Raymond James welcomes advisor managing $177 million in client assets in New Orleans

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James recently welcomed experienced financial advisor Willis “Andy” Lovell, CPWA®, to Raymond James & Associates (RJA) – the firm’s traditional employee broker/dealer – in New Orleans, Louisiana, according to Pat Allison, Western divisional director for RJA.

Lovell and Senior Registered Client Services Associate Alyssa Klein operate as Lovell Wealth Management and joined RJA from Merrill Lynch, where they previously managed approximately $177 million in client assets. 

“I was drawn to the client-first and advisor-focused culture at Raymond James,” said Lovell, senior vice president, investments. “The firm has all the resources and capabilities of a large firm, but empowers its advisors to build and run their practices as they choose. I am supported and encouraged to pursue my own vision for my business and not someone else’s. While I looked at other firms, none offered this level of independence or support. I’m excited to be a part of Raymond James.”

Lovell has more than 22 years of financial services experience. He began his career at J.C. Bradford & Co. in 1996, and worked there until 2000 when the firm was bought by UBS. From 2007 until March of this year, Lovell continued his career at Merrill Lynch and in 2019 was recognized by Forbes as one of the Best-in-State Wealth Advisors.* He is a graduate of the College of Charleston where he earned a BS degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance, and in 2017 he earned the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation from the Investments & Wealth Institute™ in conjunction with the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. 

Klein holds her Series 7 and Series 66 licenses along with an MBA from the University of Mississippi.

“I have known Andy for quite some time,” said Jude Huval, South Louisiana complex manager, “and appreciate how thorough he was in his due diligence, and how important it was that he find a firm where he has the ability to run his practice as he wishes. So we were delighted when he and Alyssa selected Raymond James, and we warmly welcome them. With a strong commitment to their clients and an appreciation for the advisor-centric culture at Raymond James, they are great additions to the firm and to our New Orleans office.”

*The Forbes ranking of Best‐In‐State Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of 7 years of experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, AUM, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of 29,334 advisors nominated by their firms, 3,477 received the award. This ranking is not indicative of advisor’s future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients’ experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC.

About Raymond James & Associates
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC, which has built a national reputation for more than 50 years as a leader in financial planning for individuals, corporations and municipalities, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), a leading diversified financial services company with approximately 7,800 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are $785 billion. Additional information is available at www.raymondjames.com.