Women-Owned Investment Bank to Widen Aperture of Traditional Investment Banking

Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ) and newly launched Independence Point Advisors (IPA) announced today that they have formed a strategic alliance, effective immediately, to provide a suite of bespoke C-suite and board-level services beyond traditional investment banking.

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Lazard will hold a minority interest in IPA, which was founded by industry veteran Anne Clarke Wolff in 2021. IPA’s team of women and diverse leaders with proven track records will provide clients a modern approach to investment banking services that complement Lazard’s M&A, Restructuring and Capital Markets Advisory businesses. As a result of the alliance, Lazard will be the exclusive partner on M&A assignments generated by IPA.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with Anne, a fantastic and proven leader, and her team, who have a broad network of CEOs, senior executives and board members,” said Peter R. Orszag, CEO of Lazard Financial Advisory. “IPA brings a new look and feel, and level of perspective and professionalism to Wall Street that fits well with our continuing evolution in modernizing our firm, while providing a broad array of services to clients, supporting diversity and creating commercial opportunities and adjacent businesses.”

“Lazard is a preeminent investment bank, and has the right leadership, culture and forward-thinking approach to business that make it a perfect match for us,” said Anne Clarke Wolff, Founder and CEO of IPA. “I look forward to working with our colleagues at Lazard to widen the aperture of traditional investment banking and bring clients an unparalleled combination of diverse experience and authentic perspectives.”

Prior to founding IPA, Wolff has held senior leadership roles for more than three decades at the largest global investment banks including Bank of America, JP Morgan and Citigroup.

About Lazard

Lazard, one of the world's preeminent financial advisory and asset management firms, operates from 41 cities across 26 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Central and South America. With origins dating to 1848, the firm provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, strategic matters, restructuring and capital structure, capital raising and corporate finance, as well as asset management services to corporations, partnerships, institutions, governments and individuals. For more information on Lazard, please visit www.lazard.com. Follow Lazard at @Lazard.

About Independence Point Advisors

Independence Point Advisors (“IPA”) is a women-owned investment bank and advisory firm that was founded on the belief that today’s clients have a diversity of opportunities and challenges that require a diversity of talent to navigate. Through a strategic alliance with Lazard, IPA will create an unrivalled combination of diverse perspectives and experience with Lazard’s preeminent brand in strategic advisory. IPA intends to have a women-owned broker dealer with best-in-class equity and debt capital markets talent. IPA has also formed a team of experts at the intersection of global risk, geostrategy, cyber security, ESG, human capital and board diversity – top of mind issues facing corporate leaders today. For more information about IPA, please visit www.independencepoint.com.

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