A team of advisors in Chicago has left Raymond James & Associates, the firm’s employee channel, to launch their own registered investment advisor. The 10-person team, led by managing partner Benjamin Cohen, has created Cohen Capital Advisors, and chosen Fidelity and Schwab as custodians, according to regulatory filings.

Benjamin Cohen is joined by his father, Michael Cohen, founding chairman of the new RIA; James Appel, senior vice president, investments; John Postel, managing director, investments; John Crain, financial advisor; Erika Wolek, senior vice president, financial planning; and Molly Dierks, managing director and COO. Other staff members include senior client service associates Camille Johnson and Matt Tienda, and Operations Specialist Sara Munoz.

The team was with Raymond James for about 12 years and managed $1 billion in assets at the brokerage, according to Forbes’ 2025 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors ranking. 

“This transition allows us to upgrade the infrastructure that supports you,” according to the new firm’s website. “By operating independently, we can choose best-in-class custodial and technology partners, improve reporting and planning capabilities, and remove platform constraints — all while keeping your relationship and strategy exactly the same.”

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Cohen Capital and a Raymond James spokesperson did not immediately return requests for comment. 

Raymond James announced Thursday that its asset management subsidiary agreed to acquire Clark Capital Management Group, a Philadelphia-based asset manager with $46 billion in assets under management. The firms expect the deal to close in the third quarter of 2026.