Dynasty Financial Partners Appoints Shawn Shook as General Counsel to Support Legal Strategy and Advisor Transitions

Veteran Financial Services Attorney Brings Experience in Advisor Transitions, M&A, and Regulatory Compliance to Support Dynasty’s Continued Growth

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dynasty Financial Partners, a leading provider of technology-enabled wealth management solutions for independent financial advisors, today announced the appointment of Shawn Shook as General Counsel. He will report to Dynasty CEO Shirl Penney and be based at the firm’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. Mr. Shook succeeds Jonathan Morris, who is transitioning to a new role as Executive in Residence after more than a decade as General Counsel.

Shirl Penney, CEO of Dynasty, stated, “I’d like to thank Jon Morris for his incredible guidance and contribution as our general counsel over the past 12 years. Jon has been a remarkable friend, business partner, and trusted advisor to the firm and our entire network. I’m thrilled Jon is continuing on with Dynasty as counsel to the firm and as our newest Executive in Residence.”

“It’s been an honor to work at Dynasty from its early days to the present and to be part of all that we have accomplished in support of the independent movement,” said Mr. Morris. “Dynasty’s leadership team, Board of Directors, client roster, institutional investors, and resource partners are some of the best in the RIA space. I am pleased to pass the reins to Shawn as the new General Counsel and look forward to working with Shirl, Shawn, and the rest of the Dynasty team in my new role as counsel to the firm.”

Mr. Shook brings over ten years of legal and regulatory experience in the financial services industry, with particular expertise in advising registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, and professionals transitioning to independence. In his new role, he will oversee Dynasty’s legal strategy across corporate initiatives and support the firm’s 57 Network partner firms on regulatory, transactional, and compliance matters.

"Shawn brings valuable experience that strengthens our legal team as we continue to grow," said Shirl Penney, CEO and founder of Dynasty Financial Partners. "His judgment and insight will help us continue to support independent advisors as they build their businesses."

Prior to joining Dynasty, Mr. Shook served as Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Kestra Financial, where he led legal due diligence and negotiated transaction documentation for several acquisitions. He also advised on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and other strategic initiatives. Before Kestra, he held the role of Associate General Counsel at Edelman Financial Engines, working on matters related to M&A, commercial agreements, advisor onboarding, and risk management.

Mr. Shook began his legal career at Levine, Daniels & Allnutt, focusing on employment law and commercial litigation, including appearances before Virginia courts and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). His early experience includes clerkships with Fiore & Levine and Abrams Landau.

In addition to his litigation and advisory work, Mr. Shook is known for his practical counsel on restrictive covenants and advisor transition planning—an area central to Dynasty’s mission of helping advisors establish and grow independent firms.

“I’m excited to join a firm that’s clearly focused on helping advisors succeed,” said Mr. Shook. “Dynasty offers the right mix of resources, expertise, and strategic vision to support advisors in today’s complex legal and regulatory environment.”

Mr. Shook holds a J.D. from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

His appointment reinforces Dynasty’s commitment to building a legal infrastructure that meets the evolving needs of independent wealth management firms.

About Dynasty

Dynasty is a provider of technology-enabled wealth management solutions and business services for financial advisory firms primarily focused on serving high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients. Dynasty provides access to a comprehensive platform of software and technology tools, business services, and holistic investment management capabilities through an open-architecture platform delivered via a suite of proprietary and third-party technologies. Dynasty’s technology, tools, and services provide advisory firms the supported independence to launch their business, scale their operations, and grow their firms — both organically and inorganically — while also allowing them to be more focused on and better equipped to serve their clients.

For nearly a decade and a half, Dynasty has championed the benefits of independent wealth management for high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients and has contributed to the movement of assets from traditional brokerage channels to the independent channels of wealth management. A recognized industry leader, Dynasty has differentiated itself by developing competitive strengths, including a deep understanding of and strong relationship with its clients; a comprehensive offering of services and technology-enabled solutions; the ability to leverage its size and breadth to invest; the flexibility and seamlessness enabled by a modular technology solution; an entrepreneurial culture; and an experienced and committed management team. Dynasty is committed to continually growing its business by facilitating existing advisory firm clients’ growth, onboarding new clients, increasing clients’ use of its broader capabilities, launching additional solutions, and facilitating complementary acquisitions.

For more information, please visit www.dynastyfinancialpartners.com.

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