Overview
- Headquarters
- Cincinnati, OH
- Average Client Assets
- $4.9 million
- SEC CRD Number
- 117054
Recent Rankings
Forbes 2025: 69
Forbes 2024: 60
Barron's 2025:
39
Barron's 2024:
29
Fee Structure
Primary Fee Schedule (JOHNSON INVESTMENT COUNSEL, INC. ADV PART 2A)
| Min | Max | Marginal Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $2,000,000 | 1.00% |
| $2,000,001 | $5,000,000 | 0.80% |
| $5,000,001 | and above | 0.50% |
Illustrative Fee Rates
| Total Assets | Annual Fees | Average Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | $10,000 | 1.00% |
| $5 million | $44,000 | 0.88% |
| $10 million | $69,000 | 0.69% |
| $50 million | $269,000 | 0.54% |
| $100 million | $519,000 | 0.52% |
Clients
- HNW Share of Firm Assets
- 64.20%
- Total Client Accounts
- 18,154
- Discretionary Accounts
- 18,129
- Non-Discretionary Accounts
- 25
Services Offered
Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Companies, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Pension Consulting, Investment Advisor Selection
Regulatory Filings
Primary Brochure: JOHNSON INVESTMENT COUNSEL, INC. ADV PART 2A (2026-04-09)
View Document Text
3777 West Fork Road
Cincinnati, OH 45247
Telephone: 513-661-3100
Facsimile: 513-661-3160
www.johnsoninv.com
www.johnsonasset.com
www.johnsonmutualfunds.com
April 15, 2026
FORM ADV PART 2A
BROCHURE
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Johnson
Investment Counsel, Inc. (“Johnson” or the “Company”). If you have any questions about the contents
of this brochure, please contact us at (513) 661-3100. The information in this brochure has not been
approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or by any
state securities authority.
Additional information about Johnson Investment Counsel, Inc. is also available on the SEC's website
at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The searchable IARD/CRD number for Johnson Investment Counsel, Inc.
is 117054.
Johnson Investment Counsel, Inc. is a registered investment adviser. Registration with the SEC or any
state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
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Item 2 Summary of Material Changes
Form ADV Part 2 requires registered investment advisers to amend their brochure when information
becomes materially inaccurate. If there are any material changes to an adviser’s disclosure brochure,
the adviser is required to notify you and provide you with a description of the material changes.
Since the filing of our last annual updating amendment, dated March 31, 2025 we have made the
following material changes to our Form ADV:
Item 4 Advisory Business
- Language was removed disclosing participation in the Institutional Intelligent Portfolios Platform
offered by Schwab Performance Technologies as our Firm no longer offers or participates in
that program.
- Disclosure was added detailing that we now provide model portfolios to third-party platforms,
including Envestnet. We expanded our description to include the method by which model
updates are communicated, implemented, monitored, and billed on such platforms.
- As of 4/15/2026, the fee schedule was changed to reflect the following for new clients:
Assets Under Management
First $2,000,000
Next $3,000,000
All Assets Thereafter
Annual Fee
1.00%
0.80%
0.50%
This fee schedule became effective April 15, 2026 for new clients. Some clients with
established relationships prior to that date as well as some institutional accounts and family
office accounts may be subject to a different fee schedule.
Item 5 Fees and Compensation
- Language was removed disclosing the fee arrangement within the Institutional Intelligent
Portfolios Platform offered by Schwab Performance Technologies as our Firm no longer offers
or participates in that program.
Item 7 Types of Clients
- Language was removed disclosing the types of clients eligible for participation in the
Institutional Intelligent Portfolios Platform offered by Schwab Performance Technologies as our
Firm no longer offers or participates in that program.
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
- Language was removed disclosing the risks associated with participation in the Institutional
Intelligent Portfolios Platform offered by Schwab Performance Technologies as our Firm no
longer offers or participates in that program.
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
- Language was removed referencing the CEO’s participation on the Schwab Advisor Services
Advisory Board as his term has ended.
- Language was added to reflect the COO’s appointment to the Schwab Client Experience Team
for a three-year term.
- Language was added to further describe the availability of model portfolios through the
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Envestnet platform.
Item 12 Brokerage Practices
- Language was removed describing the brokerage relationship with the Institutional Intelligent
Portfolios Platform offered by Schwab Performance Technologies as our Firm no longer offers
or participates in that program.
- Language was added to clarify the allocation and execution of investment opportunities with the
addition of Model portfolios via the Envestnet third-party platform.
Item 14 Client Referrals and other Compensation
- Language was removed referencing a previous arrangement with Thomson Horstmann &
Bryant, Inc (“TH&B”) in regard to the Institutional Class Shares of the TH&B Microcap Fund as
we no longer own the fund in client accounts and thus the agreement is no longer applicable.
Item 17 Voting Client Securities
- Language was removed describing proxy voting within the Institutional Intelligent Portfolios
Platform offered by Schwab Performance Technologies as our Firm no longer offers or
participates in that program.
Item 20 Additional Information
- Language regarding the Firm’s privacy practices was expanded to reflect current practices.
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Item 3 Table of Contents
Item 2 Summary of Material Changes ................................................................................. 2
Item 3 Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 4
Item 4 Advisory Business .................................................................................................... 5
Item 5 Fees and Compensation ........................................................................................ 11
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management .................................... 12
Item 7 Types of Clients ..................................................................................................... 12
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ................................ 12
Item 9 Disciplinary Information .......................................................................................... 14
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ................................................ 14
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
......................................................................................................................................... 15
Item 12 Brokerage Practices ............................................................................................. 16
Item 13 Review of Accounts .............................................................................................. 21
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation ............................................................ 21
Item 15 Custody ................................................................................................................ 23
Item 16 Investment Discretion ........................................................................................... 23
Item 17 Voting Client Securities ........................................................................................ 23
Item 18 Financial Information ............................................................................................ 24
Item 19 Requirements for State-Registered Advisers ........................................................ 24
Item 20 Additional Information .......................................................................................... 24
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Item 4 Advisory Business
Description of Services and Fees
Johnson is a registered investment adviser with offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and
Dayton, Ohio as well as Detroit, Michigan. We are organized as a corporation under the laws of the
State of Ohio. Johnson Investment Counsel has been providing investment advisory services since
1965. We have been providing these services since 2001 under our current corporate structure.
Current ownership consists of 49 employees with no shareholder owning more than 10% of the
company. We offer the following investment advisory services,
• Portfolio Management for Individuals or Institutions
• Financial Planning Services
• Selection of Other Advisers
• Pension Consulting Services
• Mutual Fund Services
Johnson Asset Management is a division of Johnson Investment Counsel that manages institutional
separate account portfolios for a wide variety of for-profit and non-profit organizations, public agencies,
public and private retirement plans and personal trusts of all sizes. Johnson Asset Management may
also serve as a sub-adviser for mutual funds.
The following paragraphs describe our services and fees in greater detail. Please refer to the
description of each investment advisory service listed below for information on how we tailor our
advisory services to your individual needs. As used in this brochure, the words "we", "our" and "us"
refer to Johnson and the words "you", "your" and "client" refer to you as either a client or prospective
client of our firm. Also, you may see the term Associated Person throughout this brochure. As used in
this brochure, our Associated Persons are our firm's officers, employees, and all individuals providing
investment advice on behalf of our firm.
Portfolio Management for Individuals or Institutions
We offer discretionary portfolio management services. Our investment advice is tailored to meet our
clients' needs and investment objectives. If you retain our firm for portfolio management services, we
will work with you throughout our advisory relationship to determine your investment objectives, risk
tolerance, and other relevant information (the "suitability information".) We will use the suitability
information we gather to develop a strategy that enables our firm to give you continuous and focused
investment advice and/or to make investments on your behalf. As part of our portfolio management
services, we may customize an investment portfolio for you in accordance with your risk tolerance and
investment objectives. We can also invest your assets using a predefined strategy. Once we construct
an investment portfolio for you, we will monitor your portfolio's performance on an ongoing basis and
will re-balance the portfolio as required by changes in market conditions and/or in your financial
circumstances.
If you participate in our discretionary portfolio management services, we require you to grant our firm
discretionary authority to manage your account. Discretionary authorization will allow our firm to
determine the specific securities, and the amount of securities, to be purchased or sold for your
account without your approval prior to each transaction. Accordingly, we are also authorized to issue
instructions to the custodian for operational matters of the account and to select brokers or dealers to
execute securities transactions without your approval. Discretionary authority is typically granted by the
investment management agreement you sign with our firm, a limited power of attorney, or trading
authorization forms. You may limit our discretionary authority (for example, limiting the types of
securities that can be purchased for your account) by providing our firm with your restrictions and
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guidelines in writing. If you enter into non-discretionary arrangements with our firm, we must obtain
your approval prior to executing any transactions that would violate your guidelines or restrictions.
Held Away Assets
Johnson uses a third-party platform to facilitate management of held away assets such as defined
contribution plan participant accounts, with discretion. The platform allows us to avoid being
considered to have custody of Client funds since we do not have direct access to Client log-in
credentials to affect trades. We are not affiliated with the platform in any way and receive no
compensation from them for using their platform. A link will be provided to the Client allowing them to
connect an account(s) to the platform. Once a Client account(s) is connected to the platform, Adviser
will review the current account allocations. When deemed necessary, Adviser will rebalance the
account considering client investment goals and risk tolerance, and any change in allocations will
consider current economic and market trends. Client account(s) will be reviewed regularly, and
allocation changes will be made as deemed necessary.
Model Portfolio Services
Johnson also provides investment advisory services by developing and maintaining model portfolios
(“Models”) that are made available to third-party financial advisors and their clients via the Envestnet
platform(the “Platform”). Johnson does not generally contract directly with the underlying client
accounts in this situation. Instead, we act as a model provider and supply asset allocation guidance
and security selection to financial advisors utilizing the Platform.
Model portfolios may consist of mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, or other investment vehicles.
Johnson retains discretion over the construction, modification, and ongoing management of the
Models, but does not typically have discretionary authority over the implementation of trades in
individual client accounts utilizing the Models unless separately contracted. Financial advisors utilizing
the Platform are responsible for determining whether the Models are suitable for their clients and for
implementing transactions in client accounts, either directly or through the Platform’s trading and
rebalancing systems.
Portfolio Management Fees
Our fee for portfolio management services is based on a percentage of your assets we manage and is
set forth in the following fee schedule:
Annual
Fee
0.50%
Assets Under
Management
First $2,000,000 1.00%
Next $3,000,000 0.80%
All Assets
Thereafter
This fee schedule became effective April 15, 2026 for new clients. Some clients with established
relationships prior to that date as well as some institutional accounts and family office accounts may be
subject to a different fee schedule.
Our annual portfolio management fee is billed and payable semi-annually in arrears on June 30th and
December 31st. Fees will be calculated at an annual rate based on the appraisal of the Client’s
portfolio of assets calculated using an average daily balance method of portfolio appraisal. At the end
of each day the client’s portfolio balance will be calculated. At the end of the billing cycle the resulting
daily balances will be added together and that sum will be divided by the number of days in the billing
period to arrive at the average daily balance. The agreed upon fee schedule will then be applied to
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this average daily balance. The basis of the appraisal of a Client(s) portfolio(s) will use the last trade
price of each portfolio item. The aforementioned billing cycle and method will apply unless an
alternative method has been mutually established.
At our discretion, we can combine the account values of family members to determine the applicable
advisory fee. For example, we can combine account values for you and your minor children, joint
accounts with your spouse, and other types of related accounts. Combining account values will
increase the asset total, which can result in you paying a reduced advisory fee based on the available
breakpoints in our fee schedule stated above. Assets held in any of the funds that are part of the
Johnson Mutual Funds Trust (“JMF”) will be included in the combined account value.
In limited circumstances, we assess a fixed fee for asset management services. Under such
arrangements, the fee is negotiated on a case-by-case basis, predicated on the size of the account
and complexity of the requested services. All fees will be clearly set forth at the beginning of the
relationship and any change in fees will be clearly communicated.
Johnson Mutual Funds held in portfolios will never be subject to both an advisory fee and the expense
ratio of the funds. We will rebate a fee amount equivalent to the expense ratio on any portfolio assets
that are invested in the Johnson Mutual Funds Trust as a credit to the investment advisory fee.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Portfolio Assets that are invested directly in the Johnson Mutual
Funds Trust (“Fund Direct Assets”) will be subject to the expense ratio of the Johnson Mutual Funds
Trust. However, the Fund Direct assets invested directly in the Johnson Mutual Funds Trust will not be
subject to the Advisor’s fees. Mutual fund shares managed by other Advisors held in portfolios may be
charged advisory fees as well as the expenses charged by the mutual fund themselves.
We will send you an invoice for the payment of our advisory fee, or we will deduct our fee directly from
your account with the qualified custodian holding your funds and securities. We will deduct our
advisory fee only when you have given our firm authorization permitting the fees to be paid directly
from your account. Further, the qualified custodian will deliver an account statement to you at least
quarterly. These account statements will show all disbursements from your account. You should review
all statements for accuracy. We will also have the ability to review a duplicate copy of the information
reflected on your custodial account statement, to help assure all transactions are proper.
You may terminate the portfolio management agreement upon written notice to our firm. You will incur
a charge for services rendered prior to the termination of the portfolio management agreement, which
means you will incur advisory fees only in proportion to the number of days for which you were a client.
We encourage you to reconcile our invoices with the statement(s) you receive from the qualified
custodian. If you find any inconsistent information between our invoice and the statement(s) you
receive from the qualified custodian, please call our main office number located on the cover page of
this brochure.
Financial Planning Services
We offer consultative financial planning services. Financial planning will typically involve providing a
variety of advisory services to clients regarding the management of their financial resources based
upon an analysis of their individual needs. If you retain our firm for financial planning services, we will
meet with you to gather information about your financial circumstances and objectives. We may also
use financial planning software to analyze your current financial position and to define and quantify
your long-term goals and objectives. Once we understand your long-term objectives (both financial and
non-financial), we will develop shorter-term, targeted objectives. We will review and analyze the
information you provide to our firm and the data derived from our financial planning analysis. Upon
completion of the review and analysis, we will communicate our conclusions to you, which are
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designed to help you achieve your stated financial goals and objectives.
Financial plans are based on your financial situation at the time we present the plan to you, and on the
financial information you provide to our firm. You must promptly notify our firm if your financial
situation, goals, objectives, or needs change. Clients are advised that certain assumptions may be
made with respect to interest and inflation rates, past trends, performance of the market and economy.
Past performance is in no way an indication of future performance. We cannot offer any guarantees or
promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met.
You are under no obligation to act on our financial planning recommendations. Should you choose to
act on any of our recommendations, you are not obligated to implement the financial plan through any
of our other investment advisory services. If you do choose to implement the plan using our services,
we may, at our sole discretion, offset a portion of, or waive the cost of, the financial planning services.
Fees are due upon completion of services rendered. You may terminate the financial planning
agreement by providing written notice to our firm. You will incur a pro rata charge for services rendered
prior to the termination of the agreement.
Selection of Other Advisers
As part of our investment advisory services, we may recommend that you use the services of a third-
party investment adviser ("TPA") to manage your entire portfolio, or a portion of, your investment
portfolio. After gathering information about your financial situation and objectives, we may recommend
that you engage a specific TPA or investment program. Factors that we take into consideration when
making our recommendation(s) include, but are not limited to, the following: the TPA's performance,
methods of analysis, fees, your financial needs, investment goals, risk tolerance, and investment
objectives. We will periodically monitor the TPA(s)' performance to ensure its management and
investment style remain aligned with your investment goals and objectives.
The TPA(s) will actively manage your portfolio and will assume discretionary investment authority over
your account. We will assume discretionary authority to hire and fire TPA(s) and/or reallocate your
assets to other TPA(s) where we deem such action is in your best interest.
The advisory fee you pay to the TPA is established and payable in accordance with the brochure
provided by each TPA to whom you are referred. We do not share in the advisory fee you pay directly
to the TPA. A separate fee is payable to us for advisory services as outlined earlier in this brochure.
You will be required to sign an agreement directly with the recommended TPA(s). You may terminate
your advisory relationship with the TPA according to the terms of your agreement with the TPA. You
should review each TPA's brochure for specific information on how you may terminate your advisory
relationship with the TPA and how you may receive a refund, if applicable. You should contact the TPA
directly for questions regarding your advisory agreement with the TPA.
Pension Consulting Services
We offer pension consulting services to employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries based upon the
needs of the plan and the services requested by the plan sponsor or named fiduciary. In general, these
services may include an existing plan review and analysis, plan-level advice regarding fund selection
and investment options, education services to plan participants, investment performance monitoring,
and/or ongoing consulting. These pension consulting services will generally be non-discretionary and
advisory in nature. The ultimate decision to act on behalf of the plan shall remain with the plan sponsor
or other named fiduciary.
We may also assist with participant enrollment meetings and provide investment-related educational
8
seminars to plan participants on such topics as:
• Diversification
• Asset allocation
• Risk tolerance
• Time horizon
Our educational seminars may include other investment-related topics specific to the particular plan.
Johnson will be compensated at a rate negotiated between the firm and the client on a case-by-case
basis. The fees and terms will be clearly set forth in an executed agreement for services. The amount
of the fees charged to the client will be based on the scope and complexity of the qualified plan and the
requested services. An estimate of the total cost will be determined at the start of the advisory
relationship. The final fee shall be directly dependent upon the facts and circumstances of the client's
financial situation and the complexity of the pension consulting services provided.
We may also provide additional types of pension consulting services to plans which may be at the plan
level or participant level. These services shall be detailed in a written agreement and be consistent
with the parameters set forth in the plan documents. Our advisory fees for these customized services
will be negotiated with the plan sponsor or named fiduciary on a case-by-case basis.
Either party to the pension consulting agreement may terminate the agreement upon written notice to
the other party. The pension consulting fees will be prorated for the quarter in which the termination
notice is given. Refunds are not applicable since fees are payable in arrears.
General - Advisory Services to Retirement Plans and Plan Participants
Discretionary Investment Advisory Services to Plans: When serving in a discretionary investment
advisory capacity for a Plan, Johnson is typically in the status defined by section 3(38) of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). As a discretionary investment advisor to qualified
retirement plans (“Plans”), Johnson assumes the fiduciary responsibility for the selection, monitoring
and replacement of the investment options of the Plan. As an initial action step, Johnson seeks to
obtain the investment policy statement for the Plan that details the methodologies and criteria utilized
to define the style universe of investment options, the specific investment options to be utilized and the
ongoing criteria for monitoring and replacing investment options. If the Plan does not have an
investment policy statement, Johnson may assist the Plan sponsor/trustees of the Plan in drafting an
investment policy statement. In instances where an investment policy statement is not available,
Johnson will collect information from the Plan sponsor/trustees determined necessary for Johnson’s
provision of services to the Plan.
In its role as a 3(38) fiduciary, Johnson is only responsible for those Plan investments selected by
Johnson and Johnson has no responsibility for any other Plan investments maintained in the Plan by
direction of the Plan sponsor/trustees or any other person or entity. As an example, employer
securities and investments held in a directed brokerage account are not subject to any fiduciary
responsibility or duty on the part of Johnson. Furthermore, the Plan sponsor/trustees should be aware
that when Johnson assumes the investment responsibilities by serving as a 3(38) fiduciary, the Plan
sponsor/trustees still retain all of their other fiduciary duties, obligations and responsibilities pursuant to
applicable law.
Non-Discretionary Investment Advisory Services to Plans: When serving in a non-discretionary
investment advisory capacity for a Plan, Johnson is typically in the status defined by section 3(21) of
ERISA. In this capacity, Johnson assumes no fiduciary responsibility for the completion of an
investment policy statement or any aspect of the definition, selection, maintenance or replacement of
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any Plan investment options. In this non-discretionary role, Johnson provides information to the Plan
sponsor/trustees regarding investment option style parameters and performance reporting. Johnson
may make recommendations, but the Plan sponsor/trustees exercise full authority over the selection of
Plan investment options and may, or may not, utilize the information provided by Johnson as part of
their decision-making process.
Other Services for Plans: As part of providing the discretionary or non-discretionary investment
services to Plans, Johnson may provide certain information and services to the Plan and the Plan
sponsor/trustees. These other services are designed to assist the Plan sponsor/trustees in meeting
their management and fiduciary obligations to the Plan. The other services may consist of the
following:
• Assist with platform provider search and Plan set-up;
• Plan review;
• Plan fee and cost review;
• Acting as third party service provider liaison;
• Plan participant education and communication;
• Plan benchmarking;
• Assist with Plan conversion to new vendor platform; and
• Assistance in Plan merger.
As detailed above, Johnson is a fiduciary under ERISA with respect to investment management
services and investment advice provided to ERISA plan clients, including ERISA plan
participants. Johnson also acts as a fiduciary when providing investment advice to individual retirement
account owners. As such, Johnson is subject to specific duties and obligations under ERISA and the
IRC, that include, among other things, prohibited transaction rules which are intended to prohibit
fiduciaries from acting on conflicts of interest. When a fiduciary gives advice in which it has a conflict
of interest, the fiduciary must either avoid or eliminate the conflict or rely upon a prohibited transaction
exemption (a “PTE”).
Mutual Fund Services
We provide investment advisory services to the Johnson Mutual Funds Trust. We are paid fees at an
annual rate of 0.90% of the average daily net assets of the Johnson Opportunity Fund, 0.75% of the
Johnson Equity Income Fund, 0.30% of the Johnson Municipal Income Fund, 0.45% of the Johnson
Core Plus Bond Fund, 0.35% of the Johnson Enhanced Return Fund. We are paid fees at an annual
rate of 0.30% of the average daily net assets of the Johnson Institutional Bond Funds, a portion of
which has consistently been waived. The Institutional Bond Funds also have a share class that
includes a 12b-1 distribution plan. The Johnson Opportunity Fund, the Johnson Equity Income Fund,
and the Johnson Institutional Core Bond Fund also have a share class that includes a shareholder
servicing fee.
Wrap Fee Program(s)
We serve as a portfolio manager to various brokers who offer wrap fee programs ("Programs"), which
are a type of investment program that provides clients with access to several money manager or
mutual fund allocation models for a single fee. The broker charges a single fee which includes money
management fees, certain transaction costs, custodial and other administrative costs. We receive a
portion of the wrap fee for our services. The overall cost you will incur if you participate in the wrap fee
program may be higher or lower than you might incur by separately purchasing the types of securities
available in the program. To compare the cost of the wrap fee program with non-wrap fee portfolio
management services, you should consider the frequency of trading activity associated with
investment strategies and the brokerage commissions charged by the aforementioned broker-dealers,
and the advisory fees charged by investment advisers.
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Model Portfolio Services
We receive a model management fee for providing Models through the Envestnet platform. Fees are
typically calculated as a percentage of assets allocated to the Johnson Models on the Platform. In
many cases, the Platform or the financial advisor deducts Johnson’s fee directly from clients’ accounts
and remits payment to Johnson. Clients that utilize the Models may also pay additional fees to the
financial advisor, the Platform, custodians, or underlying investment managers. As a result, the total
advisory fees paid by a client accessing the Models via the Platform may be higher than if services
were obtained separately.
Types of Investments
We offer advice on equity securities, warrants, corporate debt securities, commercial paper, certificates
of deposit, municipal securities, investment company securities, US Government securities, options
contracts on securities and commodities, futures contracts on securities and commodities, and interest
in real estate, master limited partnerships, and other partnerships. We also offer guidance on private
fund investment opportunities.
Additionally, we may advise you on any type of investment that we deem appropriate based on your
stated goals and objectives. We may also provide advice on any type of investment held in your
portfolio at the inception of our advisory relationship.
You may request that we refrain from investing in particular securities or certain types of securities.
You must provide these restrictions to our firm in writing.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2025, we provide continuous management services for $22,764,232,258 in client
assets on a discretionary basis, and $220,734,601 in client assets on a non-discretionary basis.
Item 5 Fees and Compensation
Please refer to the "Advisory Business" section in this brochure for information on our advisory fees
and fee deduction arrangements according to each service we offer.
Brokerage arrangements are further described below in Item 12 Brokerage Practices.
Additional Fees and Expenses
As part of our investment advisory services to you, we may invest, or recommend that you invest, in
mutual funds and exchange traded funds. The fees that you pay to our firm for investment advisory
services are separate and distinct from the fees and expenses charged by mutual funds or exchange
traded funds (described in each fund's prospectus) to their shareholders. These fees will generally
include a management fee and other fund expenses.
You may also incur transaction charges and/or brokerage fees when purchasing or selling securities.
These charges and fees are typically imposed by the broker-dealer or custodian through whom your
account transactions are executed. For some accounts, Johnson Trust Company, a wholly owned
affiliate of Johnson Investment Counsel, shares custodial responsibilities with US Bank. The custody
agreement between Johnson Trust Company and US Bank allows US Bank to collect a $14
transaction fee imposed upon purchases, sales, principal pay downs, physical trades and mutual fund
transactions, including trades in Johnson Mutual Funds.
To fully understand the total cost you will incur, you should review all the fees charged by mutual
funds, exchange traded funds, our firm, and others. For information on our brokerage placements,
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please refer to the "Brokerage Practices" section of this brochure.
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
We do not accept performance-based fees or participate in side-by-side management. Side-by-side
management refers to the practice of managing accounts that are charged performance-based fees
while at the same time managing accounts that are not charged performance-based fees.
Performance-based fees are fees that are based on a share of capital gains or capital appreciation of a
client's account. Our fees are calculated as described previously in the Advisory Business section and
are not charged on the basis of a share of capital gains upon, or capital appreciation of, the funds in
your advisory account.
Item 7 Types of Clients
We offer investment advisory services to individuals, investment companies, pension and profit-sharing
plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business or
governmental entities.
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
We may use one or more of the following methods of analysis or investment strategies when providing
investment advice to you.
• Fundamental Analysis - involves analyzing a company's financial statements, details regarding
the company's product line, the experience and expertise of the company's management, and
the outlook for the company's industry. The resulting data is used to measure the true value of
the company's stock compared to the current market value.
• Quantitative Analysis - investments are selected for the portfolio using a multi-factor quantitative
approach to screen for appropriate investment opportunities. These quantitative factors may
simply serve as inputs to the overall process or a more disciplined quantitative approach may
be followed.
• Asset Allocation Strategy - attempts to maximize portfolio expected return for a given amount of
portfolio risk, or equivalently minimize risk for a given level of expected return, by carefully
diversifying the proportions of various asset classes.
• Technical Analysis - involves studying past price patterns and trends in the financial markets to
predict the direction of both the overall market and specific stocks.
• Cyclical Analysis - a type of technical analysis that involves evaluating recurring price patterns
and trends.
• Long Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that the value of those
securities will grow over a relatively long period of time, generally greater than one year.
• Short Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that they will be sold within a
relatively short period of time, generally less than one year, to take advantage of the securities'
short-term price fluctuations.
• Short Term Trading - We may use short-term trading (in general, selling securities within 30
days of purchasing the same securities) as an investment strategy when managing your
account(s). Short-term trading is not a fundamental part of our overall investment strategy, but
we may use this strategy occasionally when we determine that it is suitable given your stated
investment objectives and tolerance for risk.
• Option Writing - a securities transaction that involves either buying or selling an option contract.
An option contract is the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a particular security at a
specified price before the expiration date of the option.
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Our investment strategies and advice may vary depending upon each client's specific financial
situation. As such, we determine investments and allocations based upon your predefined objectives,
risk tolerance, time horizon, financial horizon, financial information, liquidity needs, and other various
suitability factors. Your restrictions and guidelines may affect the composition of your portfolio.
At Johnson Investment Counsel, we formulate investment strategy and portfolio management in a
team setting, building on the deep experience of our people and our academic heritage. This
environment promotes a consistent and disciplined portfolio construction process within each of our
strategies, never wholly dependent on any single participant. Our investment process is sophisticated
yet logical and understandable, blending the art and science of portfolio management. Equity
strategies are bottom-up oriented driven by a proven multi-factor quantitative approach to company
analysis. Fixed income blends together a macro and micro strategy, focusing on quality yield and
emphasizing appropriate maturities. Clients rely on this unwavering approach to provide complete
exposure to an asset class or as a complement to other managers. To us, client relationships are
partnerships and we work diligently to provide the dependable service and customized asset
management required to meet the long-term needs of each client.
Some of the risks inherent in our Methods of Analysis and Investment strategies are as follows:
• Fundamental Analysis - The risk of fundamental analysis is that information obtained may be
incorrect and the analysis may not provide an accurate estimate of earnings, which may be the
basis for a stock's value. If securities prices adjust rapidly to new information, utilizing
fundamental analysis may not result in favorable performance.
• Quantitative Analysis - The risk of quantitative analysis is that the factors used do not provide
accurate guidance with respect to current and future valuation. The disciplined approach to
quantitative analysis also could lead to an extended period of under-performance as strict
adherence to the multi-factor model is required.
• Asset Allocation - Asset allocation involves selecting and weighting sectors based upon
expected future returns in that sector. The risk inherent in this approach is that if the sector
weightings vary greatly from the respective benchmark, performance may also vary greatly from
benchmark returns.
• Technical Analysis - The risk of market timing based on technical analysis is that charts may
not accurately predict future price movements. Current prices of securities may reflect all
information known about the security and day-to-day changes in market prices of securities
may follow random patterns and may not be predictable with any reliable degree of accuracy.
• Cyclical Analysis - Economic/business cycles may not be predictable and may have many
fluctuations between long term expansions and contractions. The lengths of economic cycles
may be difficult to predict with accuracy and therefore the risk of cyclical analysis is the difficulty
in predicting economic trends and consequently the changing value of securities that would be
affected by these changing trends.
• Options - While option strategies might be used to increase current income or provide downside
protection, they might also expire worthless or limit upside gain. The use of contracts in options
trading must also be understood by investors.
Tax Considerations
Our strategies and investments may have unique and significant tax implications. However, unless we
specifically agree otherwise, and in writing, tax efficiency is not our primary consideration in the
management of your assets. Regardless of your account size or any other factors, we strongly
recommend that you continuously consult with a tax professional prior to and throughout the investing
of your assets.
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Custodians report the cost basis of equities acquired in client accounts on or after January 1, 2011.
Your custodian will default to the FIFO (First-In First-Out) accounting method for calculating the cost
basis of your investments unless otherwise instructed. For accounts held in custody by Johnson Trust
Company and Charles Schwab the high-cost accounting method will be utilized, where possible, and
specific lots may be identified when appropriate. The method utilized by other custodians will be
dependent on their ability to handle methods other than the default FIFO method. Please contact your
portfolio manager or the number on the front of this brochure if you would like further information on
the lot selection method being utilized by your specific custodian. You are responsible for contacting
your tax advisor to determine if this accounting method is the right choice for you. If your tax advisor
believes a specific accounting method is most advantageous, please provide written notice to our firm
immediately and we will alert your account custodian of your individually selected accounting method.
Please note that decisions about cost basis accounting methods will need to be made before trades
settle, as the cost basis method cannot be changed after settlement.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. We do not represent
nor guarantee that our services or methods of analysis can or will predict future results, successfully
identify market tops or bottoms, or insulate clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
We cannot offer any guarantees or promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met. Past
performance is in no way an indication of future performance.
Recommendation of Particular Types of Securities
As disclosed under the "Advisory Business" section in this Brochure, we provide advice on all types of
securities, and we do not necessarily recommend one particular type of security over another since
each client has different needs and different tolerance for risk. Each type of security has its own unique
set of risks associated with it, and it would not be possible to list here all the specific risks of every type
of investment. Even within the same type of investment, risks can vary widely. However, in very
general terms, the higher the anticipated return of an investment, the higher the risk of loss associated
with it.
Item 9 Disciplinary Information
Neither our firm nor any of our Associated Persons has any reportable disciplinary information.
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Arrangements with Affiliated Entities
We are affiliated with Johnson Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson through
common control and ownership. We may recommend that you use the services of Johnson Trust
Company if appropriate and suitable for your needs. Our advisory services are separate and distinct
from the compensation paid to Johnson Trust Company for their services.
Johnson advises some clients and prospective clients to invest in Johnson Mutual Funds Trust
("JMF"). JMF is a family of no-load mutual funds. JMF is a registered investment company, which has
contracted with Johnson Investment Counsel to be the investment advisor. Johnson Investment
Counsel is sponsor and advisor to Johnson Mutual Funds Trust. JMF has contracted with Johnson
Financial, Inc. ("JFI"), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson Investment Counsel, to provide
administrative servicing for the mutual funds.
These referral arrangements we have with our affiliated entities present a conflict of interest because
we may have a financial incentive to recommend our affiliates' services. While we believe that
compensation charged by our affiliates is competitive, such compensation may be higher than fees
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charged by other firms providing the same or similar services. You are under no obligation to use our
affiliates' services and may obtain comparable services and/or lower fees through other firms.
Ryan Easter, COO of Johnson Investment Counsel, serves on the Schwab Client Experience Team
(the “Client Experience Team”). As described under Item 12 Brokerage Practices, Johnson may
recommend that clients establish brokerage accounts with Charles Schwab & Co, Inc. to maintain
custody of the clients’ assets and implement trades for their accounts. The Client Experience Team
consists of representatives of independent investment advisory firms who have been invited by
Schwab management to participate in meetings and discussions of the client experience of investment
advisory firms and their clients. Generally, members serve for three-year terms. Mr. Easter’s’s term
ends 12/31/2029. Client Experience Team members enter into a nondisclosure agreement with
Schwab under which they agree not to disclose confidential information shared with them. This
information generally does not include material nonpublic information about Charles Schwab
Corporation, whose common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol
SCHW). The Client Experience Team meets in person or virtually approximately twice per year and
has periodic conference calls scheduled as needed. Client Experience Team members are not
compensated by Schwab for their service, but Schwab does pay for or reimburse Client Experience
Team members’ travel, lodging, meals, and other incidental expenses incurred in attending Client
Experience Team meetings. Schwab may also provide members of the Client Experience Team a fee
waiver for attendance at Schwab conferences such as IMPACT.
Johnson makes Model portfolios available through the Envestnet platform pursuant to a model provider
agreement. The Platform provides technology, reporting, trading, and administrative services to
participating financial advisors. Johnson is not affiliated with Envestnet and does not control the
Platform’s operations.
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
Description of Our Code of Ethics
We strive to comply with applicable laws and regulations governing our practices. Therefore, our Code
of Ethics includes guidelines for professional standards of conduct for our Associated Persons. Our
goal is to protect your interests at all times and to demonstrate our commitment to our fiduciary duties
of honesty, good faith, and fair practices. All of our Associated Persons are expected to adhere strictly
to these guidelines. Our Code of Ethics also requires that certain persons associated with our firm
submit reports of their personal account holdings and transactions to a qualified representative of our
firm who will review these reports on a periodic basis. Persons associated with our firm are also
required to report any violations of our Code of Ethics. Additionally, we maintain and enforce written
policies reasonably designed to prevent the misuse or dissemination of material, non-public
information about you or your account holdings by persons associated with our firm.
Clients or prospective clients may obtain a copy of our Code of Ethics by contacting us at the
telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
Personal Trading Practices
Our firm and its Associated Persons can buy or sell the same securities that we recommend to you or
securities in which you are already invested. Associated Persons are any of our officers, partners,
directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), employees, or
any other person who provides investment advice on our behalf and is subject to our supervision or
control. A conflict of interest exists in such cases because we have the ability to trade ahead of you
and potentially receive more favorable prices than you will receive. To mitigate this conflict of interest,
it is our policy that Associated Persons shall not have priority over your account in the purchase or sale
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of securities.
Associated persons may buy or sell, for their personal account(s), investment products identical to
those recommended to clients. A Code of Ethics policy has been established which requires
Associated Persons to obtain clearance from the Equity Trader before any personal trades are placed
unless the trade falls under the "Exempted Transactions" portion of the Code of Ethics. Before granting
this clearance, the Equity Trader will ascertain that no orders are being executed in that security for a
client at that time. Associated Person accounts are occasionally included in blocked orders with client
accounts. If Associated Person and client orders are mixed in a block trade, Associated Person
accounts will not be allocated more favorable prices. It is also possible that an Associated Person can
trade in the same security on the same day as a client account but not be part of the same block order.
Such trades are subject to the policies and reviews detailed in the Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics
is designed, in part, to reasonably ensure that Associated Person trades will not adversely impact the
trade or trades recommended for clients. A copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided to any client or
prospective client upon request.
Item 12 Brokerage Practices
The Custodian and Brokers We Use
We do not maintain custody of your assets (although we may be deemed to have custody of your
assets if you give us authority to withdraw assets from your account (see Item 15 Custody, below).
Your assets must be maintained in an account at a “qualified custodian,” generally a broker-dealer or
bank. We maintain relationships with several broker-dealers. While you are free to choose any broker-
dealer or other service provider, we recommend that you establish an account with a custodian with
which we have an existing relationship. A majority of our clients use Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., a
FINRA-registered broker-dealer, member SIPC, as the qualified custodian. We are independently
owned and operated and not affiliated with Schwab. Schwab (or another custodian) will hold your
assets in a brokerage account and buy and sell securities per our instruction. While we request that
you use Schwab as custodian/broker, you will decide whether to do so and open your account with
Schwab by entering into an account agreement directly with them. Conflicts of interest associated with
this arrangement are described below as well as in Item 14 (Client referrals and other compensation).
We do not open the account for you. Even though your account may be maintained at Schwab (or
another custodian), we can still use other brokers to execute trades for your account, as described in
the next paragraph.
How We Select Brokers/Custodians
We seek to use a custodian/broker who will hold your assets and execute transactions on terms that
are overall most advantageous to you when compared to other available providers and their services.
We consider a wide range of factors, including, among others, these:
• combination of transaction execution services along with asset custody services (generally
without a separate fee for custody)
• capability to execute, clear and settle trades (buy and sell securities for your account)
• capabilities to facilitate transfers and payments to and from accounts (wire transfers, check
requests, bill payment, etc.)
• breadth of investment products made available (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange traded
funds (ETFs), etc.)
• availability of investment research and tools that assist us in making investment decisions
• quality of services
• competitiveness of the price of those services (commission rates, margin interest rates, other
fees, etc.) and willingness to negotiate them
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• reputation, financial strength and stability of the provider
• their prior service to us and our other clients
• availability of other products and services that benefit us, as discussed below (see “Products
and Services Available to Us”)
Your Custody and Brokerage Costs
For our clients’ accounts that Schwab maintains, Schwab generally does not charge you separately for
custody services but is compensated by charging you commissions or other fees on trades that it
executes or that settle into your Schwab account. Certain trades may not incur Schwab commissions
or transaction fees. Schwab is also compensated by earning interest on the uninvested cash in your
account. For some accounts, Schwab charges you a percentage of the dollar amount of assets in the
account in lieu of commissions. Schwab’s commission rates and asset-based fees applicable to our
client accounts were negotiated based on the condition that our clients collectively maintain minimum
level of their assets in accounts at Schwab. This commitment benefits you because the overall
commission rates and asset-based fees you pay are lower than they would be otherwise. In addition
to commissions and asset-based fees, Schwab charges you a flat dollar amount as a “prime broker” or
“trade away” fee for each trade that we have executed by a different broker-dealer but where the
securities bought or the funds from the securities sold are deposited (settled) into your Schwab
account. These fees are in addition to the commission or other compensation you pay the executing
broker-dealer. Because of this, in order to minimize your trading costs, we have Schwab execute most
trades for your account.
We are not required to select the broker or dealer that charges the lowest transaction cost, even if that
broker provides execution quality comparable to other brokers or dealers. Although we are not
required to execute all trades through Schwab, we have determined that having Schwab execute most
trades is consistent with our duty to seek “best execution” of your trades. Best execution means the
most favorable terms for a transaction based on all relevant factors, including those listed above (see
“How we select brokers/custodians”). By using another broker or dealer you may pay lower
transaction costs.
Products and Services Available to Us from Schwab
Schwab Advisor Services is Schwab’s business unit serving independent investment advisory firms
like us. They provide us and our clients with access to institutional brokerage – trading, custody,
reporting and related services – many of which are not typically available to Schwab retail
customers. However, certain retail investors may be able to get institutional services without going
through us. Schwab also makes available various support services. Some of those services help us
manage or administer our clients’ accounts while others help us manage and grow our business.
Schwab’s support services are generally available on an unsolicited basis (we don’t have to request
them) and at no charge to us. The availability to us of Schwab's products and services is not based on
us giving particular investment advice, such as buying particular securities for our clients. Here is a
more detailed description of Schwab's support services:
Services that Benefit You. Schwab’s institutional brokerage services include access to a broad range
of investment products, execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets. The
investment products available through Schwab include some to which we might not otherwise have
access or that would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment by our clients. Schwab’s
services described in this paragraph generally benefit you and your account, if Schwab is your
custodian.
Services that Do Not Directly Benefit You. Schwab also makes available to us other products and
services that benefit us but do not directly benefit you or your account. These products and services
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assist us in managing and administering our clients’ accounts and operating our firm. They include
investment research, both Schwab’s own and that of third parties. We use this research to service all
or a substantial number of our clients’ accounts, including accounts not maintained at Schwab. In
addition to investment research, Schwab also makes available software and other technology that:
• provide access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations and account
statements);
• facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts;
• provide pricing and other market data;
• facilitate payment of our fees from our clients’ accounts; and
• assist with back-office functions, recordkeeping and client reporting.
Services that Generally Benefit Only Us. Schwab also offers other services intended to help us
manage and further develop our business enterprise. These services include:
• educational conferences and events
• technology, compliance, legal, and business consulting;
• publications and conferences on practice management and business succession; and
• access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants and insurance providers.
Schwab may provide some of these services itself. In other cases, it will arrange for third-party vendors
to provide the services to us. Schwab may also discount or waive its fees for some of these services
or pay all or a part of a third party’s fees. Schwab may also provide us with other benefits such as
occasional business entertainment of our personnel.
Our Interest in Schwab’s Services
The availability of these services from Schwab benefits us because we do not have to produce or
purchase them. We don’t have to pay for Schwab’s services. These services are not contingent upon
us committing any specific amount of business to Schwab in trading commissions or assets in
custody. The fact that we receive these benefits from Schwab is an incentive for us to recommend the
use of Schwab rather than making such a decision based exclusively on your interest in receiving the
best value in custody services and the most favorable execution of your transactions. This is a conflict
of interest. In some cases, the services that Schwab pays for are provided by an affiliate of ours or by
another party that has some pecuniary, financial or other interests in us (or in which we have such an
interest). This creates an additional conflict of interest. We believe, however, that taken in aggregate,
our recommendation of Schwab as custodian and broker is in the best interests of our clients. Our
selection is supported primarily by the scope, quality, and price of Schwab’s services (see “How we
select brokers/custodians”) and not Schwab’s services that benefit only us.
Research and Other Soft Dollar Benefits
In selecting a broker-dealer to execute trades in your account, we will consider the value of research
and additional brokerage products and services a broker-dealer has provided or will provide to our
clients and our firm. Receipt of these additional brokerage products and services are considered to
have been paid for with "soft dollars." Because such services could be considered to provide a benefit
to our firm, we may have a conflict of interest in directing your brokerage business. We could receive
benefits by selecting a particular broker-dealer to execute your transactions, and the transaction
compensation charged by that broker-dealer might not be the lowest compensation we might otherwise
be able to negotiate.
Products and services that we may receive from broker-dealers may consist of research data and
analyses, recommendations, or other information about particular companies and industries (through
research reports and otherwise), and other products or services (e.g., software and data bases) that
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provide lawful and appropriate assistance to our firm in the performance of our investment decision-
making responsibilities. Consistent with applicable rules, brokerage products and services consist
primarily of computer services and software that permit our firm to implement securities transactions
and perform functions incidental to transaction execution. We use such products and services in our
general investment decision making, not just for those accounts for which commissions may be
considered to have been used to pay for the products or services.
The test for determining whether a service, product or benefit obtained from or at the expense of a
broker constitutes "research" under this definition is whether the service, product or benefit assists our
firm in investment decision-making for discretionary client accounts. Services, products or benefits that
do not assist in investment decision-making for discretionary client accounts do not qualify as
"research." Also, services, products or benefits that are used in part for investment decision-making for
discretionary client accounts and in part for other purposes (such as accounting, corporate
administration, record-keeping, performance attribution analysis, client reporting, or investment
decision-making for the firm's own investment accounts) constitute "research" only to the extent that
they are used in investment decision-making for discretionary client accounts.
Before placing orders with a particular broker-dealer, we determine that the commissions to be paid
are reasonable in relation to the value of all the brokerage and research products and services
provided by that broker-dealer. In some cases, the commission charged by a particular broker for a
particular transaction or set of transactions may be greater than the amounts charged by another
broker-dealer that did not provide research services or products.
We do not exclude a broker-dealer from receiving business simply because the broker-dealer does not
provide our firm with soft dollar research products and services. However, we may not be willing to pay
the same commission to such broker-dealer as we would have paid had the broker-dealer provided
such products and services.
The products and services we receive from broker-dealers will generally be used in servicing all of our
clients' accounts. Our use of these products and services will not be limited to the accounts that paid
commissions to the broker-dealer for such products and services. In addition, we may not allocate soft
dollar benefits to your accounts proportionately to the soft dollar credits the accounts generate. As part
of our fiduciary duties to you, we endeavor at all times to put your interests first. You should be aware
that the receipt of economic benefits by our firm is considered to create a conflict of interest.
We have instituted certain procedures governing soft dollar relationships including preparation of a
brokerage allocation budget, mandated reporting of soft dollar irregularities, annual evaluation of soft
dollar relationships, and an annual review of this brochure to ensure adequate disclosures of conflicts
of interest regarding our soft dollar relationships.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
We may receive client referrals from registered representatives of various unaffiliated broker-dealers.
We will typically execute all of the client's trades through the registered representatives who referred
the client to our firm. A potential conflict of interest exists because we have an incentive to execute
client transactions through these registered representatives based upon the expectation of continued
referrals. This arrangement could cause clients to pay higher commission rates than those available
through other broker-dealers that we generally recommend that are not based on a referral. However,
clients are not obligated to use the services of the referring registered representative and should
discuss available alternatives with our firm. Also, our procedures governing directing brokerage in
exchange for client referrals mandate that we consider disproportionate commissions generated as a
result of such arrangements and exclude consideration of fees generated by referred clients in our
periodic evaluation of best execution.
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Directed Brokerage
JIC routinely recommends that clients open accounts at certain custodians who serve as brokers who
execute orders to buy and sell securities in our account based on our discretion. However, not all
advisers routinely direct their clients to direct brokerage and by directing brokerage we may be unable
to achieve most favorable execution of client transactions, which may cost clients more money.
In limited circumstances, and at our discretion, some clients may instruct our firm to use one or more
particular brokers for the transactions in their accounts. If you choose to direct our firm to use a
particular broker, you should understand that this might prevent our firm from aggregating trades with
other client accounts or from effectively negotiating brokerage commissions on your behalf. This
practice may also prevent our firm from obtaining favorable net price and execution. Thus, when
directing brokerage business, you should consider whether the commission expenses, execution,
clearance, and settlement capabilities that you will obtain through your broker are adequately favorable
in comparison to those that we would otherwise obtain for you.
Allocation of Investment Opportunities
Johnson primarily manages assets through directly managed separately managed accounts (“SMAs”)
and proprietary mutual funds for which Johnson serves as investment adviser. In addition, certain
model portfolios (“Models”) are made available to third-party financial advisors through platforms such
as Envestnet (the “Platform”). Investment decisions are generally made at the strategy level. Portfolio
managers determine investment actions for each strategy, and such decisions are typically
implemented across:
• SMAs following that strategy
• Proprietary mutual funds with similar mandates
• Model portfolios reflecting the same or substantially similar strategy.
Models made available on third-party platforms are typically derived from Johnson’s SMA or mutual
fund strategies. Because Model implementation is handled by the Platform or third-party financial
advisor, performance of accounts utilizing Models may differ from directly managed SMAs and
proprietary mutual funds.
Managing multiple account types including SMAs, proprietary mutual funds, and Model portfolios
presents potential conflicts of interest. Johnson has adopted policies and procedures reasonably
designed to ensure that investment opportunities and trade executions are allocated fairly and
equitably over time and consistent with fiduciary obligations.
Block Trades
Equity Securities
We combine multiple orders for shares of the same securities purchased for advisory accounts we
manage (this practice is commonly referred to as “block trading”). We will then distribute a portion of
the shares to participating accounts in a fair and equitable manner. Upon completion of the block
trade, each client receives the same execution price, and accounts are allocated shares by comparing
their target allocation ratios, should the number of shares executed be less than anticipated due to
supply. The target allocation ratio is the actual current allocation of the account divided by the
assigned allocation goal. Purchases are allocated to the lowest target allocation ratios or least
invested accounts. Sales are allocated to the highest target allocation ratios or the most invested
accounts.
Fixed Income Securities
Client trades for the same fixed income security are aggregated. A block trade may involve several
different accounts and may be executed in a broker’s omnibus account before the account allocation is
given to the broker or custodian. Upon completion of block trade, each client receives the same price.
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Fixed Income Trades will be allocated to client accounts based on the following method. Client trades
will be allocated based upon percent invested in the asset class of the security being traded. For a
purchase, the client account with the lowest dollar value invested in an asset class relative to its coded
asset allocation goal (as a %) will have first priority in relation to other accounts. For a sale, the client
account with the highest dollar value invested in an asset class relative to its coded asset allocation
goal (as a %) will have first priority in relation to other accounts.
If it is determined that “percent invested method” would not be the most effective means of allocation
(e.g. a buy where all accounts have a similar percent invested) a second methodology will be
employed. Client trades can be allocated based upon a determination of which account's portfolio
characteristics are furthest from the model characteristics as recommended by the Bond Strategy
Team. Characteristics that are reviewed include account duration, sector weight % invested, and
account cash %. These portfolio characteristics may be reviewed individually or in combination.
Accounts owned by our firm or persons associated with our firm may participate in block trading;
however, they will not be given preferential treatment.
Trade Errors
In the event a trading error occurs in your account, our policy is to restore your account to the position
it should have been in had the trading error not occurred. Depending on the circumstances, corrective
actions may include canceling the trade, adjusting an allocation, and/or reimbursing the account. If a
trade error results in a profit, you will keep the profit.
Envestnet Platform Trading
Client accounts utilizing Johnson Models via the Envestnet Platform generally execute transactions
through custodians and broker-dealers supported by the Platform. Johnson does not select the
executing broker for individual accounts utilizing the Platform unless separately engaged to do so.
Trage aggregation, rebalancing, and execution are typically handled by the Platform or the financial
advisor. As a result, we may not have the ability to negotiate brokerage commissions or seek best
execution for individual accounts on the Platform.
Item 13 Review of Accounts
All portfolios are monitored on a continuous basis and periodically reviewed for the potential purchase
and sale of individual securities. Also, portfolios are reviewed when changes in investment strategy or
guidelines are made. A formalized review process is also established to review portfolios throughout
the year. Financial market and economic conditions, security valuations, changes in investment
strategy, client considerations, among other variables, would trigger a portfolio review.
Each individual listed as a reviewer is substantially involved in the portfolio management function. All
portfolios are assigned one primary Portfolio Manager, a secondary manager, and appropriate support
personnel. A "primary" Portfolio Manager has an average of 100 client relationships assigned.
You will receive confirmations and monthly or quarterly statements from your account custodian(s).
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Some mutual funds purchased for an advisory account pay annual distribution charges, provide fee
reimbursement for providing certain servicing to your account, or may provide revenue sharing to us
for investment in their funds. To avoid any conflict of interest for investments in these mutual funds,
Johnson will not retain any of these fees and will reallocate or rebate any such fees received back to
your account.
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Participation in Schwab Advisor Network®
Johnson (“Johnson”) receives client referrals from Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) through
Johnson’s participation in Schwab Advisor Network® (“the Service”). The Service is designed to help
investors find an independent investment advisor. Schwab is a broker-dealer independent of and
unaffiliated with Johson. Schwab does not supervise Johnson and has no responsibility for Johnson’s
management of clients’ portfolios or Johnson's other advice or services. Johnson pays Schwab fees to
receive client referrals through the Service. Johnson’s participation in the Service may raise potential
conflicts of interest described below.
Johnson pays Schwab a Participation Fee on all Schwab Advisor Network referred clients’ accounts
that are maintained in custody at Schwab and a Non-Schwab Custody Fee on all accounts that are
maintained at, or transferred to, another custodian. The Participation Fee paid by Johnson is a
percentage of the fees the client owes to Johnson or a percentage of the value of the assets in the
client’s account, subject to a minimum Participation Fee. Johnson pays Schwab the Participation Fee
for so long as the referred client’s account remains in custody at Schwab. The Participation Fee is
billed to Johnson quarterly and may be increased, decreased or waived by Schwab from time to time.
The Participation Fee is paid by Johnson and not by the client. Johnson has agreed not to charge
clients referred through the Service fees or costs greater than the fees or costs Johnson charges
clients with similar portfolios who were not referred through the Service.
Johnson generally pays Schwab a Non-Schwab Custody Fee if custody of a referred client’s account is
not maintained by, or assets in the account are transferred from Schwab. This Fee does not apply if
the client was solely responsible for the decision not to maintain custody at Schwab. The Non-Schwab
Custody Fee is a one-time payment equal to a percentage of the assets placed with a custodian other
than Schwab. The Non-Schwab Custody Fee is higher than the Participation Fees Advisor generally
would pay in a single year. Thus, Johnson will have an incentive to recommend that client accounts be
held in custody at Schwab.
The Participation and Non-Schwab Custody Fees will be based on assets in accounts of Johnson’s
clients who were referred by Schwab and those referred clients’ family members living in the same
household. Thus, Johnson will have incentives to encourage household members of clients referred
through the Service to maintain custody of their accounts and execute transactions at Schwab and to
instruct Schwab to debit Johnson’s fees directly from the accounts.
For accounts of Johnson’s clients maintained in custody at Schwab, Schwab will not charge the client
separately for custody but will receive compensation from Johnson’s clients in the form of commissions
or other transaction-related compensation on securities trades executed through Schwab. Schwab also
will receive a fee (generally lower than the applicable commission on trades it executes) for clearance
and settlement of trades executed through broker-dealers other than Schwab. Schwab’s fees for
trades executed at other broker-dealers are in addition to the other broker-dealer’s fees. Thus,
Johnson may have an incentive to cause trades to be executed through Schwab rather than another
broker-dealer. Nevertheless, Johnson acknowledges its duty to seek best execution of trades for client
accounts. Trades for client accounts held in custody at Schwab may be executed through a different
broker-dealer than trades for Johnson’s other clients. Thus, trades for accounts custodied at Schwab
may be executed at different times and different prices than trades for other accounts that are
executed at other broker-dealers.
Also, we receive an economic benefit from Schwab in the form of the support products and services it
makes available to us and other independent investment advisors that have their clients maintain
accounts at Schwab. You do not pay more for assets maintained at Schwab as a result of these
arrangements. However, we benefit from the referral arrangement because the cost of these services
would otherwise be borne directly by us. You should consider these conflicts of interest when
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selecting a custodian. These products and services, how they benefit us, and the related conflicts of
interest are described above (see Item 12 – Brokerage Practices). The availability to us of Schwab’s
products and services is not based on us giving particular investment advice, such as buying particular
securities for our clients.
Item 15 Custody
Johnson Investment Counsel does not have physical custody of any of your funds and/or securities.
Your funds and securities will be held with a bank or broker-dealer. Johnson Trust Company may
serve as the qualified custodian, but in that situation, your funds and/or securities may also be held by
US Bank, Schwab, Fidelity, or another qualified custodian. You will receive account statements directly
from the custodian(s) holding your funds and securities at least quarterly. You should carefully review
account statements for accuracy.
We may perform certain activities on your behalf where we may be deemed to have custody of your
assets. Certain clients have signed a broad standing letter of authorization that allows us to conduct
business on their behalf with the custodian, including withdrawing assets to be sent to third parties,
based on instructions provided by the client. Most clients have also provided consent to us to withdraw
management fees directly from the client’s account. Both instances create situations where we are
deemed to have custody.
If you have a question regarding your account statement, or if you did not receive a statement from
your custodian, please contact us directly at the telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
Item 16 Investment Discretion
Before we can buy or sell securities on your behalf, you must first sign our discretionary management
agreement. This agreement grants our firm discretion over the selection and amount of securities to be
purchased or sold for your account(s) without obtaining your consent or approval prior to each
transaction. You may specify investment objectives, guidelines, and/or impose certain conditions or
investment parameters for your account(s). For example, you may specify that the investment in any
particular stock or industry should not exceed specified percentages of the value of the portfolio and/or
restrictions or prohibitions of transactions in the securities of a specific industry or security. Please
refer to the "Advisory Business" section in this brochure for more information on our discretionary
management services.
Item 17 Voting Client Securities
Proxy Voting
We will determine how to vote proxies based on our reasonable judgment of the vote most likely to
produce favorable financial results for you. Proxy votes generally will be cast in favor of proposals that
maintain or strengthen the shared interests of shareholders and management, increase shareholder
value, maintain or increase shareholder influence over the issuer's board of directors and
management, and maintain or increase the rights of shareholders. Generally, proxy votes will be cast
against proposals having the opposite effect. However, we will consider both sides of each proxy
issue.
In the event you wish to direct our firm on voting a particular proxy, please contact your Portfolio
Manager or the number on the front of this brochure.
Conflicts of interest between you and our firm, or a principal of our firm, regarding certain proxy issues
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could arise. If we determine that a material conflict of interest exists, we will take the necessary steps
to resolve the conflict before voting the proxies. For example, we may disclose the existence and
nature of the conflict to you, and seek direction from you as to how to vote on a particular issue; we
may abstain from voting, particularly if there are conflicting interests for you (for example, where your
account(s) hold different securities in a competitive merger situation); or, we will take other necessary
steps designed to ensure that a decision to vote is in your best interest and was not the product of the
conflict.
We keep certain records required by applicable law in connection with our proxy voting activities. You
may obtain information on how we voted proxies and/or obtain a full copy of our proxy voting policies
and procedures by making a written or oral request to our firm.
Item 18 Financial Information
We do have custody of client funds through an affiliated entity as well as trustee arrangements with
some of our clients. Please see Item 15 - Custody above. We are not required to provide financial
information to our clients because we do not have any financial condition that is reasonably likely to
impair our ability to meet contractual commitments to our clients. Additionally, we submit to a surprise
annual audit by a qualified accounting firm. The audit report is filed annually through an ADV-E
amendment.
Item 19 Requirements for State-Registered Advisers
We are a federally registered investment adviser; therefore, we are not required to respond to this
item.
Item 20 Additional Information
Your Privacy
The relationship between Johnson, our affiliates (Johnson Trust Company, Johnson Financial, Inc. and
Johnson Mutual Funds) and our clients is the most important asset of our firm. We strive to maintain
your trust and confidence, which is an essential aspect of our commitment to protect your personal
information to the best of our ability. We believe that our clients value their privacy, and we do not
disclose your non-public personal information to third parties unless it is permitted or required by law,
at your direction, or is necessary to provide you with our services. We have not and will not sell your
personal information to anyone.
Johnson Investment Counsel and our affiliates collect and maintain your non-public personal
information so that we can better provide investment management and trust services to you. The types
and categories of information that we collect and maintain about you include:
• Information we receive from you to open an account or provide investment advice and trust
services, such as your home address, telephone number, date of birth, social security number,
and financial information.
• Information about your transactions that we need to service your account, such as trade
confirmations, account statements and other financial information.
In order for us to provide investment management and trust services to you, it is sometimes necessary
for us to disclose your personal information to third parties (e.g., brokers, custodians, regulators, and
tax return preparers). In addition, we also outsource certain functions to various non-affiliated third-
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party vendors. To allow these vendors to perform their contracted services, the firm may disclose
certain non-public personal information about its clients to these vendors. While our contractual
arrangements with third-party vendors prohibit third-party vendors from disclosing or using client
information other than for the purposes of performing services for the firm, third-party vendors could
experience information security breaches or other incidents that could expose client information. The
occurrence of such an incident at a third-party vendor is outside of the firm’s control.
We do not share your information with nonaffiliated third parties for their own marketing purposes, and
therefore you are not required to opt out of any information sharing under Regulation S-P. We may
share information among our affiliated companies to service your accounts and provide requested
services.
To fulfill our privacy commitment at Johnson Investment Counsel, we have instituted firm-wide
practices to safeguard the information that we maintain about you. These include:
• Adopting procedures that put in place physical, electronic, and other safeguards to keep your
personal information safe, including encryption of sensitive data, multi-factor authentication,
secure firewalls, and network monitoring.
• Limiting access to personal information to those employees and service providers who need to
know that information to perform their job duties or to provide products or services to you.
• Requiring third parties that perform services for us to agree by contract to keep your information
strictly confidential and maintain appropriate security standards..
• Conducting due diligence on service providers and ongoing monitoring of their compliance with
our security requirements.
• Maintaining an incident response plan that includes procedures for investigating and
responding to data security breaches and notifying affected clients as required by law.
• Providing regular training to employees on data security and privacy practices.
• Protecting information of our former clients to the same extent as our current clients.
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide services to you and to comply
with legal and regulatory requirements (generally 6-7 years under SEC rules). When information is no
longer needed, we securely destroy or delete it.
You have the right to request access to the personal information we maintain about you and to request
corrections to inaccurate information. If you are a resident of certain states with comprehensive
privacy laws (such as California, Virginia, Colorado, or Connecticut), you may have additional privacy
rights under state law, including rights to know what information we collect, request deletion of
information (subject to legal exceptions), and non-discrimination for exercising your rights. To exercise
these rights or ask questions about our privacy practices, please contact us.
At Johnson Investment Counsel, we value your privacy.
Class Action Lawsuits
If Johnson Trust Company serves as your qualified custodian, we will determine if securities held by
you are the subject of a class action lawsuit or whether you are eligible to participate in class action
settlements or litigation. We will participate in litigation to recover damages on your behalf for injuries
as a result of actions, misconduct, or negligence by issuers of securities held by you. If another entity
serves as your qualified custodian, we may assist you in this process but the ultimate responsibility
rests with you or the custodian.
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