A Las Vegas-based team of seven advisors who collectively manage approximately $1.3 billion in client assets are joining Raymond James' employee advisor channel from Morgan Stanley.
The team includes advisors Nick Takahashi, James Zapotocky, Joshua Yocam, Luka Vasiljevic, Michael Ortega, Stephen Ellignsen and Sean Tsaconas. The group will operate out of Raymond James' Las Vegas location, working with executives, families, pre-retirees and retirees. They will be joined by senior customer service associate Yalda Momeni.
According to Takahashi, joining Raymond James was “a natural choice for the team” because of the firm's “client and advisor-focused ethos” and resources and support.
“Additionally, the firm's leadership and proven history makes for a seamless culture fit,” he said.
Beginning in 2008, Takahashi worked at Wachovia Securities (which merged with Wells Fargo that year) before moving to Morgan Stanley for 11 years. He will join Raymond James as a managing director. Zapotocky entered the industry in 2010 at Wells Fargo before joining Morgan Stanley for more than 10 years.
Earlier this month, Raymond James pulled in a Morgan Stanley adviser (and one from Merrill Lynch) to open the first Alaska location for its employee advisor channel. Keith Green came from Morgan Stanley, where he managed more than $290 million in assets, while Jon Coon left Merrill (where he managed about $308 million) to help establish an Anchorage office.
Earlier this month, Raymond James also caught on a $490 million Florida-based team from Merrill for its independent advisor channel.
Earlier this year, Raymond James announced this CFO Paul Shoukry will succeed current CEO Paul Reilly as the firm's leader in fiscal year 2025, part of a “multi-year succession planning process.”
As part of these changes, the firm promoted Tom Walrond heads Raymond James Associates, replacing Tash Elwyn, who was named president of the company's Private Client Group. In November, Raymond James announced this Shannon Reid would lead the firm's independent contractor division.