World’s best bank for public-sector clients: Lazard

You will not find them in the debt capital markets league tables, but Lazard is the 2017 world’s best bank for public-sector clients because of its deftness at finding solutions to highly complex public-sector issues, often of central importance to the global economy.

Led by Matthieu Pigasse, vice-chairman and global head of M&A and sovereign advisory, Lazard’s public-sector franchise is a pure advisory business. 

He says: “We’re independent of any conflict of interest other banks may have – we don’t trade, we don’t provide research, we don’t lend.”

Drawing from its team of economists (including French economist and senior Lazard adviser Daniel Cohen), capital markets specialists and former civil servant policy specialists, Lazard can tackle the most seemingly insurmountable crises.

“We assemble bespoke teams for each situation, and they focus on only one deal at a time, from start to finish,” says Pigasse. Using that approach, Lazard’s public-sector group has closed deals with about 20 different public entities in the last 12 months.