MSSB lures away Merrill adviser Leif Olson

NEW YORK, March 26 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley Smith Barney has poached a top adviser from Merrill Lynch to join its office in Bradenton, Florida.

Leif Olson moved to Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a joint venture between Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Citigroup Inc (C.N), on Friday. He previously spent over 15 years at Merrill Lynch, a unit of Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), according to FINRA filings. Olson oversaw $150 million in client assets and generated $1.3 million in fees and commissions.

"(Olson) wanted to continue his career in a broker-centric environment without a commercial bank influence," said Toby Richey, a Houston-based recruiter at Toby Richey & Associates. (Reporting by Helen Kearney; editing by Andre Grenon)