Lazard

ABOUT THIS COMPANY:

M&A masters

Called the “Granddaddy of M&A,” Lazard has advised on some of the most significant mergers and acquisitions in Europe and the Americas since the mid-19th century. The firm’s modern history can be traced to 2002, when dynamic dealmaker Bruce Wasserstein (whose negotiating skills earned him the nickname “Bid ‘Em Up Bruce”) took over the helm of the firm, becoming chief executive. Wasserstein (who died at the age of 61 in October 2009) had a plan when he took leadership of the company: to expand the firm’s business so that the Lazard name would be known throughout the world. The firm went public in 2005, and today, Lazard’s influence indeed reaches almost every corner of the globe. At Lazard, there are two main business units: financial advisory and asset management. Financial advisory accounts for approximately 55 percent of the firm’s revenues, while asset management accounts for about 45 percent. A couple of Lazard’s latest high-profile M&A assignments include advising Barclays PLC on its $13.5 billion sale of Barclays Global Investors to BlackRock, and advising InBev on its $52 billion acquisition of Anheuser-Busch, the largest cash deal in history. Lazard’s asset management business is mainly comprised of equity products (almost 85 percent), but it also offers fixed income and alternative investments. Lazard’s principal executive offices are in New York, London, and Paris, but it has offices in 42 cities across 27 countries. It employs approximately 2,530 employees and is led by its chairman and CEO, Kenneth Jacobs, who has been with the firm since 1988.