Barry Shapiro CIMA® · CPFA® · SVP, Merrill
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
The Bethesda skyline at dusk, where Wisconsin Avenue meets the suburban D.C. corridor

Wealth built on your terms, not the market's.

7501 Wisconsin Ave · Bethesda, MD 20814
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(301) 215.4435
01 — About the practice

A limited clientele, by design.

Since 1996, The Sorkin Unikel Shapiro Group has helped a broad spectrum of affluent clients simplify the complexities of managing their wealth. We serve a deliberately limited number of households so that every relationship receives the time, attention and integrated thinking it deserves.

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Integrated wealth management, built around your life.

Our value extends well beyond investment management. We help clients plan for a comfortable retirement, manage liabilities, provide for a child's education, and arrange for the tax-efficient transfer of wealth. The strategies we recommend are designed to maintain your lifestyle and help you achieve your most important objectives — through an integrated approach that incorporates investment, financial, legal, accounting and other relevant considerations.

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Recognition

2018 — 2025

Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, recognized in 2018, 2020, and 2022 through 2025. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of the prior year.

A quiet consultation table with a notebook and reading glasses, symbolic of long-form financial planning
Bethesda · 20814 Where the conversation begins — over what matters most to you and your family.
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Every relationship begins with a conversation — helping you identify and prioritize which goals matter most. Whether transferring wealth to the next generation, customizing your financial approach, or providing guidance to help you stay informed, we start by listening.

— The Sorkin Unikel Shapiro Group

Behavioral finance

Merrill's Investment Personality Assessment shapes a plan around how you actually think and feel about investing.

Multi-generational

We seek to foster long-lasting connections that span multiple generations of the families we serve.

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For executives & retirement plan sponsors

Working in a consultative capacity, we help non-qualified retirement plan sponsors assess their needs and objectives; select a plan type, fees, plan design and service provider; construct and review investment menus; and educate plan participants.

02 — What we do

Services & planning engagements.

Each engagement begins with discovery and is delivered through the global resources of Merrill and the banking convenience of Bank of America. Indicative starting fees are shown below; final pricing is documented in your advisory agreement after the initial consultation.

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Goals-based wealth management

A unified investment and planning relationship built around your priorities — health, home, family, leisure, giving, work and finance. Includes portfolio construction, ongoing review and quarterly strategy sessions.

0.85%of assets / yr
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Retirement income planning

Sequencing withdrawals, Social Security timing, Roth conversions and sustainable distribution design for retirees and pre-retirees. Delivered as a fixed-scope planning engagement.

$3,500one-time plan
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Estate & wealth transfer

Coordination with your attorneys and accountants on gifting strategies, trust funding, beneficiary alignment and tax-efficient transfer across multiple generations.

$4,800one-time plan
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401(k) & retirement plan consulting

For plan sponsors and executives: plan design review, fee benchmarking, investment menu construction and participant education — delivered on a CPFA®-led consultative basis.

$6,200annual retainer
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Education funding strategies

529 plan selection, gifting coordination, multi-beneficiary design and tax-aware funding schedules for families funding private school, undergraduate or graduate education.

$1,800one-time plan
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Liability & lending solutions

Access to Bank of America lending — securities-based lines, mortgage strategies and custom credit — coordinated alongside your investment plan to manage liquidity without disrupting long-term positions.

No advisory feelending terms apply
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Investment Personality Assessment

Merrill's behavioral-finance-based discovery process. Required for new wealth management clients; available as a standalone refresh for existing households every 24 months.

Includedno additional fee
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Executive concentration strategies

For clients with concentrated employer stock, RSU/ISO vesting calendars or pre-IPO positions — hedging, diversification and 10b5-1 plan coordination.

$5,400one-time plan

Indicative fees are illustrative starting points for common engagements and are not a commitment to lend, invest, or provide advisory services. Actual fees depend on the scope, complexity and assets under management agreed in your written advisory agreement. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management is a division of Bank of America, N.A. Investment products are not FDIC insured, may lose value, and are not bank guaranteed.

03 — How we work

An approach rooted in listening.

Your life and goals change. We have the tools to help you keep track of those changes so they can be reflected in your financial approach — measured by the progress you make toward reaching your goals, with thoughtfully considered adjustments as conditions warrant.

Hands reviewing a financial planning document at a wooden table, suggesting careful consultation Bethesda, MD

Your life, mapped to your money.

We believe financial success is achieved when you can make investment-related decisions and trade-offs that help you reach personally meaningful goals. Whether you're planning your retirement, saving to buy a home, or funding a child's education, the process begins by getting to know you and how you feel about seven dimensions of your financial life:

Health — managing healthcare expenses, now and in the future. Home — upsizing, downsizing, remodeling or buying a vacation home. Family — taking care of the people in your life. Leisure — spending your free time in meaningful ways. Giving — volunteering, mentoring and giving to charities. Work — working in retirement, selling or starting a business. Finance — bringing it all together.

Goals-based

Strategies designed to maintain your lifestyle and reach your objectives.

Integrated

Investment, legal, accounting and tax considerations in one conversation.

Behavioral

Merrill's Investment Personality Assessment refines your plan around you.

Generational

Connections that span multiple generations of the families we serve.

04 — The people

Meet the team in Bethesda.

A senior, credentialed team — every member dedicated to helping you achieve your financial goals with the highest level of personalized service and care.

ES

Edward Sorkin

Managing Director · Wealth Management Advisor

Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2022–2025.

(301) 215.4412 Get in touch
KU

Keith Unikel

Managing Director · Senior Resident Director

CPFA® · CRPC™. Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2022–2025.

(301) 215.4412 Get in touch
BS

Barry Shapiro

Senior Vice President · Wealth Management Advisor

CIMA® · CPFA®. Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2018, 2020, 2022–2025.

(301) 215.4435 Get in touch
LL

Laith Layous

Senior Vice President · Senior Financial Advisor

Direct line to the Bethesda office for advisory and planning questions.

(301) 215.4408 Get in touch
OC

Olivia Carson

Assistant VP · Senior Relationship Manager

CRPC™. Leads client onboarding and ongoing relationship management.

(301) 215.4422 Get in touch
KW

Kimberlee Wendell

Officer · Registered Wealth Management Client Associate

Day-to-day operations, account servicing and client requests.

(301) 215.4438 Get in touch
05 — Begin

Start a conversation.

Every relationship at The Sorkin Unikel Shapiro Group begins with a conversation. Tell us a little about what matters most to you, and we'll reach out to schedule an introductory meeting at our Bethesda office or virtually.

The Sorkin Unikel Shapiro Group

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Located on Wisconsin Avenue in the heart of Bethesda, serving individuals, families and small businesses throughout the D.C. region and across the country.

Office
7501 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
Direct line · Barry Shapiro
(301) 215.4435
Hours
Mon–Fri · 8:30am – 5:30pm ET

Request an introduction

We respond within one business day. Confidential, no obligation.

This material is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please consult your legal or tax advisor for advice specific to your situation. Learn more about an advisor's background on FINRA's BrokerCheck. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management is a division of Bank of America, N.A.

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