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Related Parties
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Related Parties [Abstract]  
Related Parties
21. RELATED PARTIES

Amounts receivable from, and payable to, related parties are set forth below:

 

                 
      December 31,  
      2011      2010  

Receivables

                 

LFCM Holdings

   $ 14,790       $ 24,785   

Other

     3,711         89   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 18,501       $ 24,874   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Payables

                 

LFCM Holdings

   $ 4,850       $ 2,819   

Other

     1,225           
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 6,075       $ 2,819   
    

 

 

    

 

 

 

LFCM Holdings

LFCM Holdings owns and operates the capital markets business and fund management activities, as well as other specified non-operating assets and liabilities, that were transferred to it by Lazard Group (referred to as the "separated businesses") in May 2005 and is owned by various current and former working members, including certain of Lazard's current and former managing directors (which also include certain of the Company's executive officers) who were or are also members of LAZ-MD Holdings. In addition to the master separation agreement, dated as of May 10, 2005, by and among Lazard Ltd, Lazard Group, LAZ-MD Holdings and LFCM Holdings (the "master separation agreement"), which effected the separation and recapitalization that occurred in May 2005, LFCM Holdings entered into an insurance matters agreement and a license agreement that addressed various business matters associated with the separation, as well as several other agreements discussed below.

Under the employee benefits agreement, dated as of May 10, 2005, by and among Lazard Ltd, Lazard Group, LAZ-MD Holdings and LFCM Holdings, LFCM Holdings generally assumed, as of the completion of the separation and recapitalization transactions, all outstanding and future liabilities in respect of the current and former employees of the separated businesses. The Company retained all accrued liabilities under, and assets of, the pension plans in the U.S. and the U.K. as well as the 401(k) plan accounts of the inactive employees of LFCM Holdings and its subsidiaries.

Pursuant to the administrative services agreement, dated as of May 10, 2005, by and among LAZ-MD Holdings, LFCM Holdings and Lazard Group (the "administrative services agreement"), Lazard Group provides selected administrative and support services to LAZ-MD Holdings and LFCM Holdings, such as cash management and debt service administration, accounting and financing activities, tax, payroll, human resources administration, financial transaction support, information technology, public communications, data processing, procurement, real estate management and other general administrative functions. Lazard Group charges for these services based on Lazard Group's cost allocation methodology.

The services provided pursuant to the administrative services agreement by Lazard Group to LFCM Holdings, and by LFCM Holdings to Lazard Group, are subject to automatic annual renewal, unless either party gives 180 days' notice of termination. LFCM Holdings and Lazard Group have a right to terminate the services earlier if there is a change of control of either party or the business alliance provided in the business alliance agreement entered into on May 10, 2005, by and among LAZ-MD Holdings, LFCM Holdings and Lazard Group (the "business alliance agreement") (described below) expires or is terminated. The party receiving a service may also terminate a service earlier upon 180 days' notice as long as the receiving party pays the service provider an additional three months of service fee for the terminated service. In addition, in connection with the various agreements entered into regarding the CP II MgmtCo Spin-Off described below, Lazard Group agreed to provide certain specified services to LFCM Holdings (which, in turn, LFCM Holdings may provide to its subsidiary, CP II MgmtCo ("CP II MgmtCo")).

The business alliance agreement provides, among other matters, that Lazard Group will refer to LFCM Holdings selected opportunities for underwriting and distribution of securities. In addition, Lazard Group will provide assistance in the execution of any such referred business. In exchange for the referral obligation and assistance, Lazard Group will receive a referral fee from LFCM Holdings equal to approximately one-half of the revenue obtained by LFCM Holdings in respect of any underwriting or distribution opportunity. In addition, LFCM Holdings will refer opportunities in the Financial Advisory and Asset Management businesses to Lazard Group. In exchange for this referral, LFCM Holdings will be entitled to a customary finders' fee from Lazard Group. The business alliance agreement further provides that, during the term of the business alliance, LFNY and Lazard Asset Management Securities LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of LFNY, will introduce execution and settlement transactions to broker-dealer entities affiliated with LFCM Holdings. The business alliance agreement is subject to periodic automatic renewal, unless Lazard Group or LFCM Holdings elects to terminate the agreement in connection with any such renewal or elects to terminate on account of a change of control of either party.

For the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, amounts recorded by Lazard Group relating to the administrative services agreement amounted to $10,277, $12,110 and $9,717, respectively, and net referral fees for underwriting, private placement, M&A and restructuring transactions under the business alliance agreement amounted to $18,862, $11,506 and $12,301, respectively. Amounts relating to the administrative services agreement are reported as reductions to operating expenses. Net referral fees for underwriting transactions under the business alliance agreement are reported in "revenue-other". Net referral fees for private placement, M&A and restructuring transactions under the business alliance agreement are reported in advisory fee revenue.

Receivables from LFCM Holdings and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 primarily include $10,722 and $12,775, respectively, related to administrative and support services and reimbursement of expenses incurred on behalf of LFCM Holdings, and $2,928 and $11,413, respectively, related to referral fees for underwriting and private placement transactions. Payables to LFCM Holdings and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2011 and 2010 relate primarily to obligations pursuant to the tax receivable agreement of $2,790 and $2,361, respectively (see Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements) and $2,060 and $458, respectively, principally relating to certain advances and referral fees for Financial Advisory transactions.

Other

For the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, amounts recorded by Lazard Group relating to referral fees for restructuring transactions and fee sharing with MBA Lazard Holdings S.A. Group ("MBA"), an Argentina-based group in which the Company has a 50% ownership interest, amounted to $1,866 and $128, respectively, and are reported in advisory fee revenue. There were no such amounts for the year ended December 31, 2009.

 

Other receivables at December 31, 2011 and 2010 and payables at December 31, 2011 primarily relate to referral fees for restructuring and M&A transactions with MBA and, in 2011, a related party loan.

 

LAZ-MD Holdings

Lazard Group provides selected administrative and support services to LAZ-MD Holdings through the administrative services agreement as discussed above, with such services generally to be provided until December 31, 2014 unless terminated earlier because of a change in control of either party. Lazard Group charges LAZ-MD Holdings for these services based on Lazard Group's cost allocation methodology and, for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, such charges amounted to $750 in each year.

Lazard Alternative Investments

The business alliance agreement, among other things, granted Lazard Group the option to acquire the North American and European fund management activities of Lazard Alternative Investments Holdings LLC ("LAI"), the subsidiary of LFCM Holdings that owns and operates LFCM Holdings' alternative investment (including private equity) activities, for an aggregate purchase price of $8,000 and $2,000, respectively. On December 15, 2009, Lazard Group exercised its option to acquire the European fund management activities of LAI for a purchase price of $2,000. LAI's fund management activities consist of the fund management and general partner entities, together with Lazard Group's direct investments in related funds that were transferred to LFCM Holdings pursuant to or in anticipation of the May 10, 2005 separation (the "separation") from the Company of its former Capital Markets and Other business segment.

The business alliance agreement provides Lazard Group with certain governance rights with respect to LAI and provides for support by LFCM Holdings of the business of LAI. With respect to historical investments and funds transferred to LFCM Holdings as part of the separation, profits realized prior to the exercise of the option are for the account of LFCM Holdings, whereas profits realized after the exercise of the option are for the account of Lazard Group. The master separation agreement and business alliance agreement provide for Lazard Group (i) to invest capital in future funds to be managed by LFCM Holdings' subsidiaries and (ii) to receive incentive distributions from such funds, as well as profits related to such investments, if any, irrespective of whether it exercises its purchase option.

In February 2005, Lazard Group formed CP II, with institutional and Lazard Group capital commitments which required funding at any time through 2010, except for potential follow-on investments and/or CP II expenses. As of December 31, 2011, Lazard Group's investment in CP II amounted to $31,533 which is recorded within "investments - other - private equity" on the consolidated statement of financial condition. Pursuant to the master separation agreement and business alliance agreement, CP II was managed by CP II MgmtCo, and Lazard Group is entitled to receive the carried interest distributions made by CP II (other than the carried interest distributions made to investment professionals who manage the fund).

In February 2009, pursuant to agreements entered into by the Company with a subsidiary of LAI ("LAI North America"), LFCM Holdings and the investment professionals who manage CP II, equity ownership of CP II MgmtCo was transferred from LAI North America to the investment professionals who manage CP II (the "CP II MgmtCo Spin-Off"). Concurrently with the CP II MgmtCo Spin-Off, CP II MgmtCo became a standalone entity. In addition, in connection with a February 2009 $4,000 cash payment from Lazard Group to LFCM Holdings relating to the CP II MgmtCo Spin-Off, the business alliance agreement was amended to remove any restriction on the Company engaging in private equity businesses in North America other than certain investments in real estate and technology and information services. Such amendment reduced the then purchase price relating to our option to acquire the fund management activities of LAI in North America from $6,500 to $2,500. As part of the CP II MgmtCo Spin-Off, we retained our entitlement to receive a slightly reduced portion of the carried interest distributions made by CP II.

 

The remaining option to purchase the North American fund management activities is currently exercisable at any time prior to May 10, 2014, for a purchase price of $2,500 as described above. The reduced price for the North American option reflects (i) a reduction of $1,500 due to the payment of a like amount in February 2008 to LFCM Holdings in connection with the Sapphire IPO, whereby LFCM Holdings agreed not to assert certain claims that it may believe that it had under the business alliance agreement and (ii) the $4,000 payment described above.

During the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company determined that it was unlikely to exercise the North American option. Accordingly, during such period the Company wrote-off the $5,500 capitalized cost associated with the option which is included within "other" operating expenses on the consolidated statement of operations.