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Whiskey5Culture sucks at Lazard. I would not want to work there. Take your pick with Greenhill and BarCap. Both are great.

I'm assuming you posted this based off of other posts on WSO? You clearly don't know anything about Lazard's culture, so please refrain from posting. I personally know several people that are at Lazard and their culture is actually great.

I think it comes down to LAZ vs. GHL. LAZ hired one of GHL's founding partners a while back if that says anything lol. I'd choose Lazard, but that's just personal preference. Talk to some of the analysts and associates and go from there.

 
Plastic Cup Boys
Whiskey5Culture sucks at Lazard. I would not want to work there. Take your pick with Greenhill and BarCap. Both are great.

I'm assuming you posted this based off of other posts on WSO? You clearly don't know anything about Lazard's culture, so please refrain from posting. I personally know several people that are at Lazard and their culture is actually great.

I think it comes down to LAZ vs. GHL. LAZ hired one of GHL's founding partners a while back if that says anything lol. I'd choose Lazard, but that's just personal preference. Talk to some of the analysts and associates and go from there.

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Plastic Cup Boys
Whiskey5Culture sucks at Lazard. I would not want to work there. Take your pick with Greenhill and BarCap. Both are great.

I'm assuming you posted this based off of other posts on WSO? You clearly don't know anything about Lazard's culture, so please refrain from posting. I personally know several people that are at Lazard and their culture is actually great.

I think it comes down to LAZ vs. GHL. LAZ hired one of GHL's founding partners a while back if that says anything lol. I'd choose Lazard, but that's just personal preference. Talk to some of the analysts and associates and go from there.

your fos. laz culture sux, can confirm from multiple sources.
 

Full disclosure: heading to BarCap for the summer. Three points to consider:

  1. Small bank vs. large bank - differences can be very large
  2. BarCap's M&A groups are within their coverage teams so it's not a separate product group. If you want industry-agnostic M&A, go for GHL/LAZ and you can't go wrong. If you want to do coverage and then M&A within that vertical go with BarCap.
  3. BarCap's Consumer group isn't great. Its Power/NatRes, Healthcare, Tech, FIG groups are strong. If you're looking at those verticals in particular, then BarCap may be of interest to you. If you're industry agnostic, then go for GHL/Laz.

Regardless, it's a very good problem to have. Congrats!

 
IBeinhopefulFull disclosure: heading to BarCap for the summer. Three points to consider:
  1. Small bank vs. large bank - differences can be very large
  2. BarCap's M&A groups are within their coverage teams so it's not a separate product group. If you want industry-agnostic M&A, go for GHL/LAZ and you can't go wrong. If you want to do coverage and then M&A within that vertical go with BarCap.
  3. BarCap's Consumer group isn't great. Its Power/NatRes, Healthcare, Tech, FIG groups are strong. If you're looking at those verticals in particular, then BarCap may be of interest to you. If you're industry agnostic, then go for GHL/Laz.

Regardless, it's a very good problem to have. Congrats!

Lazard's M&A is within their industry coverage groups as well and not a separate product group.

 

Nice work! congrats

My take: BarCap/Lazard > Greenhill

Lazard will work you harder, while Barclays is a little chiller (still working hard). Good deal flow at Barclays and Lazard, Greenhill has been a little low on deals lately relative to other boutiques.

Lazard is straight M&A and has smart guys but is a known sweatshop. That's what people mean by "bad culture." Like you might start there and wanna jump from 30 Rockefeller or whatever their building is. Barclays is less of a sweatshop, has smart people, and similar compensation, but you might get placement into some random group, even if you have an ibd offer. However, if you're lucky you'll get the M&A analyst position within an industry coverage group, which is a good combo of gaining industry expertise while working on cool transactions.

All three place decently into buyside, so don't let that factor into you're decision too much

 

Agree w/ Plastic Cup. Idk where LAZ garnered this terrible rep. Every bank gunning for competitive deals is going to work you hard (you'll get worked plenty hard at BarCap or Greenhill and likely get yelled at) and have some assholes running the show. Have met w/ an MD group head at LAZ once or twice who's alum and an extremely nice guy. Buddy at "awesome culture" BB's Director is the living incarnation of Satan. It's all relative.

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I apologize if I was incorrect.

At BarCap, you'd work in coverage F/T for six months at which point you can choose to either remain in coverage or focus on M&A within that vertical.

At Laz, don't you start as an M&A generalist and then focus on a particular group? Or are you immediately slotted into a industry-specific M&A group?

Regardless, the structures at both firms are very different.

 

It's between BarCap and Laz and you can't go wrong with either. Maybe see what it's like at BarCap this Summer, and keep the line open with Lazard should you change your mind after your internship.

(I'm obviously biased of course!)

 

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