According to Reuters, J.P. Morgan announced on Monday, January 5, the launch of a new advisory unit called Special Advisory Services. The unit will be led by Liz Myers, the global chair of investment banking, who has over 30 years of experience at the firm. It’s designed to serve a select group of long-standing, top-tier clients, including companies eyeing IPOs, established clients pursuing major deals, and mid-sized firms wanting J.P. Morgan as a primary partner. The service will advise on specific themes like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital assets, geopolitics, healthcare, supply chains, and sustainability. The bank is betting on this market expanding in 2026, driven by tech adoption and macroeconomic uncertainty.
Why This Matters Now
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just another consulting arm. This is J.P. Morgan essentially building a moat around its most valuable relationships. In a world where capital is a commodity, expertise is the new currency. The themes they’ve listed—AI, geopolitics, supply chains—aren’t just buzzwords. They’re the complex, interconnected forces that can make or break a company’s strategy overnight. So what’s the play? It’s about being indispensable. If you’re a CEO navigating, say, the regulatory minefield of digital assets or reshoring a supply chain, having J.P. Morgan’s dedicated brain trust on speed dial is a powerful incentive to keep all your other lucrative business—like IPOs and M&A—with them too.
The Exclusivity Angle
Look at the client focus: “long-standing, top-tier.” This isn’t for everyone. It’s a classic tiered service model. They’re basically creating an inner circle. For the clients inside it, this is a huge value-add that deepens loyalty. For those outside looking in, it becomes an aspirational goal. Want this elite strategic counsel? Then you need to become a primary banking partner first. It’s a clever, and probably very effective, client retention and acquisition tool. And let’s be real, in the high-stakes world of corporate banking, locking in those deep relationships is everything. It’s not just about the next deal; it’s about being embedded in the client’s long-term vision.
Beyond the Spreadsheet
This move also signals a shift in what banks think their clients need. It’s not just financing and execution anymore. It’s about navigating ambiguity. Geopolitical shifts? You can’t model that in a spreadsheet. Sustainability regulations? They’re a moving target. This unit is an admission that the classic banker skillset needs to be supplemented with think-tank-style analysis. The challenge, of course, will be delivering truly unique insights that clients can’t get from a dedicated boutique firm or their own internal teams. J.P. Morgan is betting its brand and its deep market access give it an edge. We’ll see if the reality matches the ambition.
