A New York financial advisory firm said this week that it’s opening an office in Palo Alto.

Pluris Valuation Advisors LLC, which helps investors, hedge funds and others comply with federal regulation by valuing illiquid assets, said it’s opening the branch because of “strong demand” for its services in California.

The office is located downtown, on Bryant Street between Lytton and Everett Avenues.

Pluris said it has had “tremendous growth over the past three years.” “In this economy, there are trillions of dollars in illiquid assets, and determining their value requires specialized expertise and market data,” company President Espen Robak said in a statement.

The firm has also named Ori Bash vice president of the Palo Alto office. Bash, a San Francisco resident, is a former assistant vice-president at FMV Opinions Inc., which provides valuations for estate planning deals and estate tax returns. He was also a valuation analyst at ValueNomics Research Inc. in San Jose.