Lazard

Lazard Ltd (formerly known as Lazard Frères & Co.) is a financial advisory and asset management firm that engages in investment banking, asset management and other financial services, primarily with institutional clients. It is the world's largest independent investment bank, with principal executive offices in New York City, Paris and London.[2]

For other uses, see Lazard (disambiguation).
Lazard Ltd
FormerlyLazard Frères & Co.
TypePublic company
IndustryFinancial services
FoundedJuly 12, 1848 (1848-07-12)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Founders
HeadquartersHamilton, Bermuda
(incorporation)
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York City, New York, United States
(operational)
Key people
Peter R. Orszag
(Chief Executive Officer)
Evan Russo
(CEO of Asset Management)
Products
RevenueDecrease US$2.86 billion (2022)
Decrease US$517 million (2022)
Decrease US$358 million (2022)
AUMDecrease US$216 billion (2022)
Total assetsDecrease US$5.85 billion (2022)
Total equityDecrease US$675 million (2022)
Number of employees
3,402 (December 2022)
Websitelazard.com
Footnotes / references
[1]

Lazard was founded in 1848 and operates from 43 cities across 26 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Central and South America. The firm provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, strategic matters, restructuring and capital structure, capital raising and corporate finance, as well as asset management services to corporations, partnerships, institutions, governments and individuals.[3] In 2023, Lazard celebrates its 175th year in business.

History

Early years

On July 12, 1848, three brothers, Alexandre Lazard, Lazare Lazard, and Simon Lazard, founded Lazard Frères & Co. as a dry goods merchant store in New Orleans, Louisiana. By 1851, Simon and two more brothers, Maurice and Elie, had all moved to San Francisco, California, while Alexandre moved to New York. Lazard Frères began to serve miners engaged in the California Gold Rush, and soon expanded into banking and foreign exchange.[4]

In 1854, Alexandre Lazard moved to Paris, France, where he opened an office to complement the U.S. business. The firm began advising the French government on gold buying. In 1870, the firm continued to expand its international operations, opening an office in London as well.[4]

The name "Lazard Frères" means "Lazard Brothers" or "the Brothers Lazard" in French. It refers to associations of the Lazard brothers to form various financial services institutions with world-wide offices and investments.

The Three Houses of Lazard

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the firm evolved into three “Houses of Lazard” in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, separately managed but allied. The Lazard partners advised clients on financial matters and built a cross-border network of high-level relationships in business and government. Noted financial advisor George Blumenthal rose to prominence as the head of the U.S. branch of Lazard Frères and was a partner of Lazard Frères in France.[4]

In the economic boom following World War II, the American operations of Lazard expanded significantly under the leadership of the financier André Meyer. Meyer and Lazard partner Felix Rohatyn have been credited with virtually inventing the modern mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market.[5]

In 1953, Lazard Investors Ltd began an asset management business in London, which is the origin of today's Lazard Asset Management.[6]

A unified firm

In 1977, as the health of Meyer began to deteriorate, the firm came to be controlled by Michel David-Weill. Under his leadership, the three houses of Lazard were formally united in 2000 as Lazard LLC.[7]

In 2002, David-Weill hired Bruce Wasserstein to be CEO. Lazard became a public company in 2005, with nearly two-thirds of its shares owned by current and former employees. Wasserstein became its first Chairman and CEO. In connection with the initial public offering (IPO), Lazard spun off its broker-dealer business, Lazard Capital Markets.[5]

Following Wasserstein's death in 2009, Lazard's Board of Directors elected Kenneth M. Jacobs as Chairman and CEO.[8]

On May 26, 2023, the firm announced that Peter R. Orszag, CEO of Financial Advisory, had been unanimously elected by its Board to serve as CEO of Lazard and as a Board Director, effective October 1, 2023. [9] Orszag became Chief Executive Officer of Lazard on October 1, 2023.[10]

Business Overview

Financial Advisory

Lazard advises clients on a wide range of strategic and financial issues. These may include advising on the potential acquisition of another company, business or certain assets, or on the sale of certain businesses, assets or an entire company. The firm also advises on alternatives to a sale such as recapitalizations, spin-offs, carve-outs and split-offs. For companies in financial distress or their creditors, Lazard advises on all aspects of restructuring. The firm has advised on many of the largest restructuring assignments in the wake of the global financial crisis that began in mid-2007.[11] Lazard also advises on capital structure and capital raising. Capital structure advice includes reviewing and analyzing structural alternatives and assisting in long-term planning. Capital raising advice includes private and public market financing. Lazard's Sovereign Advisory group advises governments and sovereign entities on policy and financial issues.[12]

Asset Management

Lazard's asset management business provides investment management and financial advisory services to institutional clients, financial intermediaries, private clients, and investment vehicles around the world. The firm manages assets on behalf of institutional clients (corporations, labor unions, public pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and banks; and through sub-advisory relationships, mutual fund sponsors, broker-dealers and registered advisors) and individual clients (principally family offices and high-net-worth individuals).[3]

Office Locations

The bank operates from 43 cities across 26 countries.[3]

In Paris, the Lazard offices were located successively at 17, boulevard Poissonnière (1885-1907);[4] 5-7, rue Pillet-Will (1907-1979);[4] 141, boulevard Haussmann (1979-2020);[13] and 175, boulevard Haussmann (since September 2020).[14]

Lazard's New York City headquarters spans the top floors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza,[15] including what used to be Room 5600, the former offices of the Rockefeller family dynasty.[16]

  • 5-7, rue Pillet-Will, Paris
    5-7, rue Pillet-Will, Paris
  • 121, boulevard Haussmann, Paris
    121, boulevard Haussmann, Paris
  • 175, boulevard Haussmann, Paris
    175, boulevard Haussmann, Paris

Management

Past Chairmen

Board of directors

Lazard's board of directors as of October 2023.[17]

Notable current and former employees

Business

Politics and Public Service

Other

Books
  • de Rougemont, Guy D. (2010). Lazard Frères: Banquiers des Deux Mondes (1840-1939). Paris: Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-66125-4.
  • Cohan, William D. (2007). The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Frères & Co. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-51451-4.
  • Geisst, Charles R (2001). The Last Partnerships: Inside the Great Wall Street Money Dynasties. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-136999-6.
  • Reich, Cary (1983). Financier: The Biography of André Meyer: A Story of Money, Power, and the Reshaping of American Business. New York: William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-01551-4.

See also

References
  1. "Lazard Ltd Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 23 February 2023.
  2. Indap, Sujeet; Massoudi, Arash; Fontanella-Khan, James (September 8, 2015). "Investment banking: Walking away from Wall Street". Financial Times.
  3. "Lazard Ltd Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. Guy de Rougemont, Lazard Frères, Banquiers des Deux Mondes (1840-1939), Librairie Arthème Fayard, 2010
  5. "Institutional Investor International Edition, November 2011 "The New House of Lazard"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  6. "Lazard website - About Lazard". Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  7. William Cohan, Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Frères & Co, Doubleday, 2007
  8. "Lazard Names Kenneth Jacobs as Its New Chief". The New York Times. November 17, 2009.
  9. "Lazard Appoints Peter R. Orszag as CEO and Kenneth M. Jacobs as Executive Chairman". Lazard.com. May 26, 2023.
  10. Hirsch, Lauren (May 26, 2023). "Lazard Names Peter Orszag to Succeed Ken Jacobs as C.E.O." The New York Times. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  11. McCracken, Jeffrey (January 14, 2012). "Lazard Appoints Kurtz Restructuring Chief After Ridings, Savage". Bloomberg.
  12. "Lazard Reports 2013 fourth quarter earnings". Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  13. Alessandro Giacone (2015), Jean Guyot : Un financier humaniste, CNRS Editions
  14. "Lazard Inaugurates its New Investment Banking Office in Paris" (PDF). Lazard. 10 September 2010.
  15. "Lazard Takes More of 30 Rock". observer.com. 15 March 2011.
  16. Makarechi, Kia. "Rockefeller Family Leaving 30 Rockefeller Center for the First Time". The Hive.
  17. "Lazard Leadership". Lazard. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  18. Walton, Mark (June 6, 2000). "The Mount Royal Tunnel Electrification". Colin Churcher's Railway Pages. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012.
  • Official website
  • Lazard Asset Management
  • Business data for Lazard Ltd.:
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