UBS snags team of $3M producers from Merrill Lynch

UBS Financial Services Inc. has hired on three long-time Merrill Lynch financial advisers managing $450 million in assets and producing $2.85 million in fees and commissions over the last 12 months, the firm announced today. Makram Talia, Robert Loupee and Michael Graziani will join UBS' office in Farmington Hills, MI. Both Mr. Talia and Loupee have been employed by Merrill Lynch for 33 years—Mr. Talia as an adviser for the entire time. Mr. Loupee served as the complex director in the Auburn Hills Complex with responsibility for the Auburn Hills, Flint, Saginaw and the Lakeside branches for five years, before returning to his advisory practice five years ago. Mr. Graziani, who joined Merrill Lynch 16 years ago, spent the last 14 years working on a team with Mr. Loupee. The advisers will report to John Bush, Complex Director for the Farmington Hills complex. Matt Card, spokesman for Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management confirmed the three advisers' departure. Not including the addition of these three Merrill advisers, UBS has added five teams with a combined $1.7 billion in assets in the month of August, according to InvestmentNews' Advisers on the Move Database. You can view more info on these teams by clicking here.