Patrick E. Lawlor

Patrick Lawlor serves as Savant’s head of mergers and acquisitions, leading the strategy from our Lincolnshire, Illinois, office. He focuses on scaling our M&A capabilities, broadening the range of advisory firms Savant can partner with, and building relationships designed to support long-term value for clients and advisors alike.

Patrick has several decades of experience advising families and institutions through complex financial decisions. He now applies that perspective to help firms evaluate strategic options, navigate transaction mechanics, and identify partners that align with their clients, culture, and long-term goals. He prioritizes relationship fit over volume, seeking partnerships that support long-term success for both clients and the firm.

His path to financial services began early. As a caddie, Patrick spent time around accountants and advisors on the golf course, sparking a curiosity about how financial decisions shape people’s lives. He grew up in a large family with immigrant parents, where hard work was a given, and the focus stayed on making every dollar go further. That foundation still drives his work today. He believes thoughtful advice, delivered with the right intentions, can create meaningful change, and he carries that principle into every M&A partnership he helps shape.

Patrick takes pride in his transition from advising ultra-high-net-worth families to leading mergers and acquisitions. After building long-standing client relationships as a wealth advisor, he moved into M&A to help other advisors explore opportunities for their clients and their future. The shift brought his career full circle, allowing him to extend his experience across firms and communities.

Before joining Savant, Patrick served as president and head of mergers and acquisitions for a Chicago-based registered investment advisory (RIA) firm. He also led a multi-family office specializing in alternative investments, including hedge funds, private equity, oil and gas, and timber, with both domestic and international exposure. He began his career as a fixed-income analyst working on a short-duration bond fund and managing institutional client relationships.

Patrick is a Chartered Financial Analyst® and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he attended on a Chick Evans scholarship.

Away from work, Patrick enjoys spending time with his wife and their three children, attending their sporting events, and reading.