Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,132,083	$ 1,066,580
Deposits with banks and short-term investments	389,861	207,760
Cash deposited with clearing organizations and other segregated cash	34,948	43,290
Receivables (net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $12,882 and $23,540 at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively):
Fees	423,817	483,681
Customers and other	73,396	73,915
Total receivables, net	497,213	557,596
Investments	541,911	620,352
Property (net of accumulated amortization and depreciation of $265,506 and $256,286 at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)	207,165	222,569
Goodwill and other intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $57,561 and $51,754 at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)	326,976	347,438
Deferred tax assets	1,130,595	59,041
Other assets	226,014	207,610
Total Assets	4,486,766	3,332,236
Liabilities:
Deposits and other customer payables	506,665	316,601
Accrued compensation and benefits	570,409	606,290
Senior debt	998,350	1,048,350
Deferred tax liabilities	11,104	29,929
Capital lease obligations	9,028	12,015
Other liabilities	499,942	529,417
Total Liabilities	$ 3,119,460	$ 2,562,179
Commitments and contingencies
Common stock:
Additional paid-in-capital	$ 600,034	$ 702,800
Retained earnings	1,123,728	464,655
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(234,356)	(200,766)
Stockholders' equity subtotal before common stock held by subsidiary and Noncontrolling interests, total	1,490,704	967,987
Total Lazard Ltd Stockholders' Equity	1,313,455	706,744
Noncontrolling interests	53,851	63,313
Total Stockholders' Equity	1,367,306	770,057
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	4,486,766	3,332,236
LMDC Holdings [Member]
Liabilities:
Tax receivable agreement obligation	$ 523,962	$ 19,577
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share; 15,000,000 shares authorized:
Preferred stock
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share; 15,000,000 shares authorized:
Preferred stock
Class A Common Stock [Member]
Common stock:
Class A, par value $.01 per share (500,000,000 shares authorized; 129,766,091 shares issued at December 31, 2015 and 2014, including shares held by subsidiaries as indicated below)	$ 1,298	$ 1,298
Class A common stock held by subsidiaries, at cost (4,253,381 and 7,450,745 shares at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)	$ (177,249)	$ (261,243)