The Firm
Buxton Helmsley
A New York-based alternative asset management firm that combines rigorous fundamental analysis with forensic expertise and active corporate engagement to deliver superior outcomes for investors.
Fossil Group (NASDAQ: FOSL), within two years
of securing board representation
Based on engagement volume (Bloomberg)
New York, New York
Alexander E. Parker
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
A Recognized Voice in Alternative Asset Management
Our leadership has been invited to speak at premier industry conferences, and its work has been the basis for published material of the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance. The firm's work has been covered by The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, and MarketWatch—establishing Buxton Helmsley as a credible and respected participant in the institutional investor and corporate governance communities.
Our Mission
Building Durable Value Through Discipline, Transparency, and Active Ownership
We believe the most enduring investment outcomes are built on rigorous analysis, genuine alignment between managers and the investors who entrust them with capital, and the conviction to act when others won't.
Deliver Long-Term, Risk-Adjusted Value
Across market environments, through strategies grounded in deep fundamental and forensic analysis.
Uphold the Highest Standards of Transparency
In everything from financial reporting to investor communication—because trust is earned through consistency, not rhetoric.
Build Lasting Partnerships
Through meaningful alignment of interests, a deliberately limited partner base, and a management team that invests alongside its investors.
Drive Measurable Change
Through constructive engagement with the companies we invest in, using governance and operational improvements as catalysts for value creation.
Our Approach
A Differentiated Strategy Built to Scale
Our investment process combines forensic rigor, active ownership, and the institutional infrastructure necessary to execute at scale—across market cycles and corporate complexities.
Forensic-Driven Investment Process
Our process begins where most end. We conduct deep forensic analysis of public filings, disclosure practices, and financial reporting—identifying risks and opportunities that surface-level screening consistently misses.
Constructive Engagement, Credible Escalation
We engage portfolio companies with clear, well-documented recommendations for governance and operational improvement. Our approach is constructive by default—and backed by a track record that commands serious attention from boards and management teams from the first letter.
Technology-Enhanced Execution
We integrate commercially available (and are in the process of developing proprietary) AI tools into our investment process, from the point of opportunity sourcing to campaign execution.
Institutional-Grade Infrastructure
Our operations are supported by leading service providers—including APEX Group, UHY LLP, CFGI, Quinn Emanuel, McDermott Will & Emery, and dual prime brokerage relationships with Velocity Clearing and Clear Street—ensuring operational rigor at every stage of the investment lifecycle.
What Sets Us Apart
An Investment Platform Built on Compounding Advantages
Our competitive position strengthens with every campaign—and our structure is designed so that investors benefit from that compounding alongside us.
A Track Record That Precedes Our Campaigns
Our history of identifying financial misstatements and securities law violations—subsequently validated through corporate disclosure changes, regulatory enforcement, and bankruptcies—means boards take our engagement seriously from day one. That credibility is a strategic asset that grows with every campaign.
A Platform, Not Just a Fund
Buxton Helmsley is structured as an alternative asset management platform, not a single-strategy vehicle. Our flagship activist fund is the foundation, but the firm is built to scale into complementary strategies as opportunities and institutional demand warrant.
Deep Alignment of Interests
Insiders own approximately 80% of the firm’s common equity. Our general partner commits meaningful capital alongside limited partners. When our investors succeed, we succeed—and the structure is designed so that dynamic never changes.
A Deliberately Limited Partner Base
We maintain a focused investor base by design—allowing for concentrated attention, meaningful co-investment opportunities, and the kind of direct access that larger platforms cannot offer.
Our Journey
Key Milestones in Our Growth
From a private wealth management practice to a globally ranked activist investment platform.
Founded
Buxton Helmsley was established as a private wealth management firm, investing primarily in deep-value international equity opportunities.
Strategic Transformation
After identifying significant accounting irregularities at multiple portfolio companies, the firm pivoted to an active, engagement-driven investment approach—integrating forensic accounting and securities law expertise into every stage of the investment process.
Proven Results
The firm executed high-profile activist campaigns resulting in governance changes, management transitions, and significant shareholder value creation—including a cooperation agreement at Fossil Group (NASDAQ: FOSL) that preceded returns exceeding 365% for shareholders within two years.
Institutionalization
Buxton Helmsley incorporated as a dedicated alternative asset manager, assembled a board of independent directors with experience spanning Citadel, BlackRock, the AICPA, Guggenheim, and Brown Brothers Harriman, and continued strengthening the institutional infrastructure underpinning the launch of its flagship fund. The firm undertook a growth equity offering to capitalize the launch of its inaugural activist fund at institutional scale.
Growth
Capital is being deployed across multiple simultaneous campaigns alongside continued development of the firm’s AI-enhanced research and execution capabilities. Proceeds from the growth equity offering are being reinvested into the business to support further growth and operational expansion.
Request Information
Learn how our approach to active ownership, fundamental research, and corporate engagement drives long-term value creation across market environments.