Lazard

Lazard LLC (NYSE: LAZ) is a New York-based, independent investment bank with more than 2,500 employees in Asia, North America, and Europe. Lazard was founded in 1848, and remained privately held until May 5, 2005, when the company officially went public with its IPO.

1 IPO
2 History
3 Management
4 External links
- 4.1 Data
- 4.2 Articles

IPO

On 2004–12–17 Lazard Ltd filed a Form S-1 with the SEC about performing an IPO during 2005 ([1]).

History

Lazard's origins date back to 1848 when the founders, the Lazard brothers, Alexandre Lazard, Simon Lazard, and Elie Lazard, moved to the United States from France, and formed Lazard Frères & Co. as a dry goods business in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a combined contribution of $9,000. Shortly thereafter, the Lazard brothers moved to the gold rush town of San Francisco, California, where they opened a business selling imported goods and exporting gold bullion. The business progressively became involved in financial transactions, first with its retail clients and then increasingly with commercial clients. Over time, the business expanded into the banking and foreign exchange businesses.

Seeking to expand operations to Europe, the Lazard brothers opened offices in Paris and London in 1858 and 1870, respectively. By 1876, Lazards businesses had become solely focused on providing financial services. In 1880, Alexander Weill, the founding brothers cousin, assumed control of Lazard.