Teams from Morgan Stanley and UBS who managed more than $1.5 billion in combined client assets have joined Merrill Lynch, said a firm spokeswoman.
Six out of the nine recruits also were returning to Merrill Lynch, according to FINRA BrokerCheck records.
Among the moves, former Morgan Stanley advisors John Gatto, Kenneth Gatto and Matthew Hughes managed about $675 million in client assets and generated $5.3 million in annual revenues before switching firms, the Merrill spokeswoman said. They operate as the Gatton Hughes Group, based in Jericho, N.Y.
Both Gattos started their careers at Lehman Brothers in 1986 and 1988 respectively, BrokerCheck records show. The duo moved to Citigroup in 1993 prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2008. It could not be immediately determined if both are related.
Hughes is among the recruits returning to Merrill, having started his career at the wirehouse in 1994. He left to join Citigroup in 2000 before moving to Morgan Stanley in 2008, according to BrokerCheck.
Two other Morgan advisors, Scott Uffelman and Marc Karstaedt, joined Merrill in Pasadena, Calif. Uffelman managed $185 million in client assets and had revenues of less than $1 million, the Merrill spokeswoman said. Uffelman also worked with Merrill, starting his career there in 1984, BrokerCheck records show. He then switched to Paine Webber in 1993, moved to Citigroup four years later and joined Morgan in 2009.
Karstaedt had overseen $147 million in client assets and generated less than $1 million in revenue before moving to Merrill, the firm's spokeswoman said. According to FINRA BrokerCheck records, Karstaedt previously worked for Citigroup and Lehman Brothers, having started his career at the latter in 1992. He is now based in Manhattan, working from Merrill's Rockefeller Center office.
Also moving from Morgan to Merrill were Kirsten Tuzzo and Blaine Minton, who managed $287 million in client assets and generated more than $2.6 million in revenue before switching firms, the Merrill spokeswoman said. Tuzzo started her career at Prudential Securities in 1993 before moving to Chase Alternative Asset Management in 1997. Six years later, she joined Merrill Lynch before going to Morgan Stanley in 2009, according to BrokerCheck.
Minton started his career at IDS life Insurance in 2000, according to FINRA BrokerCheck records. Minton joined Merril in 2005 before leaving to join Morgan Stanley in 2009.
UBS lost advisors to Merrill as well. Mark French and Kevin Parrill had combined production of $2 million with more than $239 million in client assets, Merrill's spokeswoman said. French started his career in 1995 at Robinson Humphrey and left to join Prudential in 2000, according to BrokerCheck records. Both French and Parrill also had previously worked at Merrill before switching to UBS. French was with Merrill in 2005 and Parrill in 2007. Parrill started his career at Merrill.
Spokespersons from UBS and Morgan Stanley declined to comment on the moves.
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