Brown Brothers Harriman have hired two trust professionals as part of the Brown Brothers Harriman Trust Company, N.A. in the Chicago and Philadelphia offices.
Lauren J. Wolven joins BBH as Vice President and Regional Trust Head, reporting to Trey Tune, Managing Director and Head of the BBH Chicago office.
Michelle J. Hong joins BBH as Vice President, reporting to Jeffrey Idler, Managing Director and Head of Wealth Management for BBH’s Philadelphia office.
Wolven joins BBH from Horwood Marcus & Berk Chartered in Chicago, where she was a Partner in the Wealth Protection Group. She attended the University of Illinois College of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review and graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Wolven currently serves as a Director of the Chicago Estate Planning Council and she is a frequent speaker and author on trust and estate planning issues.
As the Chicago Regional Trust Head, Wolven will serve as a proactive wealth planning resource for BBH’s existing clients, oversee the administration of relationships where BBH is named trustee and/or executor, and contribute to the visibility of BBH’s private wealth management business by serving as the firm’s primary liaison to the Chicago legal community.
“We are just delighted to have attracted someone with Lauren’s technical competence and professional visibility to our wealth management team in Chicago,” says Tune. “When combined with our firm’s investment management advice, Lauren’s tax and estate planning expertise will help us create a uniquely holistic wealth management experience for our clients.”
“I’m excited to be joining Brown Brothers Harriman and the team of professionals in the firm’s Chicago office,” says Wolven. “The firm’s reputation and positioning within the wealth management marketplace are second to none and I look forward to building a first-rate trust and wealth planning capability in the Midwest.”
Hong joins BBH from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Philadelphia, where she specialized in tax-driven estate planning for high net worth individuals.
Hong is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a former editor of the Harvard Law Review. She received her B.A. in Public Policy Studies and English from Duke University, and also studied abroad at Oxford University.
Hong will be working closely with Bill Levy, Executive Vice President of Brown Brothers Harriman Trust Company, N.A. and Regional Trust Head of the BBH Philadelphia office, serving the wealth planning needs of existing and prospective clients in the Philadelphia market, as well as supporting regional trust and estate administration for the national Trust Company.
“Michelle brings substantial wealth planning expertise to BBH and particularly to our banking and investment advisory clients in the region,” says Idler. “Her professional reputation is excellent and we feel very fortunate to have attracted her to our firm. Our clients are already benefiting from her presence here.”
“I have long admired Brown Brothers Harriman’s five-star reputation for financial services and expertise,” says Hong. “Therefore, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be part of the firm’s network of wealth planners and to join the bankers, investment managers, and trust officers in the Philadelphia office in delivering a full array of services to our clients.”