&Partners Adds $864M Team From Wells Fargo Advisors

&Partners has expanded its Northeast presence by recruiting Foothills Legacy Wealth Management, a Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-based team managing $864 million in assets. The move marks the 13th advisor practice to join the St. Louis-based hybrid broker/dealer this year, highlighting a continued trend of high-asset teams departing wirehouses for hybrid models. This acquisition contributes to &Partners' rapid growth, bringing the firm's total assets to approximately $58 billion as it continues to leverage its leadership's deep industry ties.

Foothills Legacy Wealth Management, led by co-founders Andrew Cook and Gerard Mehan, has officially transitioned from Wells Fargo Advisors to join &Partners. The eight-person team, which includes partners Christopher Cassidy and Joanne Windas, brings $864 million in pre-hire assets under management to the hybrid broker/dealer. Both Cook and Mehan spent seven years at Wells Fargo following their tenure at Merrill Lynch, and they are joined in this move by a full support staff including Brandie Mulligan, Courtney Fagan, Susan Mallery, and Gregory St. Denis.

This recruitment represents the 13th advisor practice to join &Partners this year, underscoring the firm's aggressive expansion strategy since its 2023 launch. Founded by David Kowach, the former president and CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors, along with Kristi Mitchem and John Alexander, the firm has seen particular success in attracting talent from Kowach’s former employer. As of the end of June, &Partners reported a total of 117 advisor practices representing approximately $58 billion in assets.

The addition of Foothills Legacy follows a significant recruiting streak in June, where &Partners added three other Wells Fargo teams with a combined $1.6 billion in pre-hire AUM. These included New Jersey-based Wavewood Private Wealth ($574 million), Brookside Wealth Advisors ($550 million), and California-based Three Points Wealth Planners ($450 million). This pattern of high-value departures from Wells Fargo to &Partners reflects the ongoing competitive landscape in the wealth management sector, where hybrid platforms are successfully positioning themselves as attractive alternatives for established wirehouse teams.