ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION |
6 Months Ended |
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Jun. 30, 2025 | |
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. 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 June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024. Lazard, Inc., through its control of the managing members of Lazard Group LLC, controls Lazard Group, which is governed by a Third 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 cash management, investments, deferred tax assets, outstanding indebtedness and certain contingent obligations. Basis of Presentation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of Lazard have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Lazard, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. The accompanying December 31, 2024 unaudited condensed consolidated statement of financial condition data was derived from audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statement purposes. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts that are reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying disclosures. For example, discretionary compensation and benefits expense for interim periods is accrued based on the year-to-date amount of revenue earned, and an estimated annual ratio of compensation and benefits expense to revenue, with the applicable amounts adjusted for certain items. Although these estimates are based on management’s knowledge of current events and actions that Lazard may undertake in the future, actual results may differ materially from the estimates. The condensed consolidated results of operations for the three month and six month periods ended June 30, 2025 are not indicative of the results to be expected for any future interim or annual period. The condensed consolidated financial statements include Lazard, Inc. and its subsidiaries including Lazard Group LLC and Lazard Group LLC’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. 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 21). 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. Amortization and other acquisition-related costs are reported in “operating expenses-other” in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and “amortization of deferred expenses and share-based incentive compensation” in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. Such amounts were previously reported separately. Prior year information has been recast to reflect the updated presentation.
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