Two former Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo men have joined forces to launch an independent firm in the Big Apple.

The former Westchester Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors and Legacy Group of Morgan Stanley have linked up to launch Cognetic Capital Advisors through HighTower.

Co-founders Joel Talish, chief executive, and John Buffa, managing director, lead the new team, which manages $1 billion in assets and is based in New York City.

Buffa and Talish spent the previous 19 and 10 years at Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, respectively.

Cognetic Capital Advisors is the second $1 billion team to join the HighTower community in 2017. Last month, Fortress Wealth Planning launched on the HighTower platform in Jacksonville, FL.