UBS lands $6.3M Merrill Lynch team

UBS AG announced the hiring of a top-producing three-man team from Bank of America Merrill Lynch today. The Findley Wise Group had trailing-12-month production of $6.3 million on more than $800 million in assets under management. Craig Findley, a Barron’s 1000 Advisor, and Ken Wise join UBS as managing directors. The third team member, Brian Funkhouser will be a first vice president. The team, based in Toledo, Ohio, will report to branch manager Jeffrey Catlin. UBS also announced the signing of a team of four Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC advisers in its Rochester, N.Y., office. Michael Amico, Michael Cooper, Rocco Pietropaolo and Philip J. DiPasquale oversee roughly $375 million in client assets, according to UBS. Production levels for the team were not disclosed. The four formerly worked at Smith Barney before the firm was merged into MSSB. They will report to Sam Messina, executive director and complex director for New York state for UBS. UBS recently has lured a number of advisers from competing wirehouses — most notably adding Ajay Desai, John Staab and Frank Pellicori from MSSB last month. That team oversaw client assets of $1.7 billion and generated $8 million in annual production. To see some of the latest — and largest — new recruits at UBS, click here.