Evolve Private Wealth Adds Former Morgan Stanley Advisor as Managing Partner
Evolve Private Wealth, an independent wealth management firm serving high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, has added Brett Cohen as a managing partner. Cohen joins from Morgan Stanley, where he oversaw approximately $800 million in client assets.
Cohen will oversee the continued buildout and day-to-day leadership of the firm’s New York office, while also working alongside the other managing partners on overall leadership and strategic direction.
“Brett’s decision to join Evolve reflects the strength and flexibility of the platform we’ve built,” said Jonathan Lewis, managing partner at Evolve Private Wealth. “Our partnership is intentionally multigenerational, combining deep experience with the perspective of emerging leaders.”
Cohen primarily advises private business owners and multigenerational families, delivering comprehensive wealth management that spans investment strategy, tax planning, estate coordination and strategic business advisory.
“At this stage of my career, the question wasn’t just scale, it was structure,” Cohen said. “I wanted a firm that could support sophisticated families through liquidity events, multigenerational planning and complex tax considerations without being constrained by a legacy platform.”
Evolve Private Wealth was founded in 2022 by a group of senior advisors who left Wells Fargo to build an employee-owned firm. The RIA completed its transition to full independence in January 2025 and has since expanded through a mix of organic growth and selective partner additions.
With Cohen’s arrival, Los Angeles–based Evolve now manages more than $2.5 billion and has grown to 22 employees, with “significant additional hires” planned in 2026.
Pictured: Brett Cohen
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