Former Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch Teams Form $2 Billion Longleaf Capital Group on Arkadios Platform

In a significant industry development, six veteran financial advisors from Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch have merged their practices to establish Longleaf Capital Group, an independent wealth management firm operating on the Arkadios Capital platform with over $2 billion in assets under advisement. The founding directors bring more than 175 years of combined experience across wealth management, institutional investing, accounting, banking, and insurance, representing a notable consolidation of expertise from two major Wall Street institutions.

The formation of Longleaf Capital Group exemplifies the accelerating migration of top financial advisors from large wirehouses to independent platforms that offer greater flexibility and entrepreneurial opportunities. The team includes two former CPAs, four Certified Financial Planner professionals, and specialists with advanced designations in institutional retirement plans, estate planning, and tax optimization. Their collective experience includes guiding clients through multiple market cycles and advising on complex estate and tax matters for high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions.

Jonathan D. Lee, Managing Director of Longleaf Capital Group, emphasized the strategic advantages of the combination, stating that the merger brings complementary expertise in wealth management, personal financial planning, tax planning, institutional retirement planning, and estate planning strategies under one unified organization. The firm's comprehensive service offerings include financial and retirement planning, institutional retirement plan consulting, estate and tax strategies, alternative investments, insurance solutions, liquidity event planning, and philanthropic advisory services.

Arkadios Capital, the supporting platform for the new venture, provides institutional-quality resources and infrastructure while enabling the advisors to operate with entrepreneurial independence. David Millican, CEO of Arkadios Capital, described the Longleaf team as a high-caliber group with a unique founding story that rarely occurs in the wealth management industry. The platform, which partners with leading investment managers, has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in Georgia and consistently ranks among the top independent broker-dealers nationally according to industry publications. More information about Arkadios Capital can be found at https://arkadios.com.

The founding partners include Todd P. Thornell, Sr., formerly a managing director and senior financial advisor with Merrill Lynch; Cory A. Singletary, CFP®, a former senior financial advisor with Merrill Lynch; C. Thomas Lee, CFP®, previously a senior vice president and wealth advisor at Morgan Stanley; George M. Liddon, CFP®, also a former senior vice president and wealth advisor at Morgan Stanley; Jonathan D. Lee, CFP®, a former first vice president and senior portfolio manager; and Lee E. Forehand, CIMA®, C(k)P®, CPFA, a nationally recognized retirement plan consultant and former Morgan Stanley corporate retirement director. Additional details about Longleaf Capital Group are available at https://lcgwm.com.