UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT

TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) March 10, 2008

 

 

Lazard Ltd

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

Bermuda

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

 

001-32492		98-0437848
(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

Clarendon House, 2 Church Street, Hamilton, Bermuda		HM 11
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

441-295-1422

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 

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Item 5.02.

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

On March 10, 2008, Lazard Ltd (“Lazard”) announced the election of Dominique Ferrero to its Board of Directors (the “Board”) and the resignation, also on March 10, 2008, of Anthony Orsatelli from the Board. A copy of the press release announcing this information is being furnished as Exhibits 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K. In connection with an investment by Natixis (formerly, IXIS Corporate & Investment Bank) in Lazard at the time of our initial public offering, Lazard agreed to nominate one person designated by Natixis to the Board. Mr. Ferrero is the Natixis nominee to the Board. For a description of this and other arrangements with Natixis, please see Lazard’s 2008 preliminary proxy statement filed on March 10, 2008.

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Report on Form 8-K:

 

99.1		Press Release issued on March 10, 2008.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report on Form 8-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Dated: March 10, 2008

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

99.1	Press Release issued on March 10, 2008.

Exhibit 99.1

For Immediate Release

 

Media contacts:		Investor contacts:
Judi Frost Mackey, +1 212 632 1428		Michael J. Castellano, +1 212 632 8262
judi.mackey@lazard.com		Chief Financial Officer
Richard Creswell, +1 44 207 187 2305		Jean Greene, +1 212 632 1905
richard.creswell@lazard.com		investorrelations@lazard.com

LAZARD ELECTS DOMINIQUE FERRERO

TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NEW YORK, March 10, 2008 – Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ) today announced it has elected Dominique Ferrero, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Executive Board of Natixis, to the firm’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Ferrero, age 61, succeeds Anthony Orsatelli, former Executive Board Member of Natixis, who has retired from Lazard’s Board of Directors, for which he served as a Director since the firm’s IPO in May 2005.

About Lazard

Lazard, one of the world’s preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms, operates from 39 cities across 21 countries in North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and South America. The firm provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and capital raising, as well as asset management services, to corporations, partnerships, institutions, governments and individuals. For more information on Lazard, please visit www.lazard.com.

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may”, “might”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential” or “continue”, and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only our belief regarding future results, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of our control. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

These factors include, but are not limited to, those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K under Item 1A “Risk Factors,” and also disclosed from time to time in reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K including the following:

 

•

A decline in general economic conditions or the global financial markets;

 

•

Losses caused by financial or other problems experienced by third parties;

 

•

Losses due to unidentified or unanticipated risks;

 

•

A lack of liquidity, i.e., ready access to funds, for use in our businesses; and

 

•

Competitive pressure.

*    *    *

Lazard Ltd is committed to providing timely and accurate information to the investing public, consistent with our legal and regulatory obligations. To that end, Lazard and its operating companies use their websites to convey information about their businesses, including the anticipated release of quarterly financial results, quarterly financial, statistical and business-related information, and the posting of updates of assets under management in various hedge funds and mutual funds and other investment products managed by Lazard Asset Management LLC and its subsidiaries. Monthly updates of these funds will be posted to the Lazard Asset Management website (www.lazardnet.com) on the third business day following the end of each month. Investors can link to Lazard and its operating company websites through www.lazard.com.

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