offerings are priced at 0.50% + GST per annum of portfolio value for the wealth management service, with separate transaction-based brokerage fees.

Product overview

Chris Lee & Partners is a financial advisory firm offering a multi-tiered service model. The core offerings include the Wealth Management Custody Service (top-tier comprehensive advice with custody), the Self-Managed Financial Advice Service (advisory-only for self-directed investors), and the Transactional Only Service (execution-only broking). Supporting services include Estate Sales managed by specialist David Colman, Alpha Corp Share Trading, Cash Management Accounts, and specialized KiwiSaver and reverse mortgage advice. The Wealth Management service charges 0.50%+GST per annum and includes full administration, portfolio monitoring, research access, and NZX/ASX listed securities access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management Custody Service Comprehensive, proactive financial advice service with assets held in custody, combining financial advice and portfolio management. Includes portfolio monitoring, reviews, advice, meetings, reporting, and complete administration including custody, tax reporting, and settlements. Priced at 0.50% + GST per annum of portfolio value.
• Self-Managed Financial Advice Service
• Transactional Only Service (Share Broking)
• Estate Sales
• Alpha Corp Share Trading
• Cash Management Account

Quantifiable outcome

• Oversees more than $1.85 billion in funds under advice

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Forsyth Barr: New Zealand-headquartered investment advisory and wealth management firm offering portfolio management, broking, and KiwiSaver advice. Closely comparable to CLP given its independent NZ-focused advisory model and overlapping client base of pre-retirees and retirees.
• Craigs Investment Partners (Jarden): NZ-based full-service investment advisory and broking firm providing wealth management, sharebroking, and research. Direct competitor to CLP in NZ independent advisory space with similar retirement-focused clientele.
• Milford Asset Management: NZ-based active investment manager offering KiwiSaver, retail, and institutional funds with associated advisory services. Comparable to CLP for NZ investor audience, particularly in KiwiSaver and managed portfolio solutions.
• Generate Investment Management: NZ-focused KiwiSaver and wealth manager offering managed funds and retirement-focused investment solutions. Comparable to CLP for retirement-income investment philosophy and NZ retail advisor distribution.
• Booster Financial Services: NZ wealth and KiwiSaver provider offering investment funds and financial advice. Comparable as a NZ-headquartered wealth manager serving retail investors with retirement-focused solutions.
• Hobson Wealth Partners: NZ-based independent financial advisory firm providing wealth management and investment advice to private clients. Direct competitor to CLP in the NZ independent advisory segment.
• NZ Funds Management: NZ-based boutique investment manager offering managed portfolios and KiwiSaver with advisor-led distribution. Comparable in targeting NZ private wealth clients with actively managed solutions.

Broad incumbents

• AMP New Zealand: Large Australasian wealth manager and KiwiSaver provider with significant NZ retail presence. Broader incumbent competing with CLP across wealth, KiwiSaver, and retirement advice but operating at materially larger scale and with proprietary products.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chris-lee-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about chris lee & partners