William Stanley is President and CEO of The Stanley Laman Group, which he co-founded in 1991 with tax attorney James Laman. The firm was established to provide integrated wealth management services combining investment management, estate planning, and tax strategy for ultra-high-net-worth clients. As CEO, Bill provides strategic direction for the firm's investment platform, oversees client relationships, and ensures the coordination of services across the firm's investment, legal, and tax planning teams. Bill began his career as an Auditor for General Electric Credit Corporation before joining Capital Analysts, an early adopter of comprehensive team-based financial planning.
In 2014, Bill was appointed Chairman and CEO of American Realty Capital (NASDAQ-listed REIT) to oversee the restatement of financial statements and reconstitute the board of directors. Under his leadership, the company successfully rebranded as VEREIT (NYSE: VER) and was subsequently acquired by Realty Income (NYSE: O) in 2021 for approximately $11 billion, at which point Bill returned to full-time leadership of Stanley Laman Group.
Throughout his career, Bill has overseen hundreds of closely held family business and estate transitions, navigating both complex entity structures and the interpersonal dynamics inherent in multi-generational family wealth transfer. His ability to mediate family disagreements while structuring technically sound solutions has become a defining aspect of the firm's approach to business succession and estate planning for family enterprises. His expertise encompasses sophisticated trust structures, business valuation for estate purposes, and coordinated wealth transfer strategies that integrate tax efficiency with family governance.
Bill holds a Master of Financial Sciences (MSFS) from The American College and earned the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and Chartered Life Underloader (CLU®) designations. He has served on numerous public company boards including VEREIT, New York REIT (NYSE), and several American Realty Capital entities. He currently serves as a Trustee of the Matrix Biology Institute.
SLG is an independent investment management and advisory firm serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions.
