David Colton
David Colton
David Colton

David Colton

Partner, Director of Client Service Development & Advisor
As a Partner and Director of Client Service Development, David leads the development and training of the client service team’s skills, knowledge and expertise.  He is responsible for designing and implementing programs that enable team members to improve their ability to counsel wealthy families, and he also ensures that the team has the necessary tools and resources to deliver Gresham’s best in class service. In addition to serving as an Advisor on a select number of clients, David also supervises Gresham’s relationships with CPA firms across the country. 

David joined Gresham in 2009 and currently holds the position of Partner and Director of Client Service Development, where he is responsible for leading and overseeing the development of the client service’s teams skills, knowledge and expertise. In addition to his firm development and management responsibilities, David also serves as an Advisor to a limited number of Gresham clients. 

As a former attorney with ShawPittman, as well as a CPA with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young’s National Tax Department, David draws upon a broad and deep knowledge base to provide wealth transfer planning advice. His varied professional experience includes structuring the purchase of a professional NFL team and advising Andersen Consulting partners based in the Americas, Europe and Asia on incentive compensation, and income and estate tax issues in connection with the company’s transition from a partnership to the publicly traded corporation, Accenture. 

Before joining Gresham, David was a vice president and lead advisor at Neuberger Berman’s Boston office where he managed some of the firm’s largest relationships. Prior to that, he was a partner and co-head of the Fiduciary Tax Practice of MFA, a New England CPA firm with more than 100 professionals, and chief investment officer for the firm’s related family office. 

Outside of work, David enjoys hiking on well-marked trails and exercising with an Ultraslide Slideboard and TRX Suspension Trainer. 

CPA (inactive)
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Education Background
  • B.S., Accounting, University of Maryland
  • J.D., cum laude, University of Baltimore School of Law
  • LL.M., Taxation, New York University School of Law