Adam Pearsall Exits UBS After 26 Years, Takes $400M Practice to Raymond James in Upstate New York

Raymond James is systematically stripping UBS of mid-market Northeast talent. If you're a $300M–$700M UBS producer in a regional market, expect a Raymond James recruiter call—and start thinking about what your answer will be.

Adam E. Pearsall just ended a 26-year run at UBS Financial Services, registering with Raymond James & Associates and bringing more than $400 million in client assets to the firm's employee advisor channel out of Glens Falls, New York.

Pearsall, who held the title of Senior Vice President – Wealth Management and Senior Portfolio Manager at UBS, didn't walk away from his brand equity either. The practice continues operating as Pearsall Wealth Management—now under the Raymond James banner—with practice business manager Melissa Battiste and client service associate Tara Johnson making the move alongside him.

Why Glens Falls Is a Bigger Deal Than It Sounds

Glens Falls isn't a Manhattan zip code, and that's precisely the point. Raymond James has publicly identified upstate New York as one of its most attractive growth markets in the Northeast, and landing a 26-year UBS veteran managing $400 million in a regional market is exactly the kind of move that builds durable market share. These aren't transient HNW clients chasing the next hot alternative fund—they're deeply rooted relationships that tend to stay put once an advisor establishes credibility.

For UBS, losing Pearsall stings beyond the raw AUM figure. The Glens Falls office at One Broad Street Plaza now has a conspicuous gap, and replacing a senior producer with 26 years of local relationship capital isn't something a recruiter solves in a quarter.

Raymond James' UBS Playbook Is Running on Repeat

This move doesn't exist in isolation. Raymond James has executed a nearly identical play multiple times in the past 12 months, pulling experienced UBS advisors managing $300 million to $700 million into its employee channel:

- Evan R. Bloomberg, CFA — Departed UBS Tinton Falls, NJ with $500M in AUM; launched Essential Private Wealth of Raymond James (July 2026)

- Jonathan Israel — Left UBS Woodland Hills, CA with $400M; launched Legacy Point Wealth Management at Raymond James (August 2025)

- Garcia Wealth Management Group — Exited UBS Pasadena, CA with nearly $270M; joined Raymond James (July 2025)

The pattern is unmistakable: Raymond James is not cherry-picking one or two UBS defectors. It is running a structured, repeatable recruitment model targeting proven regional producers who are tired of wirehouse overhead and compliance friction but aren't ready to go fully independent.

The CFP With a 26-Year Runway

Pearsall earned his CFP designation in 2008 and holds Series 7 and 66 licenses along with life, health, and long-term care insurance credentials. His trajectory at UBS—starting in 1999 through technology-focused roles before ascending to senior advisory positions—reflects the kind of deliberate career arc that produces deeply embedded client relationships rather than transactional books.

That biography matters to Raymond James. The firm isn't just buying AUM; it's acquiring an advisor whose clients have likely been with him through two market crashes, a pandemic, and multiple interest rate cycles. That's a fundamentally different retention profile than a lateral hire from a competing wirehouse who's been with his current firm for four years.

What UBS Loses Beyond the $400 Million

UBS has been selectively fortifying its U.S. wealth management business around high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients in key metropolitan markets. That strategy makes sense on paper, but it creates a structural vulnerability in regional markets where UBS can't justify the same infrastructure investment. Advisors in those markets feel it—and recruiters at Raymond James, RBC, and others know exactly when to make the call.

As covered in recent advisor move tracking, UBS has shed multiple billion-dollar advisor relationships across its U.S. platform over the past 18 months. Pearsall's departure is one more data point in a trend that shows no sign of reversing under current conditions.

For advisors watching this from inside UBS—particularly those in regional markets outside the firm's core metro focus—Pearsall's move is worth studying. Raymond James structured the transition around his existing brand, kept his support staff intact, and positioned Glens Falls as a strategic priority rather than an afterthought. That's not an accident. Understanding how Raymond James employee channel recruiting deals compare to what UBS is currently offering retention-minded advisors could be the most valuable homework you do this quarter.