Focus Financial Partners, the US partnership of independent wealth management firms, has welcomed Quadrant Private Wealth, a Pennsylvania-based independent registered investment advisor.

Focus Financial Partners, the US partnership of independent wealth management firms, has welcomed Quadrant Private Wealth, a Pennsylvania-based independent registered investment advisor.

Quadrant was launched by former Merrill Lynch advisors Herman Rij, Jason Cort, Kori Lannon and Brian Cort - who managed more than $750 million in client assets - through Focus Connections, a program that helps wirehouse teams transition their business and launch their own independent wealth management firms.

Prior to forming Quadrant, the founding partners worked as a team at the Rij, Cort, Lannon & Associates Group at Merrill Lynch. Their new firm will serve high net worth individuals and families, as well as businesses and other organizations.

Rij was with Merrill Lynch for over four decades and is a founding partner and a private wealth advisor at Quadrant. Jason Cort joined the Rij Group at Merrill in 1997 and has strong knowledge in the areas of wealth structuring/estate planning, liability management and equity strategies. He is also a founding partner and private wealth advisor at Quadrant.

Meanwhile, Lannon joined the Rij Group in 2007 after 13 years in commercial banking. She focuses on portfolio structure with an emphasis on risk management, tax-exempt income and structured/alternative investments. Brian Cort joined Merrill Lynch in 2002 and the Rij Group in 2008. He guides corporate retirement plans, retirement planning and portfolio design.

Quadrant is Focus’ fourth Connections transaction since the beginning of 2014; earlier this year, IFM Capital Advisors launched a multi-office firm. Additionally, former Morgan Stanley and RBC advisors joined Beirne Wealth Consulting and Sapient Private Wealth Management, respectively.