Stonington Capital Advisors
Input
Modified
Independent private capital placement and advisory firm focused on sub-$1 billion private funds and direct investment opportunities.
Private Capital Advisory · Fund Placement · Secondary Advisory · United States
Summary
Stonington Capital Advisors is a US-based boutique placement agent serving private fund managers and independent sponsors.
The firm provides primary fund placement, secondary advisory and direct private placement services.
Its practice is principally oriented toward sub-$1 billion funds and transactions that may require a more specialized fundraising process.
Institutional profile
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Stonington Capital Advisors, LLC |
| Organization type | Private limited liability company |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Principal offices | New York, New York; Short Hills, New Jersey |
| Primary industry | Private capital advisory |
| Primary specialization | Private fund placement |
| Other services | Secondary advisory; direct private placements |
| Target market | Sub-$1 billion private funds and independent sponsors |
| Managing partner | Dana C. Pawlicki |
| Affiliated broker-dealer | Stonington Drive Securities LLC |
| Operating status | Active |
| Website | stoningtoncapital.com |
| Profile status | Editorial Profile |
| Last reviewed | 19 August 2026 |
Overview
Stonington Capital Advisors is an independent placement and private capital advisory firm with offices in New York City and Short Hills, New Jersey. The firm advises private fund managers on institutional fundraising and provides services across primary fund placement, secondary transactions and direct private placements.
The firm concentrates on funds below $1 billion, including managers pursuing buyout, private credit, distressed investment, venture capital, real estate and non-correlated investment strategies. Its typical clients are private equity firms managing approximately $200 million to $750 million and seeking to expand or further institutionalize their investor bases. Stonington Capital Advisors
Stonington operates as a specialist intermediary between private market sponsors and potential capital providers. Its investor coverage includes pension plans, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, asset managers, funds of funds and family offices. Most of its stated investor relationships are located in North America, supplemented by relationships with lower-middle-market investors in Europe.
Principal activities
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Fund placement | Capital-raising support for private investment funds, including fundraising strategy, market positioning, investor targeting and engagement with prospective limited partners. |
| Secondary advisory | Advice concerning the transfer of private fund interests, investor liquidity requirements and continuation-vehicle transactions. |
| Direct private placements | Capital placement for individual private equity transactions undertaken by independent sponsors or fund managers investing between fund vehicles. |
| Strategic advisory | Advice to fund managers seeking to develop their organizations, broaden their institutional investor bases and prepare for subsequent fundraising cycles. |
| Capital support for roll-up strategies | Identification of capital providers for acquisition programs and other multi-transaction growth strategies. |
Fund and transaction coverage
Stonington’s fundraising practice extends across several alternative-investment strategies.
| Investment strategy | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Buyout funds | Primary fund placement and investor engagement |
| Private credit | Fundraising for credit-oriented managers |
| Distressed strategies | Placement support for specialized and opportunistic funds |
| Venture capital | Institutional fundraising for venture managers |
| Real estate | Placement of real-estate-focused private funds |
| Non-correlated assets | Fundraising for differentiated alternative strategies |
| Independent sponsor transactions | Direct equity and structured capital placement |
| Secondary transactions | LP liquidity and continuation-vehicle advisory |
The firm states that it undertakes secondary trades beginning at approximately $5 million, while also advising on larger liquidity requirements and continuation structures. Its direct-placement network includes insurance companies, asset managers, family offices, Small Business Investment Company funds, mezzanine investors and other structured-capital providers. Stonington services
Market position
Stonington occupies the specialist end of the private capital placement market. Its emphasis on sub-$1 billion funds differentiates it from larger global placement agents whose mandates frequently center on larger institutional fundraises.
This positioning makes the firm particularly relevant to lower-middle-market sponsors, specialist investment managers and emerging institutional firms. These managers may possess established investment records but require more targeted assistance with institutional positioning, investor segmentation and fundraising execution.
Stonington describes its model as partner-led and selective. Its advisory proposition combines investor access with strategic guidance intended to help managers develop longer-term institutional capital relationships rather than treating placement solely as a capital-introduction exercise.
Leadership
| Person | Current position | Institutional background |
|---|---|---|
| Dana C. Pawlicki | Managing Partner and Co-Founder | Formerly associated with Evercore Partners’ Private Funds Group, Neuberger Berman, Lehman Brothers and Citigroup Alternative Investments |
| Dan Rudgers | Senior Managing Director | Formerly with FIRSTavenue, Lazard’s Private Fund Advisory Group and Lehman Brothers |
| Patrick O’Meara | Senior Adviser | Founder and President of Profor Securities; formerly with Clinton Group, Smith Barney, Citigroup and Bear Stearns |
Dana C. Pawlicki joined Stonington as managing partner in September 2012. His previous experience included private fund origination, project management, institutional investor coverage, alternative-investment product development and private-funds legal work. Stonington announcement
Dan Rudgers joined the firm with experience in institutional distribution and fundraising across buyout, venture capital, private credit, distressed investment, energy, mezzanine, secondaries and co-investment strategies. Patrick O’Meara participates in the distribution of selected mandates as a senior adviser. Stonington team
Corporate and regulatory structure
Stonington Capital Advisors is the managing member and majority direct owner of Stonington Drive Securities LLC, a Delaware limited liability company formed in January 2017.
Stonington Drive Securities is registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Its reported business activities include private placements of securities and activity as a capital acquisition broker. Its principal regulatory office is located in Short Hills, New Jersey. FINRA BrokerCheck report
| Regulatory field | Information |
|---|---|
| Registered entity | Stonington Drive Securities LLC |
| FINRA CRD number | 287876 |
| SEC number | 8-69914 |
| FINRA registration effective | 21 August 2017 |
| Principal regulatory location | Short Hills, New Jersey |
| Reported business types | Private placements; capital acquisition broker |
| FINRA disclosure events shown in current report | None |
Stonington Capital Advisors and Stonington Drive Securities should remain separate entities in the Wiki data model, connected through an ownership and affiliation relationship.
Offices
| Location | Function |
|---|---|
| 1330 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 23A, New York, NY 10019 | New York office |
| 51 JFK Parkway, First Floor West, Short Hills, NJ 07078 | New Jersey office and office of Stonington Drive Securities LLC |
Office information is based on the firm’s current contact page.
Rankings and recognition
| Year | Publication | Category | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Advisory Ranking | Private Capital Raising & Placement Advisory | Tier II |
Stonington Capital Advisors was included in the Top 20 Private Capital Raising & Placement Advisory 2026 ranking. The firm was classified in Tier II in recognition of its independent placement model, concentration on sub-$1 billion private funds and specialization in targeted private capital fundraising. View the ranking
Ranking inclusion is editorially determined. The existence or maintenance of a Wiki profile does not influence ranking eligibility, tier or position.
Related institutions and subjects
Related institution
- Stonington Drive Securities LLC
Related subjects
- Private capital
- Placement agent
- Private fund placement
- Limited partners
- Secondary transactions
- Continuation vehicles
- Independent sponsors
- Lower-middle-market private equity
- Direct private placements
- Capital acquisition brokers
Sources and data transparency
| Source | Information supported | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Stonington Capital Advisors | Firm overview, market focus and principal offices | 19 August 2026 |
| Services | Service categories, typical client profile and investor coverage | 19 August 2026 |
| About | Current leadership and professional backgrounds | 19 August 2026 |
| Contact | Current office locations | 19 August 2026 |
| FINRA BrokerCheck | Broker-dealer ownership, registration and regulatory information | 19 August 2026 |
| Advisory Ranking | 2026 ranking inclusion and classification | 19 August 2026 |
Profile type: Editorial Profile
First published: 19 August 2026
Last substantively reviewed: 19 August 2026
This profile has been compiled from publicly available institutional and regulatory sources. Stonington Capital Advisors has not been asked to approve the editorial characterization presented on this page. Corrections supported by authoritative documentation may be submitted to The Economy Wiki.
