Advisors on the Move: Musical Chairs

Wells Fargo Advisors picked up three teams over the last couple of weeks. In Salt Lake City, John Phillips, Darrell Jones and Scott Dickerson joined Wells Fargo from UBS with $219 million in AUM. Meanwhile, the father-and-son advisor team of Michael & Wes Climer brought $220 million in client assets with them from Merrill Lynch. They also brought their senior registered client associate Jane Jonas and will be based out of Charlotte. Last week the Woodbury branch of Wells Fargo Advisors acquired four advisors from Morgan Stanley with $1 billion in assets under management. The Alpert Group, comprised of Robert Alpert, Charles Ladenheim, Robert Fusaro, and Michael Montuori bring more than 80 years of experience collectively.

Ajay K. Gupta broke away from UBS on Monday to form an independent RIA firm Gupta Wealth Management, taking $540 million in client assets with him. A team of two partners and four support staff moved with Gupta, who will base the new office in San Diego. The group—which serves 119 families—will custody primarily with Schwab Advisor Services.

Morgan Stanley boosted its ranks of female advisors last Friday with the addition of two brokers in its Arizona and New York offices. Private wealth advisor Theresa E. Chacopulos joined Wells Fargo’s Scottsdale office with over $1 billion in prior assets. In New York, Francesca Zavolta joined Morgan Stanley from Barclays with $74 million in prior assets.

UBS lured away a Wiggin and Dana advisor focused on high-net-worth clients, business succession and charitable planning. Last Friday, David T. Leibell joined UBS, where he will work out of both Stamford and New York as a senior wealth strategist. An award winning trust and estate attorney, Leibell will serve as an internal resource for UBS clients and advisors on all issues related to tax, estate planning, philanthropy and wealth planning.

Morgan Stanley’s Graystone Consulting snagged Garry W. Bridgeman from Merrill Lynch last Wednesday. Bridgeman—who specializes in providing consulting services to philanthropic organizations, governments, corporations and individuals—will be based out of the firm’s Atlanta office as an executive director, financial advisor and institutional consulting director.

Convergent Wealth Advisors bolstered its estate planning capabilities last Wednesday with the addition of Stephanie Zaffos, J.D., who will serve as the firm’s director of trust and estate planning. Zaffos, most recently as counsel with Venable LLP, will support Convergent’s ultra-high net worth clients as an estate planning expert.

On Oct. 1, IMCA selected four new officers and one new member to its 2014 board of directors. Managing Director of Nuveen Investments in Chicago John Nersesian will act as chair, while Scott G. Thayer, of Morgan Stanley’s Graystone Consulting, will serve as vice chair. UBS Institutional consultant Kevin Sánchez will act as treasurer and David Koulish with Northern Trust will serve as secretary. The incoming board member is Dorothy Bossung, with Chicago-based Lowery Asset Consulting. The 13-member volunteer board acts as IMCA’s governing body and sets the organization’s strategic goals.

Last Monday Mariner Wealth Advisors brought onboard Robert J. (Bob) Swift to head up its trust and estate planning services. Swift, who has 25 years of experience, will look to expand Mariner’s trust and estate planning capabilities. He was most recently with Colorado State Bank and Trust, where he helped grow assets under administration to over $10 billion.