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Organization and Basis of Presentation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization and Basis of Presentation ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Organization
Lazard, Inc. is one of the world’s preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms, incorporated in Delaware that specializes in crafting solutions to the complex financial and strategic challenges of our clients. Lazard provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and capital solutions, restructuring and liability management, geopolitics, and other strategic matters, as well as asset management and investment solutions to institutions, corporations, governments, partnerships, family offices, and high net worth individuals.
On January 1, 2024, Lazard completed its conversion (the “Conversion”) from an exempted company incorporated under the laws of Bermuda named Lazard Ltd to a U.S. C-Corporation named Lazard, Inc. Pursuant to the Conversion, each share of Lazard Ltd common stock was converted into one share of Lazard, Inc. common stock. References to “Lazard” or the “Company” refer to (i) Lazard, Inc. and its subsidiaries following the Conversion and (ii) Lazard Ltd and its subsidiaries prior to the Conversion. As the Conversion became effective on January 1, 2024, the accompanying financial statements and related notes as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 reflect Lazard as an exempted company incorporated under the laws of Bermuda named Lazard Ltd.
Lazard, Inc. indirectly held 100% of all outstanding common membership interests of Lazard Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (collectively referred to, together with its subsidiaries, as “Lazard Group”) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. Lazard, Inc., through its control of the managing members of Lazard Group, controls Lazard Group, which is governed by an Amended and Restated Operating Agreement that is effective as of January 1, 2023 (the “Operating Agreement”).
Lazard, Inc.’s primary operating asset is its indirect ownership of the common membership interests of, and managing member interests in, Lazard Group, whose principal operating activities are included in two business segments:
Financial Advisory, which offers corporate, partnership, institutional, government, sovereign and individual clients across the globe a wide array of financial advisory services including mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) advisory, capital markets advisory, shareholder advisory, sovereign advisory, geopolitical advisory, restructuring and liability management, capital raising and placement, and other strategic matters; and
Asset Management, which offers a broad range of global investment solutions and investment and wealth management services in equity and fixed income strategies, asset allocation strategies, alternative investments and private equity funds to corporations, public funds, sovereign entities, endowments and foundations, labor funds, financial intermediaries and private wealth clients.
In addition, we record selected other activities in our Corporate segment, including management of cash, investments, deferred tax assets, outstanding indebtedness and certain contingent obligations.
Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).
The Company’s policy is to consolidate entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. The Company consolidates:
Voting interest entities (“VOEs”) where the Company holds a majority of the voting interest in such VOEs and
Variable interest entities (“VIEs”) where the Company is the primary beneficiary having the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of, or receive benefits from, the VIE that could be potentially significant to the VIE (see Note 24).
When the Company does not have a controlling interest in an entity, but exerts significant influence over such entity’s operating and financial decisions, the Company either (i) applies the equity method of accounting in which it records a proportionate share of the entity’s net earnings or losses or (ii) elects the option to measure its investment at fair value.
Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.
The consolidated financial statements include Lazard, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Lazard Group and Lazard Group’s principal operating subsidiaries: Lazard Frères & Co. LLC (“LFNY”), a New York limited liability company, along with its subsidiaries, including Lazard Asset Management LLC and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “LAM”); the French limited liability companies Compagnie Financière Lazard Frères SAS (“CFLF”), along with its subsidiaries, Lazard Frères Banque SA (“LFB”) and Lazard Frères Gestion SAS (“LFG”), and Maison Lazard SAS and its subsidiaries; and Lazard & Co., Limited (“LCL”), through Lazard & Co., Holdings Limited (“LCH”), an English private limited company, together with their jointly owned affiliates and subsidiaries.
Amortization and other acquisition-related costs are reported in “operating expenses-other” in the consolidated statements of operations and “amortization of deferred expenses and share-based incentive compensation” in the consolidated statements of cash flows. Such amounts were previously reported separately. Prior year information has been recast to reflect the updated presentation.