Several large brokerages and financial services firms recently earned the distinction of “best places to work for LGBT equality,” according to a national benchmarking survey and report compiled by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Edward Jones, Ameriprise, Bank of America, LPL, Morgan Stanley, RBC Wealth Management, Voya, UBS and Wells Fargo were among the firms to earn perfect scores on the organization’s 2017 Corporate Equality Index. The index grades companies on their LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBT community. “As a growing firm, we are committed to hiring and developing the best available talent because diversity of thought, background and experience helps drive the innovation that supports our success," said Emily Pitts, the Edward Jones principal responsible for inclusion and diversity.
HighTower Adds $260 Million UBS Team
A UBS team with $260 million in client assets has joined HighTower, expanding the firm's network into Kansas. The new team, an independent firm called Falcon Wealth Advisors, will be led by Jake Falcon, CEO and wealth advisor, and Cory Bittner, chief operating officer and wealth advisor. "HighTower's sophisticated platform and commitment to the fiduciary standard made them the right partner to help us make the shift to independence," said Falcon, who served as a senior vice president as well as a wealth advisor at UBS. His team is the first to obtain start-up capital through HighTower and is the 12th transition for the firm this year.
Insurance for the High Net Worth
Insurance holding company W. R. Berkley Corp. is launching a new service strictly for high net worth clients, Berkley One. Set to launch in the second half of 2017, Berkley One will offer specialty insurance coverage—home, auto, liability, collectibles—to affluent clients who require world-class risk and claims management. “The name Berkley One signifies the blending of the collective know-how, experience and expertise of Berkley into one-on-one personalized relationships with customers and producers designed to respond to the lifestyles and changing needs of a modern generation of affluence," Berkley Corp. President and CEO W. Robert Berkley said in a statement.
