Advisor moves: Wells Fargo lands $1.5B team from Morgan Stanley

May is proving to be a busy month of recruitment so far at Wells Fargo Advisors, which has just announced the arrival of a five-advisor team managing nearly $1.5 billion in client assets from Morgan Stanley.

The latest move in Philadelphia continued a recruitment push that has brought in a trifecta of billion dollar-plus teams in the past week alone.

The Bartoli Private Wealth Management Group – comprising brothers Stephen Bartoli, David Bartoli and Patrick Bartoli, along with Craig McLean and William Duval – made the move from Morgan Stanley's Lemoyne office, also bringing support staff Leigh Beshaw, Kristen Rodriguez and Andrea Taylor.

The group's arrival follows the addition of The Taylor Group in New York City, overseeing $6 billion, and AGT Private Wealth Group in Frisco, Texas, who reportedly manage more than $1.6 billion..

Ken Terranova, Wells Fargo Advisors' Greater Pennsylvania Market Leader, said the Bartoli Private Wealth team was drawn to a platform that pairs institutional scale with hands-on local support.

"Joining Wells Fargo Advisors, they're empowered to collaborate closely with specialized teams across the firm," Terranova said.

LPL draws UBS team to Linsco channel

LPL Financial announced that advisors Conley Thornhill, Doug Rathbun and Nikki Rathbun have joined its Linsco channel to launch Paxara Wealth Partners, bringing approximately $330 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets from UBS.

The team is based outside of Tampa in Winter Haven, Fla., and serves a national client base that includes business owners, physicians, executives and retirees.

Thornhill, the firm's founder and lead advisor – whose 44-year FINRA record includes prior tenures at Morgan Stanley and AG Edwards – has earned repeat recognition from Forbes as a top state advisor, notching a streak going from 2020 through 2025.

The firm's name draws on the Latin word "pax," meaning peace, reflecting its planning philosophy of building lasting financial foundations for clients – including multigenerational families, some of whom have been with the practice for decades.

Doug Rathbun cited the desire for better technology, greater independence and freedom from proprietary product constraints as driving factors in the move.

For LPL, the addition is another data point in its continued effort to attract wirehouse and captive-channel advisors seeking greater autonomy. 

Read more: LPL, Raymond James, big winners in advisor recruiting in 2025: report

Cetera gains Commonwealth advisor amid ongoing transition fallout

Cetera has welcomed financial advisor Jaakko "Jack" Kasko, whose Saint Joseph, Mich.-based practice, Milestone Wealth Management, oversees approximately $150 million in assets under administration.

Kasko spent the past decade affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network before evaluating his options in the wake of Commonwealth's acquisition by LPL.

In a statement, he said Cetera's Summit Financial Networks community stood out for its cultural fit, which "was very similar to what I valued at Commonwealth." 

Operational efficiency also factored heavily into the decision. "My business works best when systems are efficient and reliable," Kasko said. "When things run smoothly on the back end, it allows me to focus on clients."

Kasko's practice centers on retirement and pre-retirement planning for business owners and individuals shifting from wealth accumulation to income generation.

Cetera has emerged as one of the more aggressive recruiters of former Commonwealth advisors following that firm's acquisition, and its recruiting strategy has drawn significant attention from across the industry.

Read more: Cetera paying top dollar in 2025 fight for advisors

Kasko said he plans to continue growing through acquisitions, adding to a track record of successfully integrating advisory practices.