Brightworth, an Atlanta-based RIA firm with over $1.3 billion in assets, has added two soon-to-be-named partners from Smith & Howard, a CPA firm in the southeast that operates a separate RIA as part of their firm.

Frederick Wright, one of the original founders of the Smith & Howard RIA, and Mike DeWitt both joined Brightworth last month and are expected to be formally admitted as partners at year-end. Bud Boland also moved over to the firm as a senior planner. Wright and DeWitt are both CFA charterholders and DeWitt will join Brightworth’s investment committee.

Given Brightworth’s deep bench of advisory talent in both investments and financial planning, Wright, DeWitt and Boland decided the move was in the best interest of their clients because it would free them up to spend more time with clients and prospects.

According to Ray Padron, Brightworth’s managing partner, the firm’s newest advisors further validate the idea that advisors want to spend less time on the business and more time in front of clients. Brightworth’s partnership track allows advisors to spend more time with clients and its succession track provides liquidity for partners when the time is right, Padron added.