Lazard

Lazard. Lazard is a multinational financial services company founded in 1848 by Alexandre Lazard, Lazard Frères, and Simon Lazard. The company has a long history of providing investment banking services to clients such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and J.P. Morgan. Lazard has worked with numerous high-profile clients, including General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler.

● History

Lazard was founded in 1848 by Alexandre Lazard, Lazard Frères, and Simon Lazard in New Orleans. The company initially focused on commodity trading and later expanded to investment banking services, working with clients such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch. During World War I, Lazard played a significant role in financing the French government and British government efforts, working closely with J.P. Morgan & Co. and Kuhn, Loeb & Co.. In the 1980s, Lazard advised on several high-profile deals, including the RJR Nabisco takeover and the Kohlberg Kravis Roberts acquisition of Beatrice Companies.

● Services

Lazard provides a range of services, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic advisory, restructuring, and capital markets advisory. The company has a strong presence in Europe, with offices in London, Paris, and Frankfurt, and has worked with clients such as Deutsche Bank, UBS, and Credit Suisse. Lazard's asset management division manages assets for clients such as CalPERS, New York State Common Retirement Fund, and California State Teachers' Retirement System. The company has also advised on several high-profile initial public offerings, including those of Facebook, Twitter, and Alibaba Group.

● Notable Deals and Clients

Lazard has advised on several notable deals, including the General Motors bankruptcy and restructuring, the Chrysler acquisition by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and the Time Warner merger with AOL. The company has worked with clients such as Microsoft, Apple Inc., and Google, and has advised on several high-profile private equity deals, including those involving Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Blackstone Group, and Carlyle Group. Lazard has also advised on several notable cross-border deals, including the Vodafone acquisition of Mannesmann and the Sanofi acquisition of Aventis.

● Corporate Affairs

Lazard is headquartered in New York City and Paris, and is led by Kenneth Jacobs, who has been the company's chief executive officer since 2009. The company has a strong presence in Asia, with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo, and has worked with clients such as China Investment Corporation, Singapore Investment Corporation, and Japan Investment Corporation. Lazard has also been recognized for its commitment to corporate social responsibility, and has been named one of the Best Places to Work by Fortune magazine and one of the Most Admired Companies by Forbes.

● Controversies

Lazard has been involved in several controversies over the years, including a securities fraud lawsuit related to the company's role in the Enron scandal, and a conflict of interest lawsuit related to the company's advisory role in the General Motors bankruptcy. The company has also faced criticism for its role in advising on several high-profile tax inversion deals, including those involving Pfizer and Medtronic. Lazard has also been the subject of several regulatory investigations, including those by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Despite these controversies, Lazard remains one of the most respected and successful investment banking firms in the world, with a long history of advising on complex and high-profile deals for clients such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and J.P. Morgan. Category:Financial services companies