There are widespread challenges and complexities for sustainable growth in the legal and financial systems. Moreover, in today’s rapidly changing business environment, the consequential effects of a national pandemic, and the unpredictability of domestic and foreign legislative affairs has made it almost impossible for anyone to navigate and pursue progress. It is the need of the hour to provide comprehensive optimal solutions to people in every component of the financial ecosystem.
This is where Audwin F. Levasseur, a prominent name in the financial and legal industry, truly makes his mark. As a Family Wealth Advisor & Tax Mitigation Specialist at Axial Family Advisors, he ensures a systematic approach to client servicing, and leads an ecosystem of professionals in finance and in law.
Audwin draws parallels to his role with an interesting analogy. His approach is similar to that of a hospital, where a patient meets with a team of doctors and is prescribed medication or a surgery depending on their professional opinions. Similarly, in the financial services context, each client scenario is reviewed by a team of professionals who collaborate to provide credible solutions according to the client’s needs. As a transformational leader, he believes that insights gained from multiple perspectives can be life changing for both parties – his team and the clients.
Audwin is also committed to guide the community of families to sustain, grow, and nurture their wealth.
Recounting his early years
Audwin’s tenacity and mettle is the result of his upbringing by his immigrant parents. Being the youngest of the three brothers, he had seen his family go through many uncertainties. “My mother literally moved here with a dime in pocket. My older brothers and I often joked that we were so broke, we had to save to be poor,” he recalls.
Throughout his scholastic years, Audwin seeked inspiration from his mother. He sought to model her work-ethic– scholastically, athletically, and virtually — in everything that he did. He had his eyes set on one unrelenting goal — to be financially independent and take care of his mother and brothers.
His experiences motivated him to direct his life towards greatness. Audwin, later graduated with High Honors at Rutgers University and went on to get a law Degree at Columbia Law School. He believed, “a career in Law and Finance, would eventually bridge my path to take care of mom, and help other families grow and protect their assets.”
Forging into an inclusive ecosystem
Audwin’s journey in Law and Finance transpired in both institutional and entrepreneurial settings. Thus like any other working professional, he had his highs, lows, and reached a proverbial fork in the road.
This pushed him to find his purpose and pave way for his motivated interests. He thinks that his belief guided him to “truly trust his instincts and chart his own course for success.” Audwin remarks, “The more I trusted my instincts, the more empowered, stronger and happier I became.”
His decision to join Axial Family Advisors, among one of the largest financial service firms of its kind in the country, was a pivotal point in his life. Audwin’s personal mission statement coincides with this 100% minority owned firm. From their headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the team of highly seasoned professionals serve clients throughout the nation with a laser focus on serving families and small businesses.
Consequently, this profound initiative actively stays abreast of changes in the tax code, evaluates potential impacts, and delivers proactive financial plans. This is done through in-depth tax and wealth retention advice, income tax planning, personal finance, retirement planning, and estate planning. One of the striking features that makes Axial stand out from the crowd is its professional relationships with CPAs, attorneys, and CFPs. This further helps and enables its wealth advisors to bring cutting-edge strategies in many areas to fruition.
Invariably, Audwin F. Levasseur’s spirit to constantly challenge himself lent him a unique role at the company. His responsibilities in the company’s day-to-day proceedings are challenging yet fulfilling. He assists on matters involving a mix of law and finance and also focuses on estate planning, asset protection needs, and tax mitigation strategies for high-net worth individuals and small businesses. Additionally, Audwin assists sellers of highly appreciated assets—such as commercial property, stock, and ownership interest in a business—by designing and implementing strategies that reduce or defer their tax exposure while maximizing their opportunities for returns.
Audwin’s legal background is also beneficial as attention to detail, assessments of risk, and cost-benefit decision making, and white-glove client service all translate from law into financial services. Further, his work in real estate transactions, asset protection, estate planning, and litigation has also crossed over to better equip him for client service.
Gainful episodes from challenges
Each and every successful person has a unique and different journey. It takes years to build the vision and set yourself up for a roaring success. The stories where a person has built empires truly from nothing are heart-warming and inspiring. And Audwin’s life story is one such example.
Audwin’s biggest roadblock has been coping with the loss of family in death and consequently prioritizing mental and physical health. “I’ve come to learn that your mind and body are your most essential assets. Thus, like any other asset, they need to be monitored, serviced, and protected, or you could be subject to significant losses,” he asserts.
There is an air of fond nostalgia as he looks back on his experiences. He says “I wouldn’t change a thing” even though he had witnessed some severe instances of institutional inequities in the legal system. Initially, these challenges were disheartening and disenchanting but he kept powering through towards his long-term vision.
Audwin’s resilience was also a consequence of observing several trial attorneys who would work on the front lines of litigation every day, year in and year out till retirement. “While I started my career path in this arena, I learned early on, this was not my final destination,” he reminisces. He finally found his path to impact lives in a positive, meaningful, and long-lasting capacity at Axial.
Heeding the best advice
Seeking advice from seasoned professionals is an invaluable sounding board — someone who started from where you are. The right advice can have imposing benefits in a person’s mindset and create a powerful impact in their journey.
Audwin’s key advice for any financial service professional is – “To remain inquisitive, solution focused, and actively seek insight across institutional lines.” He also strongly recommends peer-to-peer learning. “You are never too grey in the hair, or long in the tooth to learn from your peers,” he adds. He believes this can lead to loads of resources for knowledge sharing, networking, and practical advice.
Building a winning future
While sharing his stance on Axial Family Advisor’s future, Audwin remarks, “the future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.” His radiant confidence arises from the strength of Axial’s tremendous size. He says, “We are a company large enough to handle high-net-worth individuals, small businesses, and complex matters, but still small enough to offer personalized service.” This distinctive and inclusive offering makes its future more promising for grander success.
“Each member’s individual commitment geared towards the group’s success is phenomenal. I look forward to the days ahead and the extraordinary service we can provide for clients nationwide,” Audwin F. Levasseur concludes.
