Merrill Lynch

The regional BD has had a successful run picking off top teams from the wirehouse.

The quintet is the latest to join the bank’s unit catering to wealthy clients.

The former Cetera advisors joined the firm’s employee channel.

The firm looked within its own ranks to fill the position.

The regional broker-dealer is coming off a big recruiting year.

The 17-member team is one of the largest to switch employers in recent years.

The firm added 40,000 new accounts last year and hit a record $3 trillion in client balances.

More often than not, wirehouses were on the losing side of these moves.

Supervisory failures at LPL Financial, J.P. Morgan Securities, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Citigroup prevented assets from moving to beneficiaries on time.

The new hires signed on with the firm’s employee broker-dealer.

On the losing side of this exchange: Wells Fargo, UBS and Merrill Lynch.

Wells Fargo welcomed 22 active duty members to its corporate office as part of a corporate fellowship program.

The firm also opened a new branch office to house its recruits.

The firm has picked up 19 advisors and opened six offices this year.