JS

James Alfred Sommerfield

28 Years of Experience

Firm Information

Compensation
Fee-Only (AUM)Fixed/Hourly
Number of Advisors
15 advisors
Number of Clients
2,123 clients
Average Client Portfolio
$7.2M average
Assets Under Management
$15.3B

Fee Structure

Minimum Investment:$1M

GLA primarily charges asset-based management fees, billed monthly or quarterly. Fees vary based on account type, size, and other conditions. The standard minimum account size for Private Wealth clients is $1,000,000 for Equity and Balanced accounts and $2,000,000 for Fixed Income accounts. Fees are negotiable and may vary from the general fee schedule. Contracts can be terminated with 30 days' written notice, with pro-rated refunds of unearned fees.

Areas of Practice
Investment ManagementRetirement PlanningTax PlanningEstate PlanningEducation PlanningHigh Net Worth
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Advisor Information

Office location

231 S. LaSalle St., 4th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60604

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Regulatory History
Clean regulatory record

No disclosures, customer disputes, or regulatory actions on file.

Disclosures include customer complaints, regulatory actions, and other events that advisors must report to the SEC. A clean record means none have been reported.

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Other Business Activities

James works as a Senior Compliance Officer for Great Lakes Advisors, dedicating about a quarter of his time to compliance functions, reviewing marketing materials, regulatory filings, and internal audits. This position began in 2001 and has been reviewed to ensure it doesn't interfere with his responsibilities or appear as part of WTI's business.

Employment History
Current Registrations
Great Lakes Advisors, LLC
November 2001 - Present · 24 yrs 2 mos
Previous Registrations
Focused Investments L.L.C.Broker
June 2006 - December 2006 · 6 mos
Wintrust Investments
May 2005 - January 2025 · 19 yrs 8 mos
Wintrust Investments LLCBroker
January 2001 - August 2025 · 24 yrs 7 mos
Focused Investments L.L.C.Broker
June 1998 - January 2001 · 2 yrs 7 mos
Wayne Hummer Investments L.L.C.Broker
June 1998 - July 2000 · 2 yrs 1 mo
American Express Financial Advisors INC. Broker
March 1997 - June 1998 · 1 yr 3 mos
Ids Life Insurance CompanyBroker
March 1997 - June 1998 · 1 yr 3 mos
State Registrations1 state
IL
Advisor
Exams
No exam information available for this advisor.