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) July 29, 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)) |
| Item 5.02. | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers |
On July 29, 2008, the Board of Directors of Lazard Ltd (the “Board”) elected Philip A. Laskawy to the Board. A copy of Lazard Ltd’s press release announcing this information is being furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference. Mr. Laskawy has been appointed as a member of the Audit Committee of the Board, for Steven J. Heyer, who served on the Audit Committee on an interim basis. Mr. Heyer will continue in his role as Chair of Lazard’s Compensation Committee and as a member of Lazard’s Nominating & Governance Committee.
| 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 July 29, 2008. |
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: July 30, 2008
| LAZARD LTD | ||
| By: | /s/ Scott D. Hoffman | |
| Name: | Scott D. Hoffman | |
| Title: | Managing Director and General Counsel | |
EXHIBIT INDEX
| 99.1 | Press Release issued on July 29, 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 PHILIP A. LASKAWY
TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NEW YORK, July 29, 2008 – Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ) today announced that it has elected Philip A. Laskawy to the firm’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Laskawy also will serve on Lazard’s Audit Committee.
Mr. Laskawy most recently served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ernst & Young, a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. He retired from Ernst & Young in 2001, after 40 years of service with the professional services firm. Mr. Laskawy also is a member of the Board of Directors of General Motors Corp., Capgemini, Loews Corp., Henry Schein, Inc., and Discover Financial Services.
Mr. Laskawy serves as Vice Chairman of the International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation, which oversees the setting of accounting standards in over 100 countries. He was formerly a member of the Independence Standards Board, created by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to review and update rules regarding auditor independence, and the 1999 Blue Ribbon Committee on Improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit Committees. In addition, he serves on the boards of Dance Theater Foundation (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) and Educational Broadcasting Corporation (thirteen WNET/New York).
About Lazard
Lazard, one of the world’s preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms, operates from 40 cities across 23 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Central and South America. With origins dating back to 1848, 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.
# # #