J.P. Morgan Securities says it has lured eight financial advisors with nearly $2 billion in assets from rival wealth management firms.Robert Douglass and Beth Kytle joined the Atlanta office from Credit Suisse, where they worked 10 years.  Gidon Nach, a 12-year veteran of Morgan Stanley, joined the firm in Los Angeles, while Robert Woolf, formerly of UBS, joined in Boston.  Stephen Shirley was recruited from Oppenheimer for the Newport Beach, Calif., office.

via J.P. Morgan Securities Nabs 8 Advisors From Rival Firms | Bank Investment Consultant.

A Merrill Lynch team managing $225 million in client assets left the wirehouse to join independent firm Snowden Lane Partners.

The team, known as the Feldman Group, opened Snowden’s newest office in Pittsburgh, marking it as the firm’s fifth office.

Snowden’s president, Greg Franks, said in a statement that the firm had identified Pennsylvania as key market for their growth strategy, and that he expected several more teams to join Snowden in the Keystone State.

The Feldman Group consists of Robert Feldman, a partner and managing director, and Donna Bowler, a private wealth advisor. They serve high net worth clients, families and institutions.

via $225M Merrill Team Joins Snowden Lane | Financial Planning.

A team producing $4.2 million has joined Morgan Stanley.The team, known as the Bogart Group, left RBC Wealth Management-U.S. to join Morgan in McLean, Va., last month, a firm spokeswoman said. The group had been managing $622 million in assets while at RBC.Group member Brian Bogart joined the firm as a senior vice president and financial advisor. He started his career in 1983 with Dean Witter, according to FINRA records. He had worked at RBC since 2009. Bogart’s son, James, also with the firm, earned his Series 7 in 2007, and joined Morgan as a vice president.

via Team Producing $4.2M Joins Morgan Stanley | On Wall Street.

An advisor team managing $200 million in assets has left Wells Fargo to join Steward Partners, an independent firm founded a year ago by former wirehouse managers.Advisors Jim Fowkes and Ben Plata joined Steward’s Washington D.C. office, where the firm is based. In the past 13 months Steward Partners have recruited advisors managing $1.8 billion in assets.Fowkes and Plata generated $1.6 million in revenue while at Wells Fargo. Fowkes says they made the move in part because they felt that the leadership at the wirehouse was too distant and that a smaller firm would be more responsive.

via Steward Partners Grabs $1.6M Wells Fargo Team | On Wall Street.

Joining Jefferies are Adam Shafiroff, Laurence Shafiroff and Morgan McLanahan, who bring a focus on REITs and MLPs, according to the firm.

via Barclays trio joins Jefferies, focus on REITs and MLPs. | On Wall Street.

Stifel Nicolaus snared a veteran Morgan Stanley advisor with more than $180 million in assets under management, and announced the opening of a new client office in West Chester, Pa.

James Stambaugh will join the regional broker-dealer as a senior vice president of investments and portfolio manager of its Solutions Program in Stifel’s new private client group office in downtown West Chester.

via Stifel Lands Morgan Stanley Advisor, Launches Pennsylvania Office | On Wall Street.

Focus Financial Partners has picked up an $800 million RIA, with promises to “turbo charge” its growth.Focus cofounder Rajini Kodialam says she spent a few years wooing Hank McLarty, founder of Atlanta-based Gratus Capital Management. The firm has $800 million in assets under management, putting it right in Focus’s “sweet spot,” Kodialam says.

via Focus Financial in Deal for Gratus Capital of Atlanta | Financial Planning.