Alex. Brown welcomes $658 million client advisor in Los Angeles, closes out 2020 with $3.7 billion in recruited assets

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Alex. Brown, a division of Raymond James, has experienced a solid year of growth, closing out 2020 with the addition of seasoned client advisor Mark J. Pomerantz, Ph.D. in Los Angeles, according to John Sutton, Metropolitan Regional Director for Alex. Brown. Pomerantz joins Alex. Brown’s Los Angeles office, which is managed by Regional Executive Gary Cohen, CRPC©.

Pomerantz, Managing Director and Client Advisor, is a financial services industry veteran with nearly 40 years at Morgan Stanley, where he managed more than $658 million in client assets. His extensive experience includes account management for individuals, pension plans, trusts, profit sharing plans and businesses. Pomerantz received his Ph.D. from the University of California San Diego in biology, with an emphasis on mathematical modeling.

“We are excited to welcome such a high-caliber advisor as Mark to our LA office, as we continue to grow Alex. Brown’s presence in the West,” said Cohen. “Having spent his entire financial services career at one firm, he did not take the decision to move lightly. We’re pleased that after careful consideration of all potential partners, he chose to align with Alex. Brown as he continues to grow his practice.”  

Pomerantz is the 19th new client advisor Alex. Brown has welcomed within the last year. According to Sutton and Atlantic Regional Director Brett Kellam, the division has experienced significant growth, recruiting advisors with a collective $3.7 billion within the past 12 months. Advisors have joined from various firms, including UBS, Merrill Lynch, Fidelity, Wells Fargo, Oppenheimer, Deutsche Bank, Stifel Nicolaus and Morgan Stanley, throughout key areas for the firm in the Northeast, West and Southeast regions.

“Amid what has amounted to an incredibly challenging year due to the global pandemic, we’re proud that Alex. Brown has continued to remain a top destination for experienced, quality client advisors looking to make a move,” said Haig Ariyan, Head of Global Wealth Solutions at Raymond James and President of Alex. Brown. “Alex. Brown continues to offer advisors in our industry that unique combination of a boutique feel and experience, backed by the high-touch service and strong support at Raymond James.”

In addition to Pomerantz, joining Alex. Brown in the past 12 months were client advisors: 
• Norman Townsend in Baltimore, Maryland
• Ron DesBois and Don Keith in Boston, Massachusetts 
• Michael Ferconio, Mark Birringer and John Joyce in Chicago, Illinois
• Varyk Kutnick in Greenwich, Connecticut
• Ricardo Kassin, Enrique Triana, Idalia Daguin, Gabriela Aguilar Gonzalez, Marina Tudela and Reynaldo Figueredo in Miami, Florida
• Rafael Santandreu and Kyle Wenski in New York, New York
• Steve Kanteliotis, Steve Gitter and Frank Brodsky in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About Alex. Brown, a division of Raymond James
Alex. Brown, a division of Raymond James, was originally founded in 1800, becoming the nation’s first investment bank. Alex. Brown advisors offer financial planning and wealth management services for high-net-worth individuals and institutions. The division’s broker/dealer of record is Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), a leading diversified financial services company with approximately 8,200 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are $923 billion. Additional information is available at alexbrown.com.