$2.9B Advisor Team Leaves Baird for Raymond James & Associates

A team of 17 financial advisors and professionals in Reston, Va., has left Robert W. Baird & Co., where they managed a collective $2.9 billion, to join Raymond James & Associates—the firm’s employee advisor channel.

Now operating as The Wise Investor Group of Raymond James, the Washington, D.C.-area team includes Simon Hamilton, Gregory Smith, David Mount, Ann Summerson, Chase Hinderstein, Matthew Anderson, Chris Aime and Nicholas Sorden.

Related: Raymond James Adds $580M Team From Wells Fargo

“After considerable thought, planning and months of due diligence, our team wholeheartedly felt Raymond James offers the best opportunity to enhance what we can accomplish together with our clients,” said Hamilton, managing director and portfolio manager. “As we look ahead, we’re certain this decision will allow our group to continue to evolve and thrive throughout this new chapter.”

Alongside the financial advisors are portfolio analysts Edward Holton, Kevin Haddon and Vasilios Rajendra; sales associates Matias Rodlauer, Heather Phelps, Angie Miller and Abel Chavez Lopez; and branch operations specialists Tamara Burkhalter and Brendan ”Joe” Hamill. The team serves a mix of business owners, executives, retirees, families and individuals with support from Raymond James & Associates’ Chesapeake Complex.

Related: Mindy Diamond on Independence: Why Raymond James Rocks the Regional Space & Advisor Recruiting

“Raymond James’ value proposition of providing a world-class suite of services, products and integrated technology, alongside a culture of uncompromising independence, has continued to appeal to advisors across a wide spectrum of size and scope,” said Raymond James & Associates President and CEO Tash Elwyn. “We welcome this distinguished group of advisors and professionals with open arms.”

The latest addition represents the fourth team to join Raymond James & Associates this month, following the additions of a nine-person Michigan firm that oversaw $1.1 billion in client assets at Merrill, a father-daughter team in Pennsylvania that managed around $210 million in assets at Baird company Hefren-Tillotson; and a family of three in Ohio that managed $160 million in client assets at Merrill. Both multigenerational teams were also joined by a senior registered client service associate.

Raymond James & Associates is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, a diversified financial services company with around 8,600 financial advisors overseeing approximately $1.16 trillion in client assets in the U.S., Canada and overseas.