Former Morgan Stanley Smith Barney broker leaves for Merrill

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has recruited a former Morgan Stanley Smith Barney broker who brought in $1.8 million in revenue last year.

Antonio Tony daRoza, who spent just over two years with Morgan Stanley, managed $600 million in assets. He has joined Merrill Lynch's San Francisco office.

DaRoza, who specializes in executive compensation, was a registered adviser with Citigroup Global Markets Inc for 16 years before joining Morgan Stanley. He was with Lehman Brothers Inc for three years before that.

DaRoza has been registered with Merrill Lynch since Friday, according to his latest Financial Industry Regulatory Authority filing.

Morgan Stanley confirmed daRoza's departure, but declined to comment. Merrill Lynch did not return calls for comment.

(Reporting by Ashley Lau; Editing by Jennifer Merritt)