J.P. Morgan Securities snags $575M team from Merrill Lynch

J.P. Morgan Securities snagged a team managing $575 million from Merrill Lynch, adding to its roster of recent hires.

The firm, which caters to wealthy clients, added the five-advisor Girard & Associates to its Palm Beach, Florida office.

Team leader Justin Girard said that they chose J.P. Morgan Securities for its platform and investment solutions. “I have a distinct vision of what a premier wealth management practice should look like, including an environment that feels intimate and truly puts the client’s interests first,” he said in a statement.

Girard had been with Merrill Lynch since 2010, and previously worked at Morgan Stanley, according to FINRA BrokerCheck records.

His fellow team members include Robert Danion, executive director; Theodore Peroulakis, vice president; Corey Brown, associate; and Ruben Rodriguez, financial advisor.

Earlier this month, J.P. Morgan Securities hired a father-daughter team from Morgan Stanley. Robert Bregman and Katherine Bregman Anton partnered with another former Morgan Stanley advisor, David Rowe. Together, the New York-based team manages $550 million, according to their new employer.

JPMorgan Chase recently reorganized its wealth management business under a new leader for the unit: Kristin Lemkau.