Related Parties

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Parties

21. RELATED PARTIES

Sponsored Funds

The Company serves as an investment advisor for certain affiliated investment companies and fund entities and receives management fees and, for the alternative investment funds, performance-based incentive fees for providing such services. Investment advisory fees relating to such services were $708,900, $564,686 and $587,665 for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and are included in “asset management fees” on the consolidated statements of operations. Of such amounts, $96,740 and $72,076 remained as receivables at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and are included in “fees receivable” on the consolidated statements of financial condition.

Tax Receivable Agreement

The Second Amended and Restated Tax Receivable Agreement, dated as of October 26, 2015 (the “TRA”), between Lazard and LTBP Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), provides for the payment by our subsidiaries to the Trust of (i) approximately 45% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that we actually realize as a result of the increases in the tax basis of certain assets and of certain other tax benefits related to the TRA, and (ii) an amount that we currently expect will equal 85% of the cash tax savings that may arise from tax basis increases attributable to payments under the TRA. Our subsidiaries expect to benefit from the balance of cash savings, if any, in income tax that our subsidiaries realize from such tax basis increases. Any amount paid by our subsidiaries to the Trust will generally be distributed pro rata to the owners of the Trust, who include certain of our executive officers.

For purposes of the TRA, cash savings in income and franchise tax will be computed by comparing our subsidiaries’ actual income and franchise tax liability to the amount of such taxes that our subsidiaries would have been required to pay had there been no increase in the tax basis of certain assets of Lazard Group and had our subsidiaries not entered into the TRA. The term of the TRA will continue until approximately 2033 or, if earlier, until all relevant tax benefits have been utilized or expired.

The amount of the TRA liability is an undiscounted amount based upon current tax laws and the structure of the Company and various assumptions regarding potential future operating profitability. The assumptions reflected in the estimate involve significant judgment and if our structure or income assumptions were to change, we could be required to accelerate payments under the TRA. As such, the actual amount and timing of payments under the TRA could differ materially from our estimates. Any changes in the amount of the estimated liability would be recorded as a non-compensation expense in the consolidated statement of operations. Adjustments, if necessary, to the related deferred tax assets would be recorded through the “provision (benefit) for income taxes”.

For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the Company recorded a “provision (benefit) pursuant to tax receivable agreement” on the consolidated statements of operations of $2,199, $(439) and $(503), respectively. The cumulative liability relating to our obligations under the TRA as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $213,434 and $221,451, respectively, and is recorded in “tax receivable agreement obligation” on the consolidated statements of financial condition. The balance at December 31, 2021 reflects a payment made under the TRA in the year ended December 31, 2021 of $10,215.

Other

See Note 15 for information regarding related party transactions pertaining to shares repurchased from certain of our executive officers.