Phil Scott and Jim Atwood launch $18.6B RIA Latigo Peak in Palm Beach Gardens

Phil Scott and Jim Atwood have launched Latigo Peak Partners, an independent wealth management firm in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with about $18.6 billion in client assets. The launch release says the pair previously led two of the largest wealth management practices within J.P. Morgan Advisors.

The firm serves ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families with 48 professionals, according to the release, and has hubs in Bellevue, Washington, and Boston plus a field office in Los Angeles.

Scott and Atwood grew their combined revenue from $34 million to more than $130 million over the past six years, the release says. That is roughly 70 basis points against the current $18.6 billion asset figure, though the two measures are not from the same date. The release does not break out how many of the 48 are advisors.

Both men began their careers at Merrill Lynch in 1984. Atwood joined First Republic Securities in 2018, and Scott — registered as Walter Phillip Schlaepfer — joined in 2020, according to BrokerCheck. They moved to J.P. Morgan in 2023 after First Republic went into receivership and was acquired by the bank.

Latigo Peak has chosen Charles Schwab and BNY Pershing for custody and lending, splitting the mandate rather than naming a single platform.

Diamond Consultants counted 1,449 departures against 932 recruits in the first half of 2026, a net loss of 517 experienced advisors at the wirehouses. The release does not say how much of the $18.6 billion has already transferred; it presents the figure as client assets at launch.