View Document Text
Item 1 – Cover Page
Form ADV Part 2A
Lazard Asset Management LLC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10112
(212) 632-6000
www.lazardassetmanagement.com
March 2025
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Lazard
Asset Management LLC (“LAM”). If you have any questions about the contents of this Brochure,
please contact us at (212) 632-6000. The information in this Brochure has not been approved or
verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or by any state
securities authority.
LAM is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. Registration as an investment adviser
does not imply any level of skill or training.
information about LAM also
is available on
the SEC’s website at
Additional
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
1
Item 2 – Material Changes
• The Brochure was updated to reflect the addition of new investment strategies and certain changes
to the descriptions of the risks applicable to the firm and its investment strategies.
• The Brochure was updated to reflect that, in 2025, the firm filed a registration statement with the
SEC to support the launch of the Lazard Active ETF Trust, an open-end management investment
company registered under the 1940 Act.
2
Item 3 -Table of Contents
Item 1 – Cover Page ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Item 2 – Material Changes ............................................................................................................................ 2
Item 3 -Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. 3
Item 4 – Advisory Business .......................................................................................................................... 4
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation ................................................................................................................ 14
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management ........................................................... 26
Item 7 – Types of Clients ............................................................................................................................ 28
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ..................................................... 29
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information .............................................................................................................. 46
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations .................................................................. 46
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading, Other
Conflicts of Interest ..................................................................................................................................... 49
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices .................................................................................................................... 51
Item 13 – Review of Accounts .................................................................................................................... 63
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation .................................................................................. 65
Item 15 – Custody ....................................................................................................................................... 65
Item 16 – Investment Discretion ................................................................................................................. 66
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities .............................................................................................................. 67
Item 18 – Financial Information ................................................................................................................. 68
PRIVACY NOTICE ................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
DISCLOSURE FOR ERISA CLIENTS ..................................................................................................... 69
3
Item 4 – Advisory Business
History of the Firm
In 1848, the Lazard brothers formed a dry goods company which eventually became the firm now known
as Lazard Frères & Co. LLC (“LF&Co.”). On May 1, 1970, Lazard Asset Management was formally
established as the investment management division of LF&Co. and registered with the SEC as an
investment adviser. On January 13, 2003, LAM was established as a separate subsidiary of LF&Co. and
succeeded to the entire investment management business previously conducted as a division of LF&Co.
LAM is a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of LF&Co., a New York
limited liability company with one member, Lazard Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
Interests of Lazard Group LLC are indirectly held by Lazard, Inc., a Delaware corporation whose shares
are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “LAZ.”
Principal Owners
The following organizational chart depicts the principal owners of LAM:
LAZARD, INC.
LAZARD HOLDINGS LLC
LLTD CORP I
LLTD CORP II
LLTD 2 SARL
LAZARD GROUP LLC
LAZARD FRÈRES & CO. LLC
LAM AUM
LAZARD ASSET
MANAGEMENT LLC
4
LAM’s Global Affiliates
LAM conducts its distribution and investment activities through subsidiaries and other affiliates located
outside of the United States, which are registered to offer investment advisory services in their local
jurisdictions. Through the use of common systems and supervisory procedures, LAM and these affiliates
operate as a global asset management business. Investment personnel employed by different LAM affiliates
continuously collaborate on research and investment decisions that are applied to client accounts domiciled
in various global jurisdictions. Similarly, sales personnel employed by one of LAM’s affiliates may offer
to local clients investment strategies managed by personnel employed by another affiliate. In such
situations, the local affiliate will delegate portfolio management responsibilities to the other affiliate. Such
delegation will be disclosed to the relevant client, normally through the investment management agreement.
LAM AUM
As of December 31, 2024, LAM had regulatory assets under management of approximately $148 billion,
$125.5 billion of which was discretionary. Additionally, LAM managed $3.5 billion in non-discretionary
assets. These figures do not capture assets that LAM manages via certain model portfolio arrangements,
which are, by their nature, non-discretionary. LAM provides model portfolios to various financial
intermediaries and institutional clients. As of December 31, 2024, LAM managed approximately $19
billion through such non-discretionary model portfolio arrangements.
As of December 31, 2024, LAM, together with its global subsidiaries, managed a total of approximately
$186.9 billion in assets under management.
Description of Advisory Services
For over fifty years, LAM has provided a wide array of investment advisory services and products to a
variety of clients. LAM focuses on delivering exceptional client services and consistent application of its
investment philosophies and processes. LAM takes a disciplined approach to investing on behalf of its
clients and maintains a deep and creative team of investment professionals responsible for research and
portfolio management.
LAM actively manages assets according to a variety of equity, fixed income and alternative investment
strategies, including among them investment strategies focusing on global, regional and international
equity, U.S. equity, U.S. and global fixed income, and emerging markets equity and debt. LAM’s
alternative investment products include convertible event, emerging market currency and debt, long/short
equity and private equity strategies, among others. LAM provides investment advisory services to a variety
of clients, including individuals, financial and other institutions, endowments, foundations, corporations,
Taft-Hartley plans, public funds, wrap programs, model-based programs, mutual funds, exchange-traded
funds (“ETFs”), private funds, alternative investment funds and other types of investment vehicles. LAM
does not offer purely passive management investment strategies.
LAM manages client assets, primarily on a fully discretionary basis, pursuant to an investment management
agreement under which it advises each such client, according to LAM’s best judgment, as to the investment
5
and reinvestment of the cash and securities in the client’s account(s). In exercising its judgment in
managing client accounts, LAM takes into account the individual objectives, restrictions and guidelines of
each client, as agreed with the client, and other factors deemed relevant by the client and disclosed to LAM,
such as the nature and amount of other assets and income from other sources. In addition, LAM furnishes
investment advisory services to registered open- and closed-end investment companies and private funds,
including hedge funds and commingled funds and trusts, based on the investment objectives and restrictions
as set forth in each fund’s prospectus or offering document.
LAM will assist clients in the review, evaluation and/or formulation of investment guidelines for the
account and may collect information about each client’s financial circumstances, objectives, risk tolerance
and restrictions. Separately managed account clients may impose reasonable restrictions on investments in
particular securities and/or types of securities. LAM has adopted policies and procedures designed to
ensure compliance with such restrictions. LAM’s automated system is not capable of monitoring certain
types of client-imposed guidelines. Consequently, while LAM may accept these types of restrictions, LAM
will manually monitor such guidelines on a periodic basis.
LAM does not have a firm-wide chief investment officer or a central investment committee that directs on
a firm-wide basis how LAM’s portfolios or investment strategies are implemented. LAM also does not
require investment personnel to conduct research according to a singular approach, nor does LAM try to
formulate a firm-wide investment view on particular securities, sectors or industries. Rather, LAM
encourages an “integrated knowledge” approach whereby its investment personnel generate and share a
diversity of investment opinions. Each portfolio management team makes investment decisions for the
accounts under its discretion based upon its own views (and subject to its strategies and client guidelines),
even if those decisions are inconsistent with the views or decisions of other portfolio management teams.
This model allows LAM to meet the needs of its global clients, and LAM has adopted procedures designed
to address conflicting trades and other potential conflicts that may result from LAM’s investment activities.
Lazard Wealth provides wealth management services to sophisticated families with complex balance sheets,
on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. The chief investment officer and other investment
professionals of this division provide clients with strategic advice and planning, full investment
management and private direct investment opportunities. The Lazard Wealth global investment platform
is open architecture and spans all asset classes, both public and private. Lazard Wealth may invest or
recommend the investment of client assets in strategies and funds managed and/or sponsored by LAM. For
information relating to the wealth management services provide by Lazard Wealth, please refer to the Form
ADV Part 2A of Lazard Wealth (the “LW Brochure”).
LAM has adopted a Sustainable Investment and ESG Integration Policy (the “ESG Policy”) which
recognizes that an issuer’s ESG practices, whether good or bad, can affect its valuation and financial
performance. The ESG Policy also includes the firm’s criteria for labeling a LAM-managed portfolio or
strategy “ESG Integrated” or “Sustainability Focused.” LAM also is a signatory to the United Nations
Principles for Responsible Investment (the “UN PRI”), which seeks to incorporate six ESG principles into
investment-decision making by participating asset managers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, portfolio
management teams at LAM have discretion to incorporate financially material ESG considerations into
their investment processes, and to what degree. Information concerning a particular investment strategy’s
6
utilization of ESG considerations (including the strategy’s potential status as “ESG Integrated” or
“Sustainability Focused” under our procedures) is set forth in LAM’s description of the strategy in its
offering materials. Examples of how LAM investment professionals may incorporate financially material
ESG considerations in their research and company engagement are set forth on LAM’s Sustainable
Investing website available here.
Proxy Voting
Generally, LAM is granted proxy voting authority under its client agreements. However, it is the
responsibility of the custodian appointed by the client to ensure that LAM receives notice of the relevant
proxies sufficiently in advance of the relevant meeting to allow LAM to vote. This is especially true with
respect to wrap programs in which LAM serves as an investment adviser. LAM is not responsible for
voting proxies if it does not receive timely notice from the client’s custodian, or in the case of wrap
programs, the program sponsor. Please refer to Item 17 for more information on LAM’s proxy voting
policy. Proxy voting information relating to Lazard Wealth can be found in Item 17 of the LW Brochure.
Cash Management
Each client account or fund managed by LAM may keep a portion of its assets in cash reserves. Depending
on the individual objectives, restrictions and guidelines of each client account or fund, LAM may actively
manage such cash reserves and either enter into repurchase agreements or “sweep” them temporarily into
one or more money market mutual funds or other short-term investment vehicle, including those managed
by LAM.
In the case of client accounts, generally, sweep arrangements are made between the client and the client’s
custodian, typically with the client responsible for selecting the sweep vehicle. In cases in which LAM
does not actively manage the residual cash in client accounts, LAM’s sole responsibility in this regard is to
issue standing instructions to the custodian to sweep excess cash in the client’s account into the sweep
vehicle. In circumstances where the client has not made arrangements with its custodian, LAM will consult
with the client regarding an appropriate sweep vehicle from those made available by the custodian, with
the ultimate decision being made by the client. In exceptional circumstances, LAM will select an
appropriate sweep vehicle from those made available by the custodian. However, where LAM does not
actively manage the residual cash in a client account, LAM will not be responsible for monitoring the sweep
vehicle into which such residual cash is swept.
In cases in which LAM actively manages the residual cash in a client account, LAM may charge a fee for
such cash management service, in addition to its regular advisory fee. Any client whose assets are “swept”
into a money market mutual fund or other short-term investment vehicle or other unaffiliated fund will
continue to pay LAM’s regular advisory fee plus a management fee to the manager of such fund or short-
term investment vehicle on the portion of the account assets invested in the money market mutual fund,
short-term investment vehicle or other unaffiliated fund. In cases where LAM serves as the manager of
such sweep vehicle, the client may also pay the regular advisory fee and a management fee to LAM. Except
to the extent prohibited by applicable law, LAM receives and retains all or a portion of the 12b-1
distribution/servicing fees paid by such vehicles or other unaffiliated fund.
7
Clients whose assets are entered into repurchase agreements or “swept” into a money market mutual fund,
other short-term investment vehicle or other unaffiliated fund should be aware that their investment may
significantly be affected depending on the interest rate environment and other factors.
Foreign Currency Exchange (“FX”) Transactions
Clients may delegate the execution of FX transactions to LAM. In such cases, LAM (as agent) will arrange
for its FX Advisory Group to execute spot FX transactions in unrestricted currencies on the terms that LAM
has negotiated through the FX Advisory Group at the client’s custodian bank or through a third-party
broker, depending upon the instructions LAM receives from the client. LAM may charge a fee for the
execution of spot FX transactions, in addition to its regular advisory fee. When actively managing FX trades
across numerous accounts, LAM may (through instructions to counterparties or on its own) net client
purchases and client sales in the same currency to reduce LAM’s clients’ transaction costs. Because of
various limitations imposed by non-U.S. authorities and other parties, transactions in restricted currencies
will continue to be effected by each client’s custodian pursuant to standing instructions. Each client’s
custodian also will be responsible for executing all other types of FX transactions pursuant to standing
instructions, such as those related to dividend and interest repatriation.
In cases where a client has not requested that LAM handle arrangements for the settlement of transactions
in non-base currency securities, LAM will instruct the client’s custodian to effect the necessary FX
transaction. This is done either through standing instructions communicated to the custodian bank when
the account is established or at the time settlement instructions are sent to the custodian bank for a particular
transaction. In those cases, the custodian bank is responsible for executing FX transactions, including the
timing and applicable rate of such execution pursuant to its own internal processes. Where custodian banks
execute FX transactions based on standing instructions, LAM will not know the precise execution time of
the FX trade and cannot influence the exchange rates applied to those trades.
Currently, for clients who have requested that LAM handle spot FX, with direction to execute through their
custodian, the rates for FX transactions are generally negotiated in an active manner by LAM utilizing the
custodian bank’s institutional FX desk at LAM’s instruction, multiple times throughout the day. For certain
other clients who have approved LAM to execute without specific custodian bank direction, LAM may
execute the FX trades through approved counterparties other than the client’s custodian bank. These FX
transactions are also generally negotiated in an active manner, multiple times throughout the day.
Open execution (trades executed at banks other than the client’s custodian, either in a negotiated or standing
instruction format) may involve incremental settlement risk and costs in that trades executed with other
counterparties will involve wiring funds to counterparties and certain trade-away fees for third-party
executions. However, LAM may determine that the execution benefits from trading with other
counterparties outweigh the incremental risks and costs.
In addition to executing spot FX transactions in unrestricted currencies, LAM’s FX Advisory Group may
assist clients with both passive and active FX hedging. In the case of passive FX hedging, the FX Advisory
Group manages currency exposure employing a rules-based approach based on the client’s guidelines,
which may specify exposure targets, tolerance bands, the hedging approach (e.g., portfolio overlay, share
8
class or benchmark) and rebalancing. In the case of active FX hedging, the FX Advisory Group actively
manages currency exposure on a discretionary basis based on the client’s goals and limits. LAM may charge
a fee for FX services, in addition to its regular advisory fee.
Wrap Fee Programs
From time to time, clients of broker-dealers or other financial institutions retain LAM under so-called “wrap
fee” programs offered by those institutions where LAM is selected as an investment adviser for the client’s
program account. The broker-dealer or financial institution generally arranges for payment of LAM’s
advisory fee on behalf of the client, monitors and evaluates LAM’s performance and, in certain cases,
provides custodial services for the client’s assets, all for a single fee paid by the client to the broker or other
financial institution.
In addition, LAM participates in programs where it enters into advisory agreements directly with the clients
of wrap program sponsors, which are sometimes known as “dual contract” wrap arrangements. Under both
types of arrangements, LAM often has the ability to execute all trades. In such cases, LAM expects that a
substantial percentage, if not all, of the wrap client’s transactions will be executed with a broker selected
by LAM and then “stepped-out” to the wrap program sponsor, which may incur additional fees for the
client.
Although this is generally descriptive of the manner in which these programs operate and LAM’s role, an
individual wrap program may contain terms and conditions that cause it to operate somewhat differently
than the descriptions above. In general, LAM’s role as a portfolio manager participating in wrap programs
is substantially similar to its role in managing other separately managed accounts in that LAM will manage
each account in accordance with the model portfolio utilized by the LAM investment strategy chosen by
the client or sponsor, subject to client-imposed guidelines; however, LAM may not always manage wrap
program accounts identically to the way it manages separate accounts. For example, wrap program
accounts generally will not participate in initial public offerings, and wrap program accounts may have a
different amount of holdings and different positions than accounts LAM manages directly. LAM cannot,
and does not attempt to, determine the suitability of an investment strategy for a wrap account holder.
A client who participates in a wrap fee arrangement with a wrap fee program sponsor should consider that,
depending on the level of the wrap fee charged by the wrap fee program sponsor, the amount of portfolio
activity in the client’s account, the value of custodial and other services which are provided under the
arrangement, and other factors, the wrap fee may or may not exceed the aggregate cost of such services if
they were to be provided separately.
Model Portfolios
LAM also participates in programs, sometimes referred to as “model programs” or “UMA programs,”
where it provides a model securities portfolio to another asset management firm, which then executes trades
for retail client accounts based upon the model. LAM also enters into non-discretionary investment
advisory agreements with other types of clients, typically institutional clients, to provide models that those
clients may use to construct securities portfolios (together with a model program sponsor or overlay
9
manager receiving model portfolio holdings, each, a “Model Recipient”). In these situations, LAM
typically does not have discretion to manage accounts for the Model Recipient, and LAM cannot determine
the suitability of the investment strategy for the Model Recipient. Rather, LAM generally is responsible
only for providing the updated model portfolio on a periodic basis and is compensated based on a percentage
of total assets of the accounts of, sponsored or managed by, the Model Recipients. In some cases, LAM
will effect trades for the Model Recipient, consistent with the final investment decisions made by the Model
Recipient. Typically, the Model Recipient (and not LAM) is responsible for effecting trades recommended
under the model. Please refer to Item 12 for additional information about LAM’s model portfolio
arrangements and for information regarding how LAM communicates model portfolio holdings to clients
under different circumstances and LAM’s trading processes.
Asset Class Allocation Recommendations
LAM also offers asset class allocation recommendations to clients. Under a particular non-discretionary
investment advisory engagement, LAM provides advice on a periodic basis regarding the allocation of the
client’s assets across various asset classes using a LAM Multi-Asset investment strategy, subject to specific
allocation parameters communicated by the client to LAM. LAM may offer these services to other clients,
and in these engagements, LAM is responsible only for providing recommendations across asset classes
(and not with respect to individual securities), which the client may either accept and implement on behalf
of its portfolio or reject. LAM does not have discretion to manage any of the client’s assets that are the
subject of the arrangement, nor does it have any other duties or responsibilities, such as proxy voting, with
respect to the client. Accordingly, transactions in securities by the client may be in the market at the same
time as transactions by LAM in the same securities. As noted earlier, LAM characterizes assets managed
pursuant to these asset allocation strategies as “assets under advisement.”
Third-Party Service Providers and Other Relationships
LAM’s services to clients rely in part on services received from third-party vendors, especially with respect
to certain technology and operations functions. LAM monitors the services received from these providers
and has developed practices to escalate issues so they are resolved in a timely manner. Despite LAM’s
efforts, there is risk that errors by or interruptions impacting these vendors could affect LAM and its clients.
LAM believes that its controls mitigate, but cannot eliminate, this risk. Some of LAM’s important service
providers are described below.
LAM outsources certain back and middle office administrative functions to State Street Bank and Trust
Company (“State Street”). These services include portfolio accounting, client reporting, settlement, data
administration, billing and reconciliation. In addition, LAM has implemented State Street’s Front-to-Back
investment servicing platform and Charles River Development’s software-as-a-solution (together, the
“Front-to-Back Platform”).
LAM also outsources several operational functions relating to its wrap fee arrangements to SEI Global
Services, Inc. (“SEI”) as well as to State Street. SEI and State Street both utilize their own internal systems
to provide administrative services with respect to the wrap accounts that LAM manages. SEI, in particular,
is responsible for performing the following functions: new client account initialization and maintenance;
10
trade order generation and routing; client account asset and cash reconciliation; client-imposed guideline
monitoring and recordkeeping.
Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”) provides proxy voting, maintenance, reporting, analysis and
record keeping services for LAM with respect to proxies for companies whose securities are held by LAM
on behalf of clients. Glass Lewis & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”) also provides analysis with respect to such
proxies.
LAM has entered into an agreement with Pershing Advisor Solutions LLC and Pershing LLC (together,
“Pershing”) whereby Pershing provides custodial, brokerage and certain other services for certain clients
of LAM. Clients who choose to use Pershing’s services enter into separate custodial and/or brokerage
agreements with Pershing. Generally, Pershing services are utilized by clients of LAM’s Private Client
Group and Lazard Wealth or other clients who do not already utilize their own third-party custodian. LAM
does not require that such clients use Pershing for these services, and clients are free to work with other
custodians. Each client who considers retaining Pershing is provided with certain agreements and
applicable fee schedules. Generally, LAM directs to Pershing most, if not all, trades for clients that retain
Pershing to provide such services due to the nature of the clients’ fee structure with Pershing and other
services that Pershing provides to the clients.
Use of Derivative Instruments
Certain investment strategies managed by LAM utilize over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives, such as
interest-rate swaps, credit default swaps, forward currency contracts and other instruments. Regulatory
changes have created significant operational and legal requirements for trading OTC derivatives, including
FX forwards. These requirements include, but are not limited to, complying with the relevant regulatory
regimes and entering into certain derivative trading documents commonly referred to as “ISDA Master
Agreements” or “ISDAs.” Parties to “swap” transactions must enter into written swap documentation (i.e.,
ISDAs) pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”). In
order to satisfy these documentation requirements, LAM typically recommends that clients elect to use the
non-negotiated 2002 ISDA Master Agreement (the “Dodd-Frank ISDA”) and/or negotiates ISDAs and
credit support annexes (“CSAs”) to govern OTC transactions (each, a “Negotiated ISDA”). In addition,
LAM may also trade OTC derivatives under a client’s existing ISDA documentation. LAM will only act
as agent (and not as principal) when it trades OTC derivatives on a client’s behalf.
There are risks and benefits associated with entering into the Dodd-Frank ISDA and/or a Negotiated ISDA
that each client must carefully consider, and LAM requests that each client consult with its advisors as
necessary to ensure that it understands the risks and benefits of entering into such documents and the terms
of OTC derivative documentation in general. If a client chooses to invest in a LAM-sponsored pooled
vehicle, LAM, as investment manager of the pooled vehicle, will be responsible for establishing all
derivative documentation.
The use of the Dodd-Frank ISDA or a Negotiated ISDA is determined by the type of OTC derivative traded
and client requirements.
11
The Dodd-Frank ISDA
Generally, to trade an OTC derivative that does not require a collateral agreement (i.e., a CSA) with
counterparties (e.g., FX deliverable forwards), LAM requires each client account to adhere to the Dodd-
Frank protocols and elect the Dodd-Frank ISDA. The Dodd-Frank ISDA is elected via Markit, a website
portal that enables clients to incorporate by reference the form Dodd-Frank ISDA and execute it with
multiple counterparties. LAM, upon a client’s request, performs this process on behalf of the client.
The election of the Dodd-Frank ISDA has potential benefits and risks that clients should consider. By
electing the Dodd-Frank ISDA, a client’s account will be set up to trade in a few days. However, by electing
the Dodd-Frank ISDA, which is a non-negotiated “form document”, counterparties cannot include
additional events of default or termination events, key man clauses, credit terms or financial delivery
obligations which may be adverse to a client. These types of terms typically increase the ability of
counterparties to place a client in default or increase its obligations.
The Dodd-Frank ISDA is a “form document,” as indicated above, which means that it is a generic non-
negotiated document and, in certain circumstances, may contain terms that may not be as favorable as a
Negotiated ISDA. For example, certain tax language which is generally customized to parties, entity types
and jurisdictions would not be included in a Dodd-Frank ISDA. Certain other provisions, such as a dispute
resolution provision, limited recourse, notice periods, additional termination events for net asset value
declines, etc. might be included in a Negotiated ISDA but are not in the Dodd-Frank ISDA. Although the
Dodd-Frank ISDA does not include a CSA to enable the posting of collateral, LAM may enter into CSAs
on behalf of clients who trade under a Dodd-Frank ISDA. In this way, collateral may be posted for certain
trading where clients have only entered into a Dodd-Frank ISDA.
Dodd-Frank requires that the prudential regulators and other regulatory bodies impose margin requirements
for uncleared OTC derivative trades on dealers, banks, asset managers and other financial institutions. The
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and other prudential regulators have adopted
rules that mandate the posting of collateral for uncleared OTC derivatives. The rules have phased-in
compliance dates. In an effort to comply with these rules, as well as certain regulations outside the U.S.,
LAM has implemented processes and procedures designed to allow it to post variation margin for accounts
trading FX as required pursuant to relevant regulatory guidance and timelines.
Negotiated ISDAs
Generally, to trade OTC derivatives that require collateral (e.g., interest rate swaps, FX options, CDS on
indices, etc.), LAM will seek to negotiate, on each client account’s behalf, Negotiated ISDAs with several
counterparties. For strategies that trade FX forwards and OTC derivatives that require collateral, LAM will
work with each client to determine the proper derivative documentation. In certain cases, LAM may require
accounts to elect the Dodd-Frank ISDA so that it can trade FX forwards with numerous counterparties
immediately while it finalizes the Negotiated ISDAs. Once LAM finalizes a Negotiated ISDA with a
counterparty, all OTC derivatives (including FX forwards) are traded for that account under that client’s
Negotiated ISDA.
12
Counterparties that enter into Negotiated ISDAs with LAM may conduct due diligence on, and a credit
review of, LAM’s clients that wish to trade OTC derivatives prior to entering into a Negotiated ISDA. This
can be a very lengthy process which typically does not begin until a client’s investment management
agreement is executed and delivered to the counterparty. The length of the process will be driven by several
factors, including but not limited to, the ability to add a client account to an existing LAM-Negotiated
ISDA, the client’s guidelines, the client’s cooperation and the counterparty’s willingness to expedite
negotiations. Negotiated ISDAs may vary from account to account and, therefore, there may be different
credit terms and other risks associated with a client’s account that may not be relevant to other accounts
managed by LAM.
The Negotiated ISDA may require a client to make certain representations and warranties. LAM may not
have the information necessary in order to make such representations and warranties. Therefore, LAM may
require that the client provide the information necessary in order for LAM to execute the Negotiated ISDA.
If this information is not obtained, it may delay the launch of the client’s account.
Negotiated ISDAs, as mentioned above, may also have additional provisions that may not necessarily
benefit a client’s account. For example, many Negotiated ISDAs include additional termination events that
would not otherwise be included in the Dodd-Frank ISDA, making it more likely that an adverse event will
allow the counterparty to terminate the Negotiated ISDA. Conversely, Negotiated ISDAs may include
provisions that are generally helpful to the client, such as an extension of notice and cure periods, dispute
resolution provisions, limited recourse and the expiration of the right to declare a default with respect to an
account if the counterparty does not take action within a certain period of time.
Currently, accounts that enter into Negotiated ISDAs may post collateral for all OTC derivatives (including
FX forwards), while accounts that solely elect the Dodd-Frank ISDA without a CSA cannot post collateral
for FX forwards. Accounts that post collateral may have different returns than accounts that do not post
collateral. In addition, accounts that post collateral may be permitted to enter into transactions that accounts
that do not post collateral cannot (i.e., FX options, CDX, etc.). Furthermore, if a client’s account has certain
cash restrictions and collateral is required to be posted, the ability to utilize several counterparties may be
limited. It is possible that accounts that post collateral obtain better pricing for OTC derivative transactions.
Collateral is often referred to as “initial margin” and “variation margin.” Initial margin is typically a fixed
amount that is required to be designated and maintained at a specified level, regardless of whether the mark-
to-market exposure on the derivative instrument, if closed, would require a payment to the client. Variation
margin is a daily-calculated amount established by the counterparty and depends on a number of factors,
including the type of derivative transaction, the mark-to-market exposure of the client and the credit risk
associated with the client. The variation margin will therefore change from day to day. Any client on
whose behalf LAM may enter into derivative transactions will need to cooperate with LAM, and instruct
its custodian to cooperate with LAM, to establish the necessary arrangements to satisfy collateral
requirements. Any action taken by the client or the custodian that causes insufficient collateral to be posted
may cause the counterparty to issue a margin call, seize the collateral, close out the related derivative
transaction or take other action as permitted by the transaction documents. Any of these actions could result
in a loss to the client.
13
In situations where a client is required to post collateral with a counterparty, the counterparty may fail to
segregate the collateral or may commingle the collateral with assets of other clients of the counterparty. As
a result, in the event of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency, the client’s excess collateral may be
subject to the conflicting claims of the counterparty’s creditors, and the client may be exposed to the risk
of a court treating the client’s account as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the
owner of such collateral. The CFTC has enacted rules and regulations requiring counterparties to notify
their clients of their right to elect the segregation of initial margin. Should a client make this election, it
would need to put in place a collateral account control agreement with its counterparty and custodian which
may take significant time to negotiate and may therefore cause disruption to trading. In addition, there may
be additional costs associated with making an initial margin segregation election. However, should a client
elect to segregate initial margin it posts, its excess collateral could be awarded greater protection in the
event of a counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency. Currently, LAM does not exercise the right to segregate
initial margin on behalf of its accounts, unless required by applicable law.
Investments in derivative transactions involve other risks. Please refer to Item 8 herein for a description of
certain other risks relating to the use of derivative transactions.
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
LAM Advisory Fees – General Policy
LAM’s advisory fee is generally payable monthly or quarterly, based on the value of the account(s), either
in arrears or in advance. In the event that a client terminates an investment management contract prior to
the end of a billing period and the client has paid fees in advance, LAM would work with the client to
refund any overpayment and would calculate the overpayment on a pro rata basis based on the number of
days LAM actually managed the account.
LAM has discretion over the fees it charges. Generally, LAM’s advisory fees are based on a percentage of
assets under management. In certain situations, LAM may agree to a different fee structure, such as a
performance fee. Fees may vary from the standard fee schedules depending on the nature of the services
rendered and special requirements of the account or based on negotiations. Fees will generally differ for a
variety of reasons, for sub-advisory accounts, large accounts, non-discretionary or restricted discretion
accounts, and certain non-U.S. accounts or for certain special arrangements. LAM may offer blended fee
schedules to existing clients with accounts across product lines. LAM has the discretion to waive fees in
whole or in part for an individual client account.
With respect to certain strategies managed by LAM, LAM may make investments for a client’s account in
various exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), open- or closed-end funds, and unregistered funds managed by
LAM, its affiliates or other non-affiliated entities. If the investment strategy chosen by a client includes
allocations to funds managed by LAM or an affiliate of LAM, LAM and/or its affiliate (to the extent not
prohibited by applicable law) may receive a management fee from the relevant fund in addition to the
advisory fee charged to the client for managing the assets in accordance with the strategy. By allocating a
portion of a client’s account to such a fund, LAM’s total fees for managing the account may be higher than
if it did not do so or if it did not receive a fee from the relevant fund. LAM will generally not allocate or
reallocate client assets to or from funds managed by LAM or its affiliates without prior client approval.
The portion of an account invested in such a fund will be managed in accordance with the prospectus or
14
offering document of the fund and will not be managed in accordance with client-imposed investment
guidelines.
Advisory fees for clients of LAM are generally based upon the fee schedule set forth below; however, fees
are negotiable in LAM’s discretion. The fee schedule set forth below relates to the principal investment
strategies managed by LAM. LAM also manages certain sub-strategies or customized strategies related to
the investment strategies set forth below that are not specifically set forth herein.
LAM’s Standard Fee Schedule
Advisory fees for LAM’s separately managed account strategies are based on the market value of each
account as follows:
Global Equity
European Equity Select
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
International Equity
50 basis points on the balance
Lazard Capital Allocator Series (“LCAS”) – Global
International Quality Growth
Global Equity Select
75 basis points on the first $25 million;
International Equity Select/with Emerging Markets
50 basis points on the next $50 million;
45 basis points on the next $50 million;
40 basis points on the balance
Global Sustainable Equity
75 basis points on the first $50 million;
Digital Health
50 basis points on the next $50 million;
45 basis points on the balance
Minerva Gender Diversity
Developing Markets Equity/Select/Concentrated
100 basis points on the first $100 million;
Emerging Markets Core Equity/Select
80 basis points on the balance
Emerging Markets Equity/Select/Concentrated
Emerging Markets Equity Blend
Opportunistic Strategies
Emerging Markets High Conviction
Emerging Markets Discounted Assets
100 basis points on the first $100 million;
Global Discounted Assets
75 basis points on the balance
International Discounted Assets
Emerging Asia Opportunities
55 basis points
Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity
125 basis points on the first $100 million;
115 basis points on the next $100 million;
100 basis points on the balance
15
Global/International Small Cap Equity
85 basis points on the first $100 million;
Global Strategic Equity
65 basis points on the balance
International Strategic Equity
Global Quality Growth
Global Robotics & Automation
Global Listed Infrastructure
90 basis points on the first $10 million;
75 basis points on the next $25 million;
70 basis points on the next $40 million;
65 basis points on the next $75 million;
60 basis points on the next $150 million;
55 basis points on the balance
Global Equity Franchise
80 basis points on the first $25 million;
65 basis points on the next $75 million;
55 basis points on the next $150 million;
50 basis points on the balance
Global Thematic Equity
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
Global Thematic Equity Focus
65 basis points on the balance
Thematic Inflation Opportunities Equity
Listed Private Equity Discounted Assets
100 basis points on the first $100 million;
75 basis points on the balance
Infrastructure Opportunities
55 basis points on the first $50 million;
40 basis points on the balance
Clean Energy Materials
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
55 basis points on the balance
Convertible Securities
Global Convertibles
70 basis points on the first $50 million;
65 basis points on the next $100 million;
60 basis points on the next $100 million;
55 basis points on the balance
European Convertibles
70 basis points on the first €50 million;
65 basis points on the next €100 million;
60 basis points on the next €100 million;
55 basis points on the balance
Global Convertibles ESG
75 basis points on the first $50 million;
70 basis points on the next $100 million;
65 basis points on the next $100 million;
60 basis points on the balance
16
Global Convertibles Recovery
70 basis points on the first $50 million;
65 basis points on the next $100 million;
60 basis points on the balance
European Convertibles Defensive
60 basis points on the first €50 million;
55 basis points on the next €100 million;
50 basis points on the next €100 million;
45 basis points on the balance
Quantitative Equity
Global Equity Advantage
65 basis points on the first $50 million;
Global Equity ESG Advantage
55 basis points on the next $50 million;
45 basis points on the balance
EAFE Equity Advantage
50 basis points on the first $50 million;
40 basis points on the next $50 million;
35 basis points on the balance
ACW ex-US Small Cap Equity Advantage
70 basis points on the first $50 million;
65 basis points on the next $50 million;
60 basis points on the balance
ACW ex-US Equity Advantage
50 basis points on the first $50 million;
45 basis points on the next $50 million;
Global Managed Volatility
40 basis points on the balance
Global Managed Volatility (ACW)
55 basis points on the first $50 million;
50 basis points on the next $50 million;
45 basis points on the balance
EAFE Small Cap Equity Advantage
65 basis points on the first $50 million;
60 basis points on the next $50 million;
55 basis points on the balance
Global Small Cap Equity Advantage
60 basis points on the first $50 million;
55 basis points on the next $50 million;
50 basis points on the balance
Global Equity Advantage Diversified
45 basis points on the first $100 million;
35 basis points on the balance
Global 130/30
85 basis points on the first $50 million;
80 basis points on the next $50 million;
75 basis points on the balance
17
Asia ex-Japan Equity Advantage
75 basis points on the first $50 million;
70 basis points on the next $50 million;
65 basis points on the balance
Emerging Markets Managed Volatility
70 basis points on the first $50 million;
60 basis points on the next $50 million;
55 basis points on the balance
European Equity Advantage
65 basis points on the first $100 million;
55 basis points on the balance
China Equity Advantage
75 basis points on the first $50 million;
70 basis points on the next $50 million;
65 basis points on the balance
Emerging Markets Equity Advantage
65 basis points on the first $50 million;
55 basis points on the next $50 million;
50 basis points on the balance
Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Advantage
110 basis points on the first $50 million;
90 basis points on the next $50 million;
85 basis points on the balance
Regional Equity
European Small Cap Equity
85 basis points on the first $100 million;
65 basis points on the balance
Pan European Equity Alpha
65 basis points on the first £50 million;
50 basis points on the balance
Continental European Equity Alpha
Euroland Equity Alpha
Euroland Equity Discovery
European Equity Select
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
50 basis points on the balance
UK Equity Diversified
50 basis points on the first $100 million;
40 basis points on the balance
UK Equity Alpha
80 basis points on the first $100 million;
60 basis points on the balance
UK Equity Omega
UK Equity Income
60 basis points on the first $100 million;
40 basis points on the balance
Middle East North African Equity
100 basis points on the first $100 million;
85 basis points on the balance
18
Country Specific Equity
Japanese Equity
55 basis points on the first $50 million;
50 basis points on the next $50 million;
45 basis points on the balance
Kagura Japanese Small Cap Value Equity
100 basis points on the first $100 million;
90 basis points on the balance
LCAS US – Centric
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
50 basis points on the balance
US Growing Venture
75 basis points on the first $50 million;
50 basis points on the balance
US Equity Focus
55 basis points on the first $50 million;
45 basis points on the next $100 million;
35 basis points on the balance
US Equity Value Focus
55 basis points
US Equity Select
50 basis points on the first $50 million;
40 basis points on the next $100 million;
US Equity Value
30 basis points on the balance
US Small Cap Equity Select
80 basis points on the first $100 million;
60 basis points on the balance
US Sustainable Equity Diversified
60 basis points on the first $50 million;
50 basis points on the next $50 million;
40 basis points on the balance
US Equity Concentrated
75 basis points
US Equity Ultra Concentrated
Japanese Strategic Equity
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
65 basis points on the balance
US Systematic Small Cap Equity
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
60 basis points on the balance
US Systematic Small Cap Equity Concentrated
80 basis points on the first $100 million;
65 basis points on the balance
Australian Equity
40 basis points on the first A$100 million;
31 basis points on the next A$100 million;
26 basis points on the balance
19
Australian Equity (Benchmark Unconstrained)
46 basis points on the first A$100 million;
36 basis points on the next A$100 million;
31 basis points on the balance
Select Australian Equity
71 basis points on the first A$100 million;
58 basis points on the next A$100 million;
47 basis points on the balance
Defensive Australian Equity
44 basis points on the first A$100 million;
34 basis points on the next A$100 million;
29 basis points on the balance
Reducing to:
27 basis points on the first A$100 million;
21 basis points on the next A$100 million;
18 basis points on the balance
When the proportion of cash investments is greater
than 50%
Balanced
Global Balanced
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
60 basis points on the balance
Global Balanced Select
Global Dynamic Multi-Asset
85 basis points on the first $100 million;
Real Assets
65 basis points on the balance
US Balanced
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
50 basis points on the balance
UK Balanced
60 basis points on the first $100 million;
40 basis points on the balance
European Balanced
40 basis points on the first $100 million;
30 basis points on the balance
Euro Total Return Balanced
Fixed Income
Emerging Markets Debt – Core
60 basis points on the first $50 million;
50 basis points on the next $50 million;
Emerging Markets Debt – Local Debt
45 basis points on the next $150 million
40 basis points on the balance
Emerging Markets Debt – Blend
65 basis points on the first $50 million;
60 basis points on the next $50 million;
Emerging Markets Debt – Corporate
55 basis points on the next $150 million;
45 basis points on the balance
20
Emerging Markets Debt - Total Return
75 basis points
Emerging Income
75 basis points on the first $100 million;
65 basis points on the next $150 million;
55 basis points on the balance
Global Core Fixed Income
40 basis points on the first $50 million;
30 basis points on the next $50 million;
25 basis points on the balance
Global Core Plus Fixed Income
45 basis points on the first $50 million;
35 basis points on the next $50 million;
30 basis points on the balance
LCAS – Global Fixed Income
25 basis points on all assets
European High Yield
50 basis points on the first €100 million;
35 basis points on the balance
Euro High Quality Fixed Income
35 basis points on the first €100 million;
20 basis points on the balance
Euro Corporate Fixed Income
28 basis points on the first €100 million;
20 basis points on the balance
Euro Covered Bonds
35 basis points on the first €100 million;
20 basis points on the balance
Scandinavian High Quality
40 basis points on the first €25 million;
35 basis points on the next €25 million;
30 basis points on the next €50 million;
25 basis points on the balance
Nordic High Yield
55 basis points on the first €100 million;
35 basis points on the balance
US Tax-Exempt Fixed Income
35 basis points on the first $100 million;
25 basis points on the balance
US High Yield
50 basis points on the first $50 million;
45 basis points on the next $50 million;
40 basis points on the balance
US Enhanced Income
25 basis points on all assets
US Core Fixed Income
25 basis points on the first $100 million;
20 basis points on the balance
US Intermediate Core
30 basis points on the first $100 million;
US Core Investment Grade
20 basis points on the balance
21
US Short Duration Fixed Income
20 basis points on all assets
US Core Plus Fixed Income
30 basis points on the first $100 million;
25 basis points on the balance
Alternatives
Rathmore
150 basis point management fee; 20% incentive fee
Rathmore Plus
100 basis point management fee; 20% incentive fee
Enhanced Opportunities
95 basis points on all assets
European Long/Short Equity
100 basis point management fee; 20% incentive fee
Baylight Long/Short Equity
125 basis point management fee; 20% incentive fee
Baylight Beta Neutral
150 basis point management fee; 20% incentive fee
With respect to certain accounts or pooled vehicles, LAM also charges fees based on the performance of
the account or pooled vehicle as further described below. In addition to the fee schedule for LAM’s
principal alternative investment strategies listed below, please see Item 6 below for a description of these
types of arrangements.
Private Client Group – Fee Schedule
Advisory fees for LAM’s Private Client Group clients are generally based on the market value of each
account as follows:
US Equity and Balanced: 100 basis points on the first $5 million; 75 basis points on the next $5 million; 50
basis points on the balance.
International/Global: 100 basis points on the first $5 million; 85 basis points on the next $5 million; 75
basis points on the balance.
Fixed Income: 40 basis points on the first $25 million; 37.5 basis points on the balance.
As noted above, any clients who retain Pershing to provide custodial, brokerage and other services will
enter into appropriate agreements directly with Pershing, and Pershing will directly charge a fee to such
clients. A separate fee schedule will be provided to any such client prior to entering into the agreement
with Pershing.
Lazard Wealth – Fee Schedules
Item 5 of the LW Brochure sets forth fees and certain costs relating to the services offered by Lazard Wealth,
including Managed Account Advisory Fees, Asset Class Pool Advisory Fees, fee arrangements relating to
Direct Private Investment Vehicles, and the operating expenses relating to managed accounts and the
sponsored asset class pools.
22
Description of Services Covered by LAM Advisory Fees
Fees generally cover investment advice, account servicing, access to the portfolio management team and
review of client information, as well as services related to FX transactions described above for those clients
who appoint LAM to provide such FX services. The client pays for all transaction costs such as
commissions and other account and service charges. Please see Item 12 below for a discussion of LAM’s
brokerage practices.
Periodic meetings are held with many clients at which LAM’s current economic outlook, investment
strategy, and views on various industries and specific companies are presented. These meetings are a
regular part of the investment management and advisory services LAM provides to its clients. LAM does
not charge a special fee for consultation services where consultancy services are provided exclusively by
LAM. LAM may charge a special fee for consultation services provided by a third party and/or advisory
affiliate.
Either party may terminate an advisory agreement at any time generally by giving 30 days’ written notice
of termination to the other party. Lower fees for comparable services may be available from other sources.
LAM’s Ability to Deduct Fees
With respect to certain clients, subject to regulatory requirements and client authorization, LAM may direct
a client’s custodian to deduct fees from a client’s account. Most clients are billed for investment advisory
services, or fees are deducted, on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Fees - Mutual Funds, ETF’s and Closed-End Funds
Fees for the mutual funds registered under the 1940 Act managed by LAM (LFI and Lazard Retirement
Series, Inc. (“LRS”)) are set forth in the summary prospectus and statutory prospectus for each such fund.
Additionally, LAM also acts as the investment manager of Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund,
Inc. (“LGI”), a 1940 Act-registered closed-end investment company whose shares are listed on the NYSE.
Depending on whether financial leverage is employed by LAM, LAM’s management fee for LGI will range
between 0.85% and 1.28%.
Additionally, in 2025, LAM has filed an initial registration statement with the SEC for Lazard Active ETF
Trust (“LAE”), an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The unitary
fee for each ETF will vary and the specific details of each ETF will be available in the applicable prospectus.
Private Funds Managed by LAM - Traditional Investment Strategies
LAM acts as an investment manager to commingled funds established for certain clients of LAM, including
defined contribution and defined benefit plans, that utilize certain of the investment strategies set forth
above and/or alternative investment strategies. Although fees for certain funds may be separately
negotiated, the management fees applicable to such funds are generally in-line with the fee structures
applicable to LAM’s similarly managed institutional accounts, but such accounts are generally subject to
additional fees, including custody, brokerage, administration and other fund expenses.
23
Private Funds Managed by LAM - Alternative Investment Strategies – Fee Schedule
The standard fee schedules for LAM’s principal alternative investment strategies are set forth below:
Rathmore: 1.5% management fee; 20% incentive fee/allocation.
Rathmore Plus: 1% management fee; 20% incentive fee/allocation.
US Systematic Long/Short Equity: 1.25% management fee; 20% incentive fee/allocation.
LAM, together with its affiliates, serves as a general partner or investment manager to various partnerships
or other hedge or private funds in which clients may be solicited to invest. These private funds employ the
alternative investment strategies noted above. To the extent that LAM advises clients to purchase interests
or shares in these private funds, or similar investment vehicles established by LAM or an affiliate of LAM,
client assets invested in such investment vehicles will generally be excluded from the total assets on which
LAM charges its regular management fee.
Private Funds Managed by LAM – Expenses
In addition to payment of the management fee and incentive fee/allocation (if applicable), each private fund
will bear certain customary expenses (e.g., brokerage and custodial fees, legal and audit fees, fees and
expenses of outsourced service providers, third-party professionals and administrators, regulatory reporting
expenses, operational expenses, etc.), and certain extraordinary expenses (e.g., tax audits, reorganization,
dissolution, winding-up or termination, etc.).
Generally, all expenses borne by a private fund, other than the management fee and expenses related to
currency conversion, currency hedging, or new issues as well as any expenses that LAM believes should
be allocated to a particular investor, will be debited to all capital accounts or classes of shares on a pro rata
basis.
Additional information about each private fund as well as the fees and expenses charged to investors by
such private fund is provided in that private fund’s offering documents.
Joint Expenses
If any expenses are incurred jointly for the account of one or more private funds and any other accounts
managed by LAM or its affiliates, such expenses will be allocated among the private funds and the other
accounts pro rata based on their respective interests in the investment to which the expense relates, or in
such other manner as LAM considers fair and reasonable.
With respect to trading agreements, LAM will directly charge its separate account clients or private funds,
as the case may be, for the cost of entering into trading agreements, including but not limited to ISDA
agreements. In the case where multiple clients trade under the same trading documentation, LAM will
generally charge the first private fund, LAM client or clients that enter into the trading agreement. If a
24
subsequent LAM client or private fund is added as a party to trading agreements previously negotiated by
LAM, that client or private fund will not be charged for the initial cost of negotiating the agreement, but
will bear the cost of any additional documentation required to add that LAM client or private fund as a
party to the agreement. In the event that LAM negotiates such trading agreement on behalf of multiple
LAM clients, each LAM client will equally bear the costs of negotiating such agreement.
In certain cases, in its discretion, LAM may agree to pay the costs of negotiating and entering into trading
agreements out of its own resources.
Compensation – Wrap Fee Programs and Model Programs
LAM’s compensation pursuant to a wrap fee arrangement may be lower than LAM’s standard fee schedule
for managing separate accounts in the same strategy. However, the overall cost of a wrap fee arrangement
may be higher than the client otherwise would experience by paying LAM’s standard fees and negotiating
transactions with a broker or dealer that are payable on a per transaction basis (either directly in directed
brokerage arrangements or through LAM when LAM is authorized to select a broker or dealer), depending
on the extent to which securities transactions are or are not initiated for the client by LAM during the period
covered by the arrangement. A wrap fee client may terminate the account arrangement upon a specified
period of notice to the broker or other financial institution and upon termination any prepaid fee is
refundable on a pro rata basis for the period unearned.
LAM’s compensation pursuant to model portfolio arrangements also may be lower than LAM’s standard
fee schedule for managed accounts that employ corresponding investment strategies. Compensation for
model portfolio arrangements is typically an asset-based fee charged on the assets managed pursuant to the
LAM model included in the particular program in which LAM participates. Due to the nature of the
strategy, and the fact that the Multi-Asset team determines both the allocation to Portfolios as well as
manages certain of the Portfolios to which the strategy may allocate, there is a potential incentive for the
Multi-Asset team to: (i) allocate all or a higher percentage of the strategy’s assets to Portfolios with higher
fees; and/or (ii) allocate all or a higher percentage of the strategy’s assets to Portfolios managed by the
Multi-Asset team to generate higher revenue for these products. LAM has adopted policies and procedures
designed to mitigate these potential conflicts. LAM may also deliver model portfolios to participating
intermediaries consisting exclusively of investments in the shares of the portfolios of The Lazard Funds,
Inc. (“LFI”), an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act
of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) managed by LAM (the “Portfolios”).
25
Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Compensation Arrangements
LAM’s client service representatives and other employees and employees of affiliates receive incentive
compensation, a portion of which may be attributable to the sale of registered fund shares or interests or
shares of other funds. The receipt of incentive compensation creates a potential conflict of interest in that
a LAM employee will have an incentive to recommend a product for a client based on the ability to receive
the incentive compensation, rather than the client’s needs. However, LAM has implemented supervisory
controls designed to prevent breach of its fiduciary responsibilities in this regard.
To the extent that LAM recommends that a client purchase shares of a registered fund managed by LAM,
such client has the option of purchasing that fund through other brokers or agents unaffiliated with LAM.
Lazard Asset Management Securities LLC (“LAM Securities”) is a limited purpose registered broker-dealer
that serves as the distributor of the mutual funds and placement agent of certain private funds managed by
LAM. LAM Securities is a wholly-owned subsidiary of LAM and receives a Rule 12b-1 fee with respect
to the open class of shares of portfolios of LFI and the service class of shares of portfolios of LRS. Please
refer to Item 10 for additional information relating to LAM Securities.
LAM’s parent company, LF&Co., independently offers financial advisory services to its clients. The Lazard
Private Capital Advisory team at LF&Co. (“LPCA”) assists clients with, among other things, providing
capital solutions in private equity, private credit, real estate and real assets-focused investment firms. LPCA
may introduce Lazard Wealth to potential third-party private fund managers and private funds that may be
suitable for clients of that unit. Neither Lazard Wealth nor its clients will pay LPCA a fee for these
introductions but LPCA may receive referral fees from the third-party private fund managers or funds
relating to such clients.
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
As mentioned above, LAM acts as an investment manager for several private funds, including hedge funds
and certain commingled funds and trusts. Such funds are offered only in accordance with the eligibility
requirements set forth in each fund’s respective offering memorandum and in compliance with federal and
state laws applicable to the offering of such private funds. Management fees and performance
fees/allocations payable to LAM or an affiliate of LAM by such funds are described in the offering
memoranda for such funds. As mentioned above, LAM’s management fee for alternative and private funds
is generally between 0.60% and 1.5% and its performance fee/allocation or incentive fee/allocation, where
applicable, is generally between 10% and 20%. LAM may, in its discretion, waive all or a portion of the
management fee or performance fee/allocation in respect of any investor, including employees of LAM;
provided, however, that any waiver generally will be external to the fund (through rebate or by purchasing
additional interests or shares for the account of such shareholder) and will not affect the homogeneity of
the interests or shares.
With certain individual or institutional clients, LAM also enters into performance fee arrangements, which
provide for compensation to LAM or an affiliate of LAM upon the basis of a share of the capital gains, or
26
the capital appreciation of the funds, or any portion of the funds, provided that all of the conditions in Rule
205-3 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) are satisfied.
LAM receives other types of performance-based compensation, such as compensation based on a fulcrum
fee, from certain clients. Generally speaking, a fulcrum fee is based on the performance of an account
versus an appropriate index of securities, where the fee increases and decreases proportionately with such
performance. Additionally, certain portfolio managers’ bonus compensation may be tied to a fixed
percentage of revenue or assets generated by the accounts managed by such portfolio management teams.
This percentage may differ depending on the particular investment strategy and accordingly, a portfolio
manager who is a member of one or more investment teams may receive different bonus compensation
from LAM with respect to different investment strategies. Although this may create an incentive for the
portfolio manager to allocate certain investments to the strategies with respect to which it receives higher
compensation, LAM has adopted a number of policies and procedures designed to prevent such a conflict
of interest. Descriptions of such policies are included below and in Item 8.
A client paying performance-based compensation should be aware that this type of compensation
arrangement potentially creates a conflict of interest and that:
1.
the fee/allocation arrangement creates an incentive for LAM to make investments that are riskier
or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of a performance fee/allocation and/or
allocate or sequence investments in favor of accounts that are expected to pay higher performance
fees/allocations than others in a given period;
2.
LAM or an affiliate may receive increased compensation, and with regard to unrealized
appreciation as well as realized gains in the client’s account;
3.
the periods used to measure the performance will be specified in the contract and/or offering
memorandum and may be less than a twelve-month period;
4.
to the extent that the performance fee/allocation is calculated based on performance relative to a
benchmark, the benchmark recommended to be used by LAM will typically be one that reflects and
is similar to the investment objective and guidelines for the account and is intended to provide an
effective measurement of the performance of the account; and
5.
securities held in the client’s account for which no market quotations are readily available will
typically be valued by either the client’s custodian or LAM based upon objective factors.
At times, the same portfolio management teams that implement LAM’s long-only strategies also will
manage long-short and other alternative strategies. LAM’s portfolio management teams also implement
different long-only strategies with different investment objectives. A portfolio manager implementing more
than one investment strategy will make different investment decisions for the different portfolios under his
or her discretion. A portfolio manager may trade securities for long-short portfolios that he or she may not
trade for long-only portfolios. A portfolio manager also may in good faith trade the same securities for
long-short and long-only portfolios but not at the same time.
27
LAM has adopted policies and procedures designed to address material conflicts of interest, including those
set forth above relating to performance-based compensation arrangements.
•
In advising clients of LAM, LAM’s portfolio managers must determine whether a security is
suitable for purchase or sale, on behalf of and for a given account, based on a variety of factors,
including, without limitation, the client’s investment objectives or strategies, any trading
restrictions, tax matters and overall liquidity needs. Although a portfolio manager of an investment
strategy or vehicle that charges a performance fee/allocation has a potential incentive to take on
additional risk, as an employee of LAM, a portfolio manager must act in the best interest of such
fund or client. Additionally, LAM’s accounts and vehicles in a particular investment strategy are
generally managed in accordance with a model, subject to guidelines or product restrictions, and
trades are allocated fairly without regard to the revenue LAM may receive from particular accounts.
LAM’s Compliance department performs various reviews, including reviews of client trade
allocations and other reviews, designed to identify issues associated with side by side management
and/or material departures from LAM’s trading and allocation policies.
• LAM maintains three Investment Management Groups (one dedicated to each of the Fundamental
Equity, Fixed Income and Quantitative/Multi-Asset/Alternative Investments platforms), which
have global responsibility for overseeing each of their respective products’ adherence to its stated
investment process. LAM also maintains a Risk Management Group which has global
responsibility for oversight of the various types of risk in portfolios managed by LAM, including
those that are charged performance-based fees/allocations. The Risk Management Group performs
regular reviews of products and accounts and shares its results and/or related data with investment
professionals and the relevant Investment Management Group.
• Additionally, certain potential conflicts relating to fees are addressed by LAM’s business structure.
For example, LAM employees have a limited ability to negotiate fees other than those set forth in
its fee schedule listed above (most of which, with the exception of alternative strategies, are asset-
based and not performance-based) and material deviations from such fee arrangements must be
approved by a member of senior management.
• The majority of LAM’s institutional clients are charged asset-based fees. To the extent that a
performance-based fee is charged to a client it is often the result of a request from that client. For
the most part, performance-based fees are charged by LAM in connection with its alternative
investment strategies, whose investors are sophisticated and knowledgeable and meet the eligibility
requirements set forth in the relevant offering documents for such vehicle.
Item 7 – Types of Clients
LAM provides investment advice to all types of clients, including, without limitation, individuals, banks or
thrift institutions, pension and profit sharing plans, high net worth families, trusts, estates, charitable
organizations, corporations, educational institutions, limited partnerships, Taft-Hartley plans, foundations,
endowments, municipalities, registered mutual funds, private funds, trust programs, sovereign funds, non-
U.S. funds such as UCITs and SICAVs, and other U.S. and international institutions. These clients may
28
also include wrap program sponsors, investors in wrap programs, and clients who are Model Recipients
through a non-discretionary arrangement.
LAM generally requires a minimum investment amount for each of the strategies it manages on a direct
basis. Such minimum investment amounts will vary depending on the particular investment strategy in
which a client chooses to invest and may be as low as $5 million (for institutional U.S. equity accounts, for
example) and as high as $100 million (for emerging markets debt strategies, for example). These
requirements are dependent on a variety of factors and are subject to change. LAM in its sole discretion
may waive the minimum investment requirements. LAM generally applies the minimum account sizes on
the basis of the aggregate amount of assets associated with a particular relationship. LAM will accept client
accounts of less than the minimum in certain circumstances in its sole discretion, including, but not limited
to, (i) where the prospective client has a relationship with LAM, one or more of its officers or employees,
or one of its clients or (ii) if the client agrees that the account will be solely invested in one or more portfolios
of a fund or other collective vehicles managed by LAM. In addition, LAM will accept accounts under $1
million that are part of, or associated with, the wrap fee programs described herein or certain other broker,
consultant or broader relationships or where LAM believes the overall relationship may grow in the future.
The institutional share class of LFI, a registered open-end mutual fund managed by LAM, has a minimum
investment requirement of $10,000, the Open share class of LFI has a minimum investment requirement of
$2,500 and the R6 share class of LFI generally has a minimum investment requirement of $1 million. (For
minimum investment amounts applicable to Lazard Wealth, please refer to Item 7 of the LW Brochure.)
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss1
Description of Investment Strategies and Analysis
As mentioned in Item 4 and Item 5 above, LAM manages assets according to a variety of equity, fixed
income and alternative investment strategies, including investment strategies focusing on global, regional
and international equity, U.S. equity, U.S. and global fixed income, and emerging markets equity and debt.
Many of LAM’s U.S., emerging markets, international and global equity investment strategies are managed
in accordance with a relative value investment strategy and certain equity strategies utilize a growth at a
reasonable price, or “GARP” strategy. LAM’s alternative investment products include convertible event,
emerging market currency and debt, private equity and global and equity strategies, among others. LAM’s
investment teams determine and implement the investment strategies. For certain accounts where LAM
has been given discretion to make asset allocation decisions, LAM’s investment teams determine the
appropriate allocation to each asset class at any given point in the economic cycle and review the relative
weightings by sector in the portfolios.
LAM utilizes a team-based approach in implementing its investment strategies on behalf of clients. LAM
focuses on delivering superior client service and products through its global research capabilities and
diverse product platform. In doing so, LAM will tailor its services and investment platform to meet the
evolving needs of clients through its disciplined approach to investing. In addition to the information
1 The Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss disclosures for Lazard Wealth are set forth in
Item 8 of the LFOP Brochure.
29
regarding LAM’s investment strategies included in this Brochure, LAM’s prospective clients typically
receive a great deal of other information regarding the investment strategies and products managed by LAM
prior to investing with LAM, and LAM encourages clients to review marketing materials and other product-
specific information before investing.
Research and Analysis
LAM’s research capabilities are built off of the firm’s “integrated knowledge” approach, as noted in Item
4 above, wherein investment ideas are generated from the diversity of opinions shared across LAM’s global
investment platform. A significant portion of LAM’s research is conducted in-house and is proprietary to
LAM. LAM’s analytical resources include global sector analysts focusing on six global sectors, analysts
assigned to specific portfolio teams and portfolio manager/analysts who spend significant time on research.
This structure provides the primary source of research for many of LAM’s investment strategies. LAM’s
proprietary research is supplemented by outside research services, including, but not limited to, customary
“sell-side” research reports, analytics, databases and other third-party research services. As noted above,
the investment personnel on each portfolio management team typically implement their investment
process(es) independently of other teams by making the buy and sell decisions in each client’s portfolio.
Analysts dedicated to particular portfolio management teams work closely and regularly with LAM’s
portfolio managers/analysts. LAM’s global sector analysts, who also manage certain portfolios, prepare
and internally distribute investment ideas for consideration by various portfolio management teams
throughout LAM.
At LAM, research is a shared resource and all portfolio management team members and global research
analysts are encouraged to share ideas, subject to certain narrow exceptions. LAM does not sell its
proprietary research to third-parties. LAM may share its research with individual clients (and their
consultants/agents) as part of the latter’s due diligence on LAM or in connection with investment
discussions with individual clients or their consultants.
No method of research or analysis can guarantee a particular investment result or outcome and the use of
investment tools and research does not guarantee investment performance. In addition, certain methods of
analysis, including those relating to quantitative or other similar models, involve the use of mathematical
models based on certain assumptions. As such, these models are tools, which may not always be complete
or accurate. There can be no assurance that an investment strategy will produce an intended result, and an
investor may experience losses, including, potentially, a complete loss of principal.
From time to time, LAM may choose to engage the services of an “Expert Network”. LAM maintains an
Expert Network Policy that is designed to govern the interactions between the firm’s research professionals
and experts and address the potential for the receipt of material, non-public information.
Assets Eligible for LAM’s Investment Strategies
In general, LAM invests client assets in the following securities and instruments, depending on the
particular strategy utilized to manage the client’s account, and subject to client guidelines: equity and debt
30
securities, exchange-listed securities, securities traded OTC, U.S. and non-U.S. securities, real estate
investment trusts (“REITs”), warrants, corporate debt, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, municipal
securities, U.S. and non-U.S. open and closed-end investment company securities, U.S. government
securities, options contracts, futures contracts, asset-backed securities, non-U.S. government bonds,
mortgage pass through securities, adjustable rate mortgages, collateralized debt or mortgage obligations,
commercial mortgage-backed securities, structured notes, currencies, futures, reinsurance-backed bonds,
mortgage derivatives, non-Rule 144A private placements, private equity, forwards, swaps and other
derivatives, including, credit default swaps and interest-rate swaps, listed and OTC options, options on
foreign exchange, rights offerings, ETFs, exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), open-end and closed-end funds,
convertible bonds, preferred stock, and interest only or principal only securities. LAM also invests assets
of certain clients in Rule 144A securities or other securities that are not registered under the Securities Act
of 1933 (the “1933 Act”). Typically, these securities may not be resold until registered under the 1933 Act
unless an exemption from the 1933 Act’s registration requirements, such as Rule 144A, is available and
complied with for the re-sale transaction. As a result of these restrictions, Rule 144A securities tend to be
less liquid than registered securities and tend to sell at a lower price than would be available if they were
registered. In addition, it may be more difficult to value Rule 144A securities accurately and less
information may be available about the issuers of Rule 144A securities.
Quantitative Investment Strategies
Additionally, LAM manages various investment strategies that utilize investment processes which apply
computer-based models and proprietary risk management frameworks as an exclusive or material
investment decision-making tool to analyze companies, generate security selections and help construct
portfolios. The computer-based models and risk management framework are designed to extract and
analyze a variety of financial data from various sources. Compliance and Risk personnel at LAM on a
regular basis conduct diligence on these models and their performance, and we maintain model governance
procedures for investment personnel to follow when changing and maintaining the models. However, much
of LAM’s diligence is dependent upon the cooperation and expertise of the portfolio managers who
construct and maintain the models. There is no guarantee that quantitative models will perform as expected
or as designed.
Each of LAM’s quantitative investment teams maintains various strategies with different investment
objectives and guidelines. Occasionally, one team’s quantitative models may generate long positions in the
same security that another strategy's model generates as a short position. This dynamic can occur within
the same investment team across different strategies, involving LAM’s seed and/or proprietary accounts
incubating new quantitative investment strategies on one hand, and client portfolios on the other.
Certain quantitative investment strategies incorporate aspects of AI in their quantitative models; however,
at this time, such use of AI does not include investment discretion, autonomous decision-making
capabilities or the ability to make independent judgment over time. The criteria underlying the selection of
investment opportunities by AI tools is created by the relevant portfolio managers, who exercise their
professional judgment and expertise in the development of their proprietary quantitative models and
implementation of any use of AI.
31
Convertible Arbitrage, Special Situation and Event-Driven Investment Strategy
LAM manages a convertible arbitrage and event-driven investment strategy (the “Rathmore Strategy”) that
utilizes a relative value investment program investing in convertible arbitrage, special situation and event-
driven investments. Through its investments in special situations, the Rathmore Strategy seeks to uncover
anomalies across a company’s capital structure and employs a proprietary screening process, quantitative
analysis and fundamental research, including analysis of indentures and covenants. It also seeks to take
advantage of developments that impact corporate securities and create pricing anomalies, and therefore,
investments. Relative value exposure to special situations and events will predominantly involve
investments in a variety of corporate securities, including convertible securities and common stocks, as well
as investments in equity and credit derivatives. The Rathmore Strategy is authorized to utilize a variety of
different investment techniques and financial instruments including, but not limited to, convertible
securities, fixed income securities (including high-yield and distressed corporate fixed income securities),
equity securities, futures (including index futures and equity sector futures), OTC derivative instruments,
options on stocks and stock indices, short-term investments, and contracts for differences, and is authorized
to engage in currency hedging.
Principal risks of investing in the Rathmore Strategy are set forth below.
Investment Solutions Group
LAM’s Investment Solutions Group leverages proprietary technology to draw on the full breadth of
LAM's investment platforms in order to partner with clients and create solutions that are suited to their
bespoke needs, offering multi-asset, single asset and niche solutions.
In multi-asset solutions, the Investment Solutions Group allocates assets in a client’s account among various
strategies managed by other LAM portfolio management teams. In single asset solutions, it offers holistic
asset class management, incorporating complex requirements and guidelines from the client. In niche
solutions, it uses data science to drive thematic portfolio development in areas such as infrastructure, clean
energy materials, agriculture and digital health.
The Investment Solutions Group will invest a client’s assets according to the client’s customized solution
using separate accounts, mutual funds, private funds or other available vehicles, as applicable. It will
allocate assets among the underlying strategies in its discretion, consistent with the investment objectives
and guidelines associated with the relevant client’s account. In the case of certain multi-asset solutions, the
multi-asset strategy may differ from the underlying strategy managed by other LAM portfolio management
teams. For example, the multi-asset strategy may be more concentrated or customized than its underlying
strategy counterpart. In making allocation decisions, the Investment Solutions Group will have access to
detailed information related to the underlying strategies that may not be available to other investors or
clients. This includes, but is not limited to, holdings information, transaction detail, performance
information and access to the other LAM portfolio management teams. As a result, the Investment
Solutions Group may be able to achieve performance results that are better than other clients whose assets
are managed using one or more of the underlying investment strategies but where LAM is not responsible
for the client’s asset-allocation decisions.
32
Securities Valuation
LAM’s advisory fees normally are calculated based upon the value of clients’ portfolios. For the most part,
pricing for securities held in client portfolios is provided by independent third-party pricing vendors.
However, LAM has the ability to determine the value of portfolio holdings that are difficult to price, and in
such cases has an incentive to select the highest potential price for those securities, although a lower price
also would be reasonable.
To mitigate that potential conflict, LAM generally sources security prices from third-party vendors and has
created a Valuation and Liquidity Committee (the “Valuation Committee”) to oversee the valuation
decisions made for the securities held by the firm’s sponsored mutual funds, and certain other products,
which hold securities that are owned by a large portion of LAM’s institutional accounts. The Valuation
Committee includes members from LAM control groups such as Legal, Compliance, Fund Administration,
Trading, Operations and Risk Management. The Valuation Committee may determine fair valuations of
securities impacted by certain events, but LAM normally does not act as the pricing agent for its portfolios.
LAM will share its views on securities valuations (including fair valuations) with clients as well as pricing
vendors.
Conflicting Equity Transactions by LAM
• As previously noted, each LAM portfolio management team typically will implement its
investment processes independently of other portfolio management teams. However, because
research can be shared at LAM, the firm has procedures to address situations where a transaction
in an equity security for one client may conflict with a transaction in the same security for another
client. This would include, for example, situations where one portfolio management team seeks to
establish a long position in an equity security at the same time that another portfolio management
team has established a short position in that same security (“Conflicting Positions”). Such
Conflicting Positions could give rise to a potential conflict of interest that LAM’s procedures will
attempt to avoid or mitigate. Conflicting Positions will only be permitted to the extent they are
consistent with LAM’s fiduciary obligations to its clients and in compliance with appropriate
procedures.
• LAM performs checks for Conflicting Positions during the equity order preparation process.
Transactions identified as a potential Conflicting Position will not be effected without approval of
LAM’s Legal and Compliance department.
• Additional approvals could be required depending on the nature of the Conflicting Position and the
member of the portfolio management team involved. In approving a potential Conflicting Position,
the following items are generally considered: the investment justification for the transaction; the
orientation of the funds in the client’s account; the investment objectives/strategies of the client’s
account; the potential impact on each affected client’s account; the overall fairness to each affected
client’s account; the potential impact of the transaction on the existing position; the potential market
impact of the transaction; the investment horizon for the Conflicting Position; the appearance of
impropriety; and any other relevant considerations.
33
Due to the nature of their investment process, certain LAM investment strategies that are not designed to
be based on LAM’s global sector equity research generally are exempt from the Conflicting Positions
procedures. These include LAM’s Equity Advantage, Enhanced Opportunities and alternative investment
strategies. Certain other exemptions to the Conflicting Positions procedures may also apply including
without limitation for certain transactions considered de minimis. LAM does not attempt to identify
conflicting trades in its fixed income strategies.
At times, LAM’s Equity Trading Desk will be required to execute orders in the same security on the
opposite sides of the market in circumstances that may or may not implicate the Conflicting Positions
procedures. LAM generally places such equity orders with different broker-dealers for execution, in order
to expose both orders to the market. The trading desk also may use alternative trading systems sponsored
by approved broker-dealers to execute such orders.
In some cases, LAM will seek to limit the number of overlapping investments held by separate accounts,
mutual funds, private funds or other available vehicles or will choose different securities for one or more
accounts that employ similar investment strategies (e.g., concentrated versus diversified strategies). In
these circumstances, an account may be disadvantaged by LAM’s decision to purchase or maintain an
investment in one account to the exclusion of one or more other accounts.
Potential Conflicts - Capital Structures and Reorganizations
Different investment teams at LAM may invest client assets in different securities issued by the same issuer.
For example, an investment team employing an equity investment strategy may invest in common stock
issued by a company, while another investment team employing a fixed income strategy may invest in
bonds issued by the same company. This investing in different parts of a company’s capital structure could
create conflicts among LAM clients. This could occur, for example, when such a company files for
bankruptcy protection. In a bankruptcy proceeding, the interests of creditors and equity shareholders
conflict, with the creditors often supporting a plan of reorganization in which the equity shareholders get
little, if any, value for the shares they hold. In instances in which such conflicts arise, LAM has adopted a
policy under which it will exercise voting rights in the best interest of each respective client, which may
contribute to certain clients achieving a more favorable outcome than other clients.
LAM will typically not serve on creditors’ committees created in connection with bankruptcy proceedings
or issuer restructuring events. When dealing with a credit impacted by a reorganization, LAM’s portfolio
management teams will make decisions and take positions that they believe are in the best interest of its
clients. In certain limited situations, LAM may decide to take on a more active role as a creditor on behalf
of certain strategies, which can involve having regular communications with creditor committee members
or agents. LAM’s parent company, LF&Co., independently offers financial advisory services to
governments and companies engaged in reorganizations and may act as financial adviser to issuers whose
bonds are owned in LAM client portfolios. In such situations, LAM’s Legal and Compliance Department
provides guidance to LAM’s portfolio managers on how to address potential conflicts, consistent with the
firm’s information barrier policies.
34
Open-End Funds Sponsored and Managed by LAM
•
In some cases, to achieve greater portfolio diversification and with the client’s consent, LAM is
authorized to invest all or a portion of a client’s assets in one or more portfolios of the open-end
funds managed by LAM. LAM is the investment manager of each portfolio of LAE, LFI and LRS
(each, a “Fund” and together, the “Funds”). LAM Securities serves as the distributor of the Funds’
shares. LAM and LAM Securities’ fees from the Funds are described in each Fund’s summary
prospectus, prospectus, statement of additional information and each Fund’s annual and semi-
annual shareholder reports. In addition, accounts that do not meet the requirement of the
Institutional class of shares of LFI may be placed in the open class of shares of LFI (subject to
LAM’s discretion), which carry an additional 25 basis point Rule 12b-1 service and distribution
fee. LAM Securities receives 12b-1 fees equal to 25 basis points on average daily net assets for
distribution of portfolio shares for the open class of shares.
• For clients with a portion of their assets invested in shares of a portfolio of the Funds, depending
upon the terms of the advisory agreement with a client, the advisory fee payable to LAM generally
will be offset by an amount equal to the aggregate management fee and Rule 12b-1 fee payable
with respect to the client’s assets that are invested in the Funds, or, alternatively LAM will not
charge its separate account advisory fee on those assets invested in the Funds. In the latter case,
LAM’s overall fee will depend on the proportion of a client’s account allocated to a Fund. If the
fee LAM receives from the Fund is higher than the fee it receives from the client for managing the
account, then LAM’s overall fee will increase as the allocation to the Fund increases.
• As described above, LAM also acts as the investment manager of LRS. Shares of LRS portfolios
are only available to be purchased by separate accounts established by insurance companies to fund
variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. LAM’s fee from LRS is described
in the prospectus or summary prospectus for each portfolio of LRS. Accounts that do not meet the
requirement of the Investor class of shares of LRS may be placed in the service class of shares of
LRS (subject to LAM’s discretion), which carry an additional 25 basis point Rule 12b-1 service
and distribution fee. LAM Securities receives 12b-1 fees equal to 25 basis points on average daily
net assets for distribution of portfolio shares for the service class of shares.
• LAM pays additional amounts out of its own resources to third parties in exchange for the provision
of services to the Funds. See Item 10.
Private Funds Managed by LAM
• LAM also acts as an investment manager for several private funds, including hedge funds and
certain commingled funds and trusts. Such funds are offered only in accordance with the suitability
requirements set forth in their respective offering memoranda and in compliance with federal and
state laws applicable to the offering of such funds.
• LAM manages different types of investment vehicles in accordance with the same investment
strategy. For example, LAM manages separate accounts, mutual funds, a group trust and a
35
collective investment trust in accordance with its emerging markets equity investment strategy,
subject to differences as a result of legal or regulatory requirements or, for separate accounts, client-
imposed guidelines. LAM also manages certain hedge funds and separately managed accounts in
accordance with the same investment strategy. Therefore, while each vehicle is generally subject
to certain specific limitations, client-imposed or otherwise, and invested in the same underlying
securities, there are differing levels of transparency associated with each type of investment vehicle.
For example, clients invested in certain pooled investment vehicles managed by LAM (i.e., a group
trust) may be provided with greater transparency with respect to portfolio holdings than investors
in a mutual fund, while clients invested in separately managed accounts have daily access to
portfolio holdings information. Similarly, clients invested in separately managed accounts (who
have daily access to portfolio holdings information) have greater transparency with respect to
portfolio holdings than clients invested in hedge funds utilizing the same investment strategy.
Additionally, different vehicles managed in accordance with the same strategy may have differing
liquidity terms. For example, a mutual fund and group trust may be managed in accordance with
the same investment strategy, but the mutual fund offers daily liquidity while the group trust may
only offer monthly liquidity.
• The respective offering memorandum for each of the private funds managed by LAM or its
affiliates contains a detailed description of each fund’s investment strategy and the associated
investment risks, including material conflicts of interest with LAM and its affiliates. These funds
are offered only to prospective investors who meet the qualification requirements of each respective
fund pursuant to an offering memorandum. An investment in such funds is speculative and
involves a high degree of risk. The funds generally are subject to less substantial regulatory
restrictions and oversight. Opportunities for redemptions and transferability of interests/shares in
the funds are generally restricted so investors may not have access to their capital if and when it is
needed. There is no secondary market for an investor’s interests/shares in any such fund and none
is expected to develop. Each fund’s management and incentive fees/allocations (if applicable) and
expenses will offset trading profits. An investor should not invest in the funds unless the investor
is prepared to lose all or a substantial portion of its investment.
• LAM or its affiliates have and may continue to enter into certain “side letter” arrangements with
respect to investments in private funds, including side letter arrangements in which LAM or its
affiliate agrees to charge a management fee or incentive fee/allocation that differs from the
fee/allocation structure stated in the offering memorandum for such fund.
Model Portfolio Programs and Non-Discretionary Arrangements
LAM provides non-discretionary investment advice to Model Recipients (through participation in model-
based wrap programs or other non-discretionary advisory relationships) where LAM provides model
portfolios and, in certain cases, handles trading and other functions. The recommendations made in the
model portfolios provided to the Model Recipient may reflect recommendations being made by LAM
contemporaneously to, or investment advisory decisions made contemporaneously for, similarly situated
discretionary or other clients of LAM. As such, it is possible that, depending on the particular circumstances
surrounding an order, LAM’s discretionary clients may receive prices that are more favorable than those
36
received by the Model Recipient, or vice versa. Please refer to Item 12 for more information regarding how
LAM communicates model portfolio holdings to clients under different circumstances and LAM’s trading
processes.
Regulatory Developments and Restrictions
LAM’s activities are subject to regulation from United States agencies as well as regulations adopted by
authorities outside of the United States. LAM uses its best efforts to monitor global regulatory
developments and take actions to adhere to new relevant obligations. Some emerging regulatory initiatives,
such as those relating to ESG, require LAM to make judgments concerning how the firm will comply before
industry best practices have been developed. Accordingly, LAM’s compliance procedures will change as
the firm’s judgments concerning its regulatory obligations change.
From time to time, LAM’s activities will be limited or restricted because of regulatory requirements and/or
its internal policies designed to comply with or limit the applicability of such requirements. These
limitations and restrictions may result from regulations in the U.S. as well as other jurisdictions. For
example, there may be periods when LAM, at its discretion, will not initiate or recommend certain
transactions or types of transactions in certain securities or instruments (including buying or selling such
securities or instruments). This may occur, for example, where LAM or any of its affiliates has a business
relationship with, or is performing other services for, an issuer of the related security, or when position
limits have been reached, or for other reasons. Similar situations could arise if LAM personnel or personnel
of such affiliates serve as directors of companies the securities of which LAM, or an entity managed by
LAM, wishes to purchase or sell. In addition, LAM will from time to time acquire confidential information
or otherwise be restricted from effecting transactions in certain investments and, in such event, LAM will
not be free to divulge, or act upon, any such confidential information. Moreover, due to such confidential
information or restrictions, LAM may restrict all purchases or sales of such securities and may not initiate
or liquidate investments in the manner in which it otherwise would.
LAM may refrain from providing advice or services concerning securities of issuers of which any officers,
directors, members or employees of LAM (or its affiliates) are officers or directors, or of companies for
which LAM or its affiliates act as financial adviser, investment manager or in any capacity that LAM deems
confidential, unless LAM determines in its sole discretion that it may appropriately do so. LAM has
established certain procedures to prevent material, non-public information that LAM or its affiliates may
obtain as a result of such relationships from being disseminated within LAM.
Certain Risks Related to Principal Investment Strategies Managed by LAM
LAM offers actively managed investment strategies to its clients. There are risks involved with any type
of investment program, especially an actively managed investment strategy. A summary of key investment
risks is set forth below. The particular investment risks to which a client is subject will differ depending
on the particular strategy, strategies or product in which such client has invested, and the securities and
investments comprising such product or strategy. This is not a comprehensive list of all of the risks relating
to the investment strategies and products managed by LAM.
37
General Risks
•
Investing involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. Investments in the capital
markets may lose all of their value.
• LAM may invest in securities it believes to be undervalued, but that may not realize their perceived
value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value.
• Securities comprising LAM’s investment strategies may respond differently to market and other
developments than other types of securities.
• Performance of LAM’s investment strategies is largely dependent on the talents and efforts of its
investment professionals. There can be no assurance that LAM investment professionals will
continue to be associated with LAM and the failure to retain such investment professionals could
have an adverse effect on the value of an investment.
• LAM manages various investment strategies that may invest in the same securities. However,
certain investment strategies are, by their nature, more flexible with respect to investment style and
process than others managed by LAM. Depending on the particular investment strategy and its
portfolio management team, one strategy may hold a security for a longer or shorter period of time
than another strategy (including initial public offering securities). Such differences may contribute
significantly to disparate investment performance of the strategies despite the fact that the strategies
may hold the same securities.
• LAM’s investment strategies deploy capital in global financial markets that are increasingly
interconnected. Conditions and events in one country, region or market may adversely impact
issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Geopolitical instability, or local, regional
or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, or the spread of infectious disease or illness , may
have significant and prolonged negative impact on the markets in which LAM invests, and upon
LAM itself.
• When large numbers of employees work remotely on home networks or through increased use of
mobile technologies, LAM faces a heightened risk of operational interruptions and security
breaches involving such systems. Additionally, such home and mobile technology resources could
be more susceptible to interruptions and security breaches than LAM’s dedicated business
resources. Throughout utilization of this hybrid model during the recent pandemic, LAM provided
uninterrupted services to clients; however, during future similar situations, there may be heightened
investment and operational risks like those described in this section despite LAM’s best efforts to
avoid them.
Risks Related to Equity Securities
• LAM may invest in equity securities it believes have the potential for growth, but that may not
realize such perceived potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived
38
growth potential. Such securities may be more volatile than other equity securities because they
can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential.
• Small- and mid-capitalization stocks may be subject to higher degrees of risk, their earnings may
be less predictable, their prices more volatile, and their liquidity less than that of large-capitalization
or more established companies’ securities.
Risks Related to Debt Securities
• An investment in debt securities carries risk. If interest rates rise, debt security prices usually
decline. The longer a debt security’s maturity, the greater the impact a change in interest rates can
have on its price. If a debt security is not held until maturity, an investor may experience a gain or
loss when the security is sold. Debt securities also carry the risk of default, which is the risk that
the issuer is unable to make further income and principal payments. Other risks, including inflation
risk, call risk, and pre-payment risk, also apply.
• Some debt securities may give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the securities before their
maturity, and, during a time of declining interest rates, LAM may have to reinvest the proceeds in
an investment offering a lower yield and may not benefit from any increase in the value of its
portfolio holdings as a result of declining interest rates.
• The lack of a readily available market may limit the ability to sell certain securities at a favorable
time and price. The size of certain debt securities offerings of emerging markets issuers may be
relatively smaller in size than debt offerings in more developed markets and, in some cases, LAM
may hold a position in a security that is large relative to the typical trading volume for that security;
these factors can make it difficult to dispose of the position at the desired time or price.
• Lower-rated, higher-yielding securities are subject to greater credit risk than higher rated
investments. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal payments, or
will not make payments on a timely basis. Non-investment grade securities tend to be more volatile,
less liquid and are considered speculative. If there is a decline, or perceived decline, in the credit
quality of a debt security (or any guarantor of payment on such security), the security’s value could
fall.
Risks Related to Municipal Securities
• A primary risk of municipal securities, like other fixed income securities, is credit risk. Payment
by the issuer may depend on a relatively limited source of revenue, resulting in greater credit risk.
• The value of municipal securities can fluctuate and may be affected by adverse tax law, legislative
or political changes, and by financial or other developments affecting municipal issuers and the
municipal securities market generally. If there is a decline, or perceived decline, in the credit
quality of a municipal security (or institutions providing credit and liquidity enhancements), the
security’s value could fall.
39
Risks Related to Non-U.S. Securities
• Securities in certain non-U.S. countries may be less liquid, more volatile, and less subject to
governmental supervision than in one’s home market. The value of these securities may be affected
by changes in currency rates, application of a country’s specific tax laws, changes in government
administration, sanctions programs, trading halts or suspensions on foreign stock exchanges, and
economic and monetary policy.
Risks Related to Emerging and Frontier Markets Securities
• Emerging and frontier market securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient
trading markets, a lack of company information, and differing auditing and legal standards. The
securities markets of emerging and frontier market countries can be extremely volatile;
performance can also be influenced by political, social, and economic factors affecting companies
in emerging and frontier market countries, including the risk of privatization.
Risks Related to Investments in REITs and Real Estate-Related Securities (together, “Realty Companies”)
• Realty Companies may be affected to a great extent by the current status of the real estate industry
in general, or by other factors (such as interest rates and the availability of loan capital) that may
affect the real estate industry, even if other industries would not be so affected.
• The risks related to investments in Realty Companies include, but are not limited to: adverse
changes in general economic and local market conditions; adverse developments in employment;
changes in supply or demand for similar or competing properties; unfavorable changes in applicable
taxes, governmental regulations and interest rates; operating or development expenses; and lack of
available financing.
• An investment in REITs may be adversely affected or lost if the REIT fails to comply with
applicable laws and regulations, including but not limited to, compliance with the relevant portions
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which could, among other things, cause a REIT to liquidate
investments, borrow funds under adverse conditions or, possibly, fail.
Risks Related to Convertible Securities
• Convertible arbitrage strategies generally involve price spreads between the convertible security
and the underlying equity security. The prices of these investments can be volatile and market
movements are difficult to predict. Event-driven investing requires LAM to make predictions about
(i) the likelihood that an event will occur and (ii) the impact such event will have on the value of a
company’s financial instruments. If the event fails to occur or it does not have the effect foreseen,
losses can result.
40
Risks Related to Special Situations
•
Investments in special situations in events sometimes involve holding securities which lack
significant liquidity in the market. In addition, the activities of strategies that involve investments
in special situations may be restricted because of regulatory requirements applicable to LAM and/or
its internal policies designed to comply with or limit the applicability of such requirements. In
addition, regulatory requirements may prohibit certain clients of LAM from investing in certain
special situations.
Risks Related to Multi-Asset Investment Strategies
• With respect to certain “multi-asset” investment strategies, LAM’s ability to achieve its objective
depends in part on its skill in determining the allocation between or among certain underlying
investment strategies. LAM’s evaluations and assumptions underlying its allocation decisions may
differ from actual market conditions. In addition, the multi-asset strategy may differ from the
underlying strategy in that it is more concentrated or customized than the underlying strategy it
seeks to replicate.
Risks Related to Quantitative Investment Strategies
• Certain investment strategies of LAM rely upon quantitative models and filters which, if incorrect
or malfunctioning, may adversely affect performance. LAM’s ability to monitor and, if necessary,
adjust its quantitative models could be adversely affected by various factors, including incorrect or
outdated market and other data inputs. For example, factors that affect a security’s value can
change over time, and these changes may not be reflected in a quantitative model. In addition,
factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive
of a security’s value. Quantitative models may experience technical disruptions, fail to operate
properly or have technical limitations, including capacity constraints.
Risks Related to Artificial Intelligence in the Investment Process
• Certain investment professionals employed by LAM may incorporate artificial intelligence ("AI"),
including machine learning and generative AI, as one part of the research process. While AI offers
potential benefits such as enhanced efficiency and improved analytical capabilities, reliance on AI
carries inherent risks that may adversely affect investment performance. These risks include the
potential for incorrect or outdated data inputs, algorithmic errors, or technical malfunctions that
may compromise the accuracy or reliability of AI-driven analyses.
Risks Related to Engaging in Leverage
• Certain strategies may utilize leverage by borrowing funds from securities broker-dealers, banks or
others and such borrowing may utilize significant amounts to take advantage of perceived
opportunities, such as short-term price disparities between markets or related securities. Such
leverage increases both the possibilities for profit and the risk of loss.
41
Risks Related to Short Selling
• Certain strategies may engage in short selling which can, in some circumstances, substantially
increase the impact of adverse price movements. A short sale creates the risk of a theoretically
unlimited loss, in that the price of the underlying security could theoretically increase without limit,
thus increasing the cost of buying securities to cover the short position.
Risks Related to Derivatives Transactions
• Derivatives transactions, including those entered into for hedging purposes, may reduce returns or
increase volatility. Derivatives transactions involve a number of risks, certain of which are
described elsewhere, including, but not limited to, market risk, credit risk and leverage. Forward
currency contracts, OTC options on securities and currencies and swap agreements as well as other
derivatives, are subject to the risk of default by the counterparty, in addition to risks of changes in
the value of the related currency, securities or other reference asset. Additionally, derivatives are
subject to the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the
related currency, securities or other reference asset. Many derivatives also can be illiquid and
highly sensitive to changes in the related currency, securities or other reference asset. As such, a
small investment in certain derivatives could have a potentially large impact on performance.
Additionally, there can be no assurance that derivative transactions will be available in all
circumstances or that LAM’s use of such transactions will reduce exposure to other risks or that
using such derivative transactions will be beneficial to a particular client, account or pooled vehicle.
Risks Related to Counterparties
• LAM executes a large majority of its client transactions through broker-dealers and similar trading
counterparties. LAM’s authorized personnel may execute transactions only through counterparties
that are approved by LAM. Although LAM seeks best execution for all client transactions, the
quality of those executions are dependent upon the performance of the counterparty. Poor
performance, errors, and business interruptions at counterparties have a negative impact on trade
executions and can impact the performance of LAM’s investment strategies.
• As noted in Item 4, LAM may utilize certain OTC derivatives in managing client accounts and
pooled vehicles. The stability and liquidity of OTC transactions depends in large part on the
creditworthiness of the parties to the transactions. Unlike derivatives traded on a clearing
exchange, where the clearinghouse is designed to obviate the need for bilateral credit evaluation
and which exchanges are structured, capitalized and regulated to mitigate counterparty credit and
default risk, OTC, bilateral derivatives contracts expose LAM’s clients to the individual credit and
default risk of the clients’ counterparties, including the risk that a counterparty will not settle a
transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions because of a dispute over the terms of the
contract (whether or not bona fide) or because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus exposing the
client to a risk of loss. Such “counterparty risk” is accentuated for contracts with longer maturities
where events may intervene to prevent settlement, or where LAM’s clients or pooled vehicles have
concentrated their transactions with a single or small group of counterparties. However,
42
counterparty risk also can impact trading in exchange-listed stocks and other traditionally liquid
asset classes.
•
If there is a default by a counterparty, LAM’s clients under normal circumstances should have
contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, exercising
such contractual rights may involve delays or costs, and the amount recovered may be less than the
full amount owed. Furthermore, there is a risk that any of such counterparties could become
insolvent and/or the subject of insolvency proceedings, or that courts may decline to enforce
contractual rights asserted by LAM. In such case, the recovery of a client’s collateral posted in
respect of derivatives transactions from such counterparty, or the payment of claims therefor, may
be significantly delayed or the client may not recover any or all of its collateral.
• LAM may use counterparties in jurisdictions outside the United States, either through its own
discretion or to meet client requirements. Such non-U.S. counterparties usually are subject to laws
and regulations in non-U.S. jurisdictions that are designed to protect customers in the event of their
insolvency. However, the practical effect of these laws and regulations and their application to
LAM’s clients’ assets are subject to substantial limitations and uncertainties and differ from U.S.
laws and regulations. Because of the range of possible scenarios involving the insolvency of a non-
U.S. counterparty and the potentially large number of entities and jurisdictions that may be
involved, it is impossible to generalize about the impact of such an insolvency on LAM’s clients
and their accounts. The insolvency of any such counterparty would likely result in significant
delays in recovering collateral from such counterparty, or the payment of claims therefor by such
counterparty, and a loss to the affected clients.
Risks Related to Currency Investments
• Fluctuations in currency exchange rates can cause a decline in the value of portfolio securities,
irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging.
• The inability to predict movements in exchange rates and imperfect correlations between
movements in exchange rates and movements in the currency hedged may cause portfolio losses.
• The macro-economic environment can create currency volatility due to inflation, interest rates,
trade balances and government policies that impact the exchange rate.
Risks Related to Commodities
• The value of commodity and commodity-linked derivative instruments are affected by events that
may have less impact on the values of traditional equity and/or fixed income securities. The prices
of such investments may be impacted by business, financial market, political and/or legal
uncertainties. Investments linked to the prices of commodities are considered speculative.
43
Risks Related to Securities of Private Companies and other Illiquid Securities
• Certain LAM investment strategies may invest in private companies or other securities that are not
readily marketable, such as securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale
(such as private placements and certain restricted securities). Such investments, as well as other
types of illiquid or less-liquid securities, may be difficult to value accurately, and clients are subject
to the risk that it may be difficult or impossible to find a buyer for such securities at a desired time
and/or at a price that is deemed to be representative of their value. LAM’s fair valuation of illiquid
securities can result in significant discounts to their last traded price, and in certain cases illiquid
securities will be fair valued at zero. Accordingly, portfolios exposed to securities of private
companies and/or other illiquid and less-liquid positions can incur losses.
• LAM cannot control the liquidity of the securities and other assets it acquires for client portfolios,
and securities that are liquid at the time of purchase may become illiquid while they are held by
LAM’s clients. Due to illiquid conditions or in the event of an investment in a private company,
LAM may be unable to sell holdings in an account in the event of a redemption. In the case of a
full redemption of a separate account, this could result in a client or its custodian/transition manager
receiving illiquid securities in kind at the time of the account’s liquidation.
Risks Related to Investments in ETFs, Open-End and Closed-End Funds
•
Investing in investment companies, including mutual funds and ETFs, could result in the
duplication of certain fees, including management and administrative fees, and will expose the
strategy to the risks of owning the underlying investments that the other investment company holds.
• Certain LAM investment strategies may invest in shares of ETFs, open-end funds and closed-end
funds or other similar products (“Underlying Funds”). ETFs and closed-end funds may trade at
prices that vary from their net asset value, sometimes significantly. Performance of an ETF
pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index.
Investments in Underlying Funds are subject to the risks of such Underlying Fund’s investments,
and investors will bear not only the management fees and operating expenses charged by LAM or
a fund managed by LAM, but also their proportional share of the management fees and operating
expenses of the Underlying Funds. Clients can invest directly in Underlying Funds without
incurring additional fees by investing through LAM.
•
Investments in exchange-traded funds managed by LAM are subject to the following
additional risks: (1) an exchange-traded fund’s shares may trade above or below its NAV;
(2) an active trading market for the exchange-traded fund’s shares may not develop or be
44
maintained; and (3) trading an exchange-traded fund’s shares may be halted by the listing
exchange.
Risks Related to Sanctions
• Economic and trade sanctions in non-U.S. securities may prohibit, among other things, transactions
with and the provision of services to, directly or indirectly, certain countries, territories, entities
and individuals. It should be expected that these economic and trade sanctions, if applicable, and
the application by LAM of its compliance program in respect thereof, will restrict or limit LAM’s
investment activities on behalf of its clients, and may require LAM to sell its clients’ positions in a
particular investment at an inopportune time and/or when LAM would otherwise not have done so.
Risks Related to Inflation and Interest Rates
•
Interest rates may fluctuate significantly at any time and from time to time. For example, interest
rates can be expected to rise in response to inflation in the pricing of goods and services. As a
result of such fluctuations, the value of securities or instruments held by any client portfolio may
increase or decrease in value. A wide variety of market factors can cause interest rates to rise or
fall, including central bank monetary policy, inflationary or deflationary pressures and changes in
general market and economic conditions. The risks associated with changing interest rates may
have unpredictable effects on the markets and in turn, a client’s portfolio of investments. Among
other things, such fluctuations can create uncertainty in corporate balance sheets, volatility in public
and private markets, and unforeseen weaknesses in financial counterparties. These circumstances
can make it more difficult for active investment managers to analyze the fundamentals of
businesses and the valuations of the securities they issue. Such circumstances also increase the risk
of economic recessions that can broadly reprice the assets in LAM’s investment universe.
Risks Related to Technology, Information Security and Business Continuity
• LAM’s investment activities, including certain investment strategies, rely heavily on various
technology systems, including proprietary and third-party software. To operate effectively, some
of these systems depend upon a large volume of data from LAM as well as third-party sources.
LAM has devoted resources to maintain its own systems to help ensure their functionality. It also
has undertaken efforts to evaluate the controls employed by third-parties that provide systems and
data. Despite these efforts, there is a risk that system interruptions or inaccurate data may impact
LAM and its clients, sometimes in ways that cannot be detected quickly. LAM’s response to such
incidents will be designed to remediate any issues on a timely basis, although the details of LAM’s
response depend upon case-by-case circumstances.
• As part of its business, LAM also processes, stores and transmits large amounts of electronic
information, including information relating to the transactions of clients and, in some cases,
personally identifiable information of its clients. LAM has procedures and systems in place
designed to protect such information and prevent data loss and security breaches. Similarly, LAM’s
service providers and Fund service providers may process, store and transmit such information.
45
Each service provider has represented to LAM that it has procedures and systems in place designed
to protect such information and prevent data loss and security breaches. However, such measures
cannot provide absolute security. The techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to data,
disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently and may be difficult to detect for
long periods of time. Hardware or software acquired from third parties may contain defects in
design or manufacture or other problems that could unexpectedly compromise LAM’s information
security. Online services provided by LAM to investors may also be susceptible to compromise.
• The loss or improper access, use or disclosure of LAM’s or LAM’s clients’ proprietary information
due to a cybersecurity breach or similar incident may cause LAM or its clients to suffer, among
other things, financial loss, disruption of its business, liability to third parties, regulatory
intervention or reputational damage.
• Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of
securities in which LAM invests on behalf of its clients; counterparties with which a client engages
in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market
operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions; and other
parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any
cybersecurity breaches in the future.
• LAM maintains business continuity and disaster recovery plans designed to maintain critical
functions in the event of a partial or total building outage affecting its offices or a technical problem
affecting applications, data centers or networks. LAM tests its plan on a regular basis, and takes
steps to enhance the plan based upon test results. Nevertheless, LAM’s ability to conduct business
may be curtailed by a disruption in the infrastructure that supports its operations and the regions in
which LAM’s offices are located.
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
LAM has no information to report with respect to this item.
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Broker-Dealer Registration Status
LAM is not a registered broker-dealer.
However, LAM is a subsidiary of LF&Co. (CRD# 2528), which is a member of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and a registered broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the “Exchange Act”). LF&Co. is a New York limited liability company with one member, Lazard
Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. Interests of Lazard Group LLC are indirectly held by
Lazard, Inc., which is a Delaware corporation with shares that are publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:
LAZ). Interests of Lazard, Inc. are held by public stockholders and current and former Managing Directors
46
and employees of Lazard, Inc. and its subsidiaries. From time to time, LF&Co. may refer prospective
clients to LAM.
In addition, LAM Securities (CRD# 129119), a subsidiary of LAM, is a member of FINRA and a broker-
dealer registered under the Exchange Act.
LAM Securities acts as the distributor of the Funds and as a placement agent for certain private funds
managed by LAM. Certain employees of LAM and LAM Securities are licensed registered representatives
of LAM Securities for purposes of offering or selling securities issued by the Funds and the private funds
managed by LAM. In addition, LAM Securities acts as an introducing broker with respect to certain of
LAM’s clients. LAM Securities acts on behalf of these accounts pursuant to a clearing agreement entered
into between LAM Securities and Pershing LLC (CRD# 7560).
Please see Item 12 below for a discussion of LAM’s brokerage practices and additional information
regarding principal trading.
Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
LAM has entered into advisory and/or sub-advisory agreements with multiple investment companies
registered under the 1940 Act, including the Funds, LGI and certain other unaffiliated investment
companies pursuant to which LAM is paid a fee, generally based on the percentage of assets under
management. In addition, LAM, together with its affiliates, serves as a general partner or investment
manager to various private funds in which clients are solicited to invest. Certain personnel of LAM are
also directors, trustees and/or officers of these investment companies as well as other pooled investment
vehicles, including hedge and private funds.
Other Investment Adviser Affiliates and Subsidiaries
LAM has investment advisory subsidiaries and affiliates in and outside of the United States. LAM also
provides certain services to, and shares certain investment research with, its affiliate Lazard Frères Gestion
(“LFG”) in Paris, France pursuant to a delegation and services agreement that entitles it to “Participating
Affiliate” status, as further described below.
In performing investment management services for certain accounts, including funds managed or advised
by LAM, LAM may draw upon the resources of its investment management subsidiaries and affiliates
(including LFG), including by utilizing the expertise of personnel that it shares with such affiliates for
investment management, research and trading services. While performing such services, these shared
personnel act as personnel of LAM and these affiliates are considered “Participating Affiliates” as described
by the SEC. Clients of LFG, including those whose agreements are with LAM, may custody their assets at
Lazard Frères Banque (“LFB”) through contractual arrangements with LFB. LFB is a regulated trust bank
in France and is an affiliate of LFG.
LAM has entered into intercompany agreements with certain of its investment advisory subsidiaries and
affiliates, pursuant to which LAM provides investment advice to their respective clients or pursuant to
47
which such investment advisory subsidiaries and affiliates provide investment management, research, and
trading services to LAM.
On March 1, 2024, LAM acquired all of the membership interests of Truvvo, a platform that provides
wealth management services to sophisticated families with complex balance sheets. The personnel now
conduct their wealth management activities as a division of LAM, named Lazard Wealth. For more
information about Lazard Wealth and potential conflicts relating to its activities, please refer to the LW
Brochure.
CFTC and NFA Registration/Exemption Status
LAM is registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) and a commodity trading advisor (“CTA”) with
the CFTC and is a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”) in such capacities. LAM is only
registered as a CPO with respect to certain pooled vehicles which are operated pursuant to CFTC Rules 4.7
or 4.12. In most cases, pooled vehicles managed by LAM rely on certain de minimis exemptions from
registration. Similarly, although LAM has registered as a CTA, it is able to rely on certain exemptions from
regulation as a CTA with respect to most of its advisory business. In each such case, LAM has made the
appropriate filings to perfect such exemptions.
LAM Securities is registered with the CFTC as an introducing broker and is a member of the NFA in such
capacity. In addition, certain employees of LAM and LAM Securities are registered with the NFA as
Associated Persons, if necessary or appropriate to perform their responsibilities.
Funds – Policies Relating to Market Timing and Late Trading
As the investment manager to the Funds, LAM discourages market-timing activity. While LAM cannot
prevent all such activities, LAM and the Funds have implemented reasonable measures designed to deter
market-timing activity. Please refer to the prospectus and statement of additional information for each Fund
for more detailed information regarding each Fund’s trading policies.
Payments to Fund Intermediaries
Intermediaries receive payments pursuant to the Funds’ 12b-1 plans and/or from LAM (in addition to such
12b-1 payments) in connection with their offering of the Funds’ shares and/or for providing marketing,
shareholder servicing, account administration or other services. The receipt of such payments creates an
incentive for the intermediaries to offer shares of the Funds instead of other mutual funds that do not make
these payments. These additional payments may be paid to intermediaries that provide shareholder
servicing and administration and/or marketing and related administrative support; opportunities to
participate in conferences and educational workshops, meetings and events; and/or access to and
information about sales meetings and conferences and sales representatives, financial advisors or
management personnel of the intermediary. Cash compensation may also be paid to financial
intermediaries in connection with consideration or inclusion of the Funds for or on a “recommended” or
similar list, including a preferred or select sales list, or in other programs. In some cases, these payments
create an incentive for a financial Intermediary or its representatives to recommend or sell Fund shares.
48
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading, Other Conflicts of Interest
Employees, are subject to LAM’s Code of Ethics. In general, LAM personnel are prohibited from effecting
transactions in securities for their own account, or for accounts in which they have an interest or control
(“personal securities accounts”), within seven days before or after a client account trades in the same
security (the “blackout period”), or where such securities are contemplated for purchase or sale for a client
account or are the subject of an unexecuted order for a client account. In addition, personnel are prohibited
from purchasing and selling or selling and purchasing securities, including shares of registered funds for
which LAM serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser and any derivatives, within any 90-day period.
These restrictions are subject to certain limited exemptions set forth in the Code of Ethics, which LAM’s
Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee may determine apply. For example, the blackout period and
90-day holding period do not apply to transactions in (i) open-end mutual funds that are not advised or sub-
advised by LAM and (ii) non-levered broad-based ETFs and ETNs. Additionally, a de minimis exemption
permits an employee, irrespective of the blackout period, to engage in an equity buy or sell transaction or
series of transactions that do not exceed an aggregate transaction amount of (i) $50,000 of any security of
an issuer having a market capitalization (outstanding shares multiplied by current price per share) greater
than $5 billion and (ii) $25,000 of any security of an issuer having a market capitalization between $500
million and $5 billion. The de minimis exemption for fixed income securities applies to transactions which
in aggregate do not exceed $25,000 face value in securities of an issuer with a market capitalization greater
than $5 billion for its equity securities.
All personnel must pre-clear all trades (except open-end mutual funds advised or sub-advised by a manager
other than LAM, non-levered broad-based ETFs and ETNs, and certain other securities or transactions as
set forth in the Code of Ethics) for personal securities accounts with compliance personnel. All personnel
are prohibited from purchasing a security for a personal securities account in an initial public offering.
Personnel must obtain preclearance from the Compliance department before investing in a private
placement. These restrictions do not apply to trades with respect to U.S. government securities. These
restrictions also do not apply to accounts in which the applicable personnel have an interest but which are
subject to a discretionary investment management agreement, whether with LAM or another manager.
Pursuant to LAM’s Code of Ethics, employees of LAM are required to maintain their accounts at an
approved firm or obtain permission from LAM’s Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee to maintain
an account at another firm. All personnel must report most personal securities transactions and holdings
periodically and certify on an annual basis that they have read and understood the Code of Ethics and have
disclosed all personal securities transactions required pursuant to the Code of Ethics. LAM will provide a
copy of its Code of Ethics to any client or prospective client upon request.
Personnel may be from time to time able to invest in certain pooled vehicles for which LAM or a related
person acts as investment adviser. In addition, LAM manages certain accounts on behalf of its personnel
pursuant to a discretionary investment management agreement. Personnel often pay no advisory fees with
respect to such accounts or pay lower advisory fees than are offered to non-personnel with respect to the
investment strategies employed by such accounts. These investment vehicles and accounts are treated as
discretionary clients and are not subject to the personal trading restrictions described above. In addition,
49
orders for such investment vehicles and accounts will generally be aggregated with orders for other client
accounts for purposes of trade execution (see Item 12).
Employees of LAM and its affiliates from time to time may purchase, sell, or hold positions in securities
recommended to clients, including purchasing securities that are being sold for clients and vice versa and
may purchase, sell or hold positions in LAM’s proprietary investment products, including hedge funds, in
which other LAM clients also invest. All LAM employees are required to comply with the Code of Ethics
that requires pre-clearance of all securities transactions, subject to certain exemptions as described above.
Employee securities transactions are reviewed by members of the Legal and Compliance department to
determine consistency with the provisions of the Code of Ethics and avoid potential conflicts of interest.
LAM from time to time recommends to certain individual and institutional clients that they purchase shares
of registered funds sponsored and/or advised by LAM or an affiliate pending investment of assets or as part
of their investment program. LAM’s recommendation of such funds creates a potential conflict of interest
in that LAM or an affiliate receives a management fee in connection with the management of such funds
and the management fee for a fund is not negotiable while management fees for other pooled vehicles or
separately managed accounts are negotiable. Therefore, LAM faces a potential conflict of interest in that
it has an incentive to recommend a fund investment over another vehicle that generates a lower fee for
LAM. Similar potential conflicts of interest exist where a portfolio manager’s compensation is higher for
one strategy managed by the portfolio manager than others managed by the same portfolio manager.
However, as previously mentioned, the following factors and policies mitigate such potential conflicts of
interest:
• LAM employees must act in the best interests of clients and in accordance with LAM’s fiduciary
obligations to clients.
•
In light of the nature of LAM’s business and client base, clients typically choose the investment
vehicle utilized with respect to a particular mandate as well as the investment mandate.
• LAM sets certain minimum account thresholds for separately managed accounts and other pooled
vehicles that will typically also assist a client in determining the appropriate vehicle. Ultimately,
however, the client, and not LAM, is responsible to choose the appropriate vehicle in which to
invest.
• LAM employees only provide investment advice with respect to LAM products.
Clients, along with other fund shareholders, bear a proportionate share of the expenses of the funds in
which they are invested, including, to the extent permitted by law, the management fee paid to LAM or an
affiliate. With respect to funds that pay distribution fees, clients may also bear a portion of such distribution
fees.
If the investment strategy chosen by a client includes allocations to funds managed by LAM or an affiliate
of LAM, LAM and/or its affiliate may receive a management fee in addition to the advisory fee charged to
50
the client for managing the assets in accordance with the strategy, except to the extent prohibited by law or
as otherwise agreed to by LAM.
However, for clients with a portion of their assets invested in shares of a portfolio of the Funds, depending
upon the terms of the advisory agreement with a client, the advisory fee payable to LAM generally will be
offset by an amount equal to the aggregate management fee and Rule 12b-1 fee payable with respect to the
client’s assets that are invested in the Funds, or, alternatively LAM will not charge its separate account
advisory fee on those assets invested in the Funds. In the latter case, LAM’s overall fee will depend on the
proportion of a client’s account allocated to a Fund. If the fee LAM receives from the Fund is higher than
the fee it receives from the client for managing the account, then LAM’s overall fee will increase as the
allocation to the Fund increases.
LAM is also, directly or through a wholly-owned subsidiary, a general partner or manager of certain private
funds. For certain clients, LAM recommends that its clients invest in such private funds. Such
recommendations are subject to the same potential conflicts noted above with respect to LAM’s
recommendation of registered funds for which it serves as investment adviser. As with registered fund
recommendations, the same fiduciary obligations apply. Additionally, private funds are subject to more
onerous eligibility requirements than registered funds; therefore, not all clients will be eligible to invest in
private funds.
LAM’s clients or prospective clients may request a copy of the firm’s Code of Ethics by contacting LAM’s
General Counsel at (212) 632-6000.
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
Equity Strategies
LAM has authority to determine the broker-dealers to be used when effecting transactions on behalf of its
clients and in establishing the commission rate paid on each transaction. LAM’s Equity Brokerage
Committee, which consists of certain of LAM’s senior investment professionals, and senior members of
LAM’s Operations and Legal and Compliance groups, oversees LAM’s equity brokerage practices.
The Equity Brokerage Committee has established a process for determining the broker-dealers to be used
in executing equity trades (with the specific decision on which broker-dealer to use in a particular
transaction to be made by the Equity Trading Desk). The Committee has also determined standard
execution-only and full service equity commission rates by country. The Committee meets at least once a
quarter to oversee and assess the services provided by equity counterparties, including equity brokers which
help the firm acquire research services through commission sharing arrangements. Among other things,
the Committee reviews the firm’s list of approved brokers, the performance of brokers pursuant to LAM’s
best execution policies, and information related to commission sharing arrangements that LAM has in place
with certain approved brokers. The Committee also reviews the results of LAM’s internal trader survey,
which will be conducted twice per year and is designed to evaluate the execution capabilities of approved
brokers. The survey results help define the “top tier” brokers expected to execute a significant percentage
of client equity trades.
51
Participants in the internal trader survey may take into account a variety of factors designed to address
LAM’s obligation to seek best execution on behalf of its clients. These factors include, but are not limited
to, the ability of a broker-dealer to provide prompt and efficient execution generally; the ability and
willingness of a broker-dealer to facilitate transactions by acting as principal and utilizing its own capital
to facilitate trades; the ability of a broker-dealer to provide accurate and timely settlement of transactions;
LAM’s knowledge of the negotiated commission rates currently available and other current transaction
costs; the clearance and settlement capabilities of the broker; LAM’s knowledge of the financial condition
of the broker or dealer selected; as well as any other matter relevant to the selection of a broker-dealer.
LAM has no duty or obligation to seek in advance competitive bidding or the lowest commission rate
applicable to any particular portfolio transaction. LAM’s traders may deviate from standard execution-
only rates when working orders that require brokers to commit capital or provide other non-standard
execution services. LAM’s standard equity commission rates for low-touch venues (i.e., ECNs, algorithms,
and program trading) are set at lower levels than full-service rates; however, LAM may include in any of
its commission rates a charge for the acquisition of research services (as described below in this Item 12).
Due to the nature of the types of equity and other trades executed for the Rathmore Strategy, Global
Convertibles Strategy and alternative investment strategies, those clients may be charged lower brokerage
commissions than the clients invested in other strategies where trading is conducted through the Equity
Trading Desk.
Equity transactions for investment advisory accounts are effected directly by brokers selected by LAM,
unless specific broker direction instructions are provided by a client. In arranging for clients’ securities
transactions, LAM is primarily concerned with seeking best execution under the circumstances applicable
to those transactions. In trading for all of its clients, LAM operates within the framework imposed by
relevant securities laws and, where applicable, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”),
as well as any directions or restrictions (including any client directions to use a particular broker or dealer)
imposed by clients for their accounts. Within this framework, LAM employs or deals with members of
securities exchanges and registered broker-dealers which can provide best execution in the judgment of
LAM. In determining the ability of an exchange member or broker-dealer to obtain best execution on a
transaction, LAM will consider all relevant factors, including those described in the paragraph above.
LAM evaluates the reasonableness of brokerage commissions while effecting portfolio transactions based
on the foregoing factors. The general level of brokerage commissions paid is reviewed periodically by
LAM. LAM periodically reviews reports compiled by a third-party vendor detailing LAM’s portfolio
transaction costs and other relevant materials to ensure that LAM’s clients are treated equitably and that
LAM is meeting its duty to seek best execution.
Please refer to Item 4 above for a description of arrangements relating to FX transactions for client accounts
which are typically effected through the FX desk at a client’s custodian bank, either through the use of
standing instructions issued by LAM or negotiated directly by LAM, generally with a client’s custodian
bank.
52
Fixed Income and Convertible Strategies
The duty to seek best execution generally applies to all of LAM’s portfolio transactions, including those
relating to fixed income securities. Certain factors outlined above with respect to the ability of a broker to
provide best execution are also considered when LAM manages its fixed income portfolios or portfolios
managed in accordance with the Rathmore, Global Convertibles or alternative investment strategies.
However, certain factors would not be considered with respect to a broker’s ability to provide best execution
with respect to fixed income securities, such as LAM’s knowledge of the negotiated commission rates
currently available and other current transaction costs and the ability and willingness of a broker-dealer to
facilitate transactions by acting as principal and utilizing its own capital to facilitate trades. These, and
other similar considerations, are not applicable to the best execution analysis utilized in trading fixed
income securities due to the nature of fixed income securities and the way such securities are traded. The
Fixed Income Brokerage Committee oversees trading issues related to LAM’s fixed income products and
is comprised of senior members of LAM’s Fixed Income Portfolio Management, Trading, Legal and
Compliance, Operations and Risk Management departments.
Wrap Fee Programs and Communication of Model Portfolio Holdings
As previously noted, LAM will participate in wrap fee programs where LAM executes trades on behalf of
wrap program clients. Additionally, LAM will provide non-discretionary investment advice by delivering
model securities portfolios to Model Recipients. In most cases, LAM delivers the model to the Model
Recipient who then handles trading.
LAM may execute orders for wrap accounts separately from transactions for its institutional accounts and
similar accounts. LAM’s discretionary wrap account clients and Model Recipients from time to time may
trade the same securities at the same time. In these circumstances, LAM will use a methodology to deliver
model holdings to Model Recipients and effect trading on behalf of its other clients, including wrap account
clients, that it believes to be fair and equitable. Normally, this methodology will place wrap accounts and
Model Recipients in a randomly generated trade rotation, although LAM may use another methodology
that it believes to be fair and equitable. LAM may choose to suspend the randomly generated trade rotation
or may utilize rotation or other allocation methods if it is deemed to be appropriate under the circumstances,
including for example, under constrained market conditions.
The details of a particular trade rotation used by LAM when delivering model holdings to Model Recipients
and effecting trading on behalf of its other clients, including wrap account clients, may differ depending on
the particular facts and circumstances. A typical rotation involves the generation of a random list of wrap
sponsors and Model Recipients. LAM will then submit trade instructions (i.e., by effecting trades on behalf
of a wrap program or distributing model holdings to a Model Recipient, as applicable) to the first entry in
the rotation and then to the next entry, typically until all entries in the rotation have received appropriate
instructions. In implementing the trade rotation, LAM may seek to aggregate trades among wrap programs
that allow “step out” trades to be executed, and these trades may be further aggregated with trades that
LAM is effecting on behalf of other discretionary accounts. There will from time to time be circumstances
that cause a particular wrap sponsor or Model Recipient to not be able to receive trade instructions in
accordance with LAM’s pre-established trade rotation, which will result in the program or Model Recipient
53
(as applicable) moving to the end of the rotation. As a result, those wrap accounts or Model Recipients will
receive different, and perhaps less favorable, prices for their transactions then they would have had the
sponsor or Model Recipient received the trade instructions or model holdings (as applicable) in the original
trade rotation. Additionally, LAM may utilize a rotation or allocation method other than those described
above if LAM believes such rotation or method is appropriate under the circumstances and such alternative
rotation is fair and equitable.
Because of the mechanics of the trade rotation process and other factors, trading for LAM’s institutional
and other discretionary accounts normally will begin when the trade rotation process begins and may be
completed prior to the completion of all trades for wrap accounts and may be effected at the same time as
trades are being executed for wrap accounts and Model Recipients. As a consequence, trading by or for a
Model Recipient or wrap program client may be subject to price movements, particularly with large orders
or where the securities are thinly traded, that may result in Model Recipients or wrap program clients
receiving prices that are less favorable than the prices obtained by LAM for its discretionary client accounts
or other accounts managed by LAM. As such, LAM’s institutional or other discretionary accounts over
time may obtain better execution, including more favorable prices for their transactions, than wrap accounts
or Model Recipients purchasing or selling the same securities. Alternatively, the same factors may result
in wrap clients or Model Recipients completing trading before or at the same time as LAM’s trading on
behalf of institutional or other discretionary accounts. This may particularly be the case because LAM
considers the delivery of a model to a Model Recipient, or communication of trading instructions to a wrap
program client, as a completed rotation in the original trade rotation. In these cases, the wrap accounts or
Model Recipients may obtain better executions. Because LAM does not control a Model Recipient’s
execution of transactions for such accounts, LAM cannot control the market impact of such transactions.
When LAM is acquiring the same security in non-U.S. markets for wrap accounts and institutional accounts,
LAM generally will buy ordinary shares for institutional accounts and American Depositary Receipts
(“ADRs”) for the wrap accounts. If permitted by the wrap program sponsor, LAM will place “step-out”
orders with certain brokers. The use of “step-out” orders allows LAM to address the lack of liquidity in the
domestic markets by using a single broker to obtain the underlying local securities in the local market where
they are traded and deposit them in the United States to create ADRs that are “stepped-out” to LAM’s wrap
clients. Wrap clients may pay additional fees associated with such ADR transactions. LAM also will place
“step-out” orders with brokers to acquire U.S. securities for wrap clients, which may result in additional
fees. In either case, if wrap account programs do not allow “step-outs” to brokers, execution prices and
trading costs borne by those clients will be higher.
Other Non-Discretionary Arrangements
LAM also provides non-discretionary investment advice to certain clients through mechanisms other than
model portfolios. In some cases, LAM may provide investment advice consistent with an investment
strategy managed by LAM but the client retains ultimate investment discretion, authorizing each trade prior
to execution by LAM. LAM may also provide some non-discretionary clients with internally generated
research information and access to its buy-side research professionals. For each of these arrangements,
LAM assesses how the information may be used within the client’s own investment process. LAM takes
steps to address any conflicts associated with such arrangements.
54
Research and Soft Dollar Benefits
LAM receives a wide range of research services from broker-dealers who also execute transactions for
LAM client portfolios and from other third-party research providers. These research services can include
broker research reports, other written research reports, models, meetings with research analysts, meetings
with company management, and other research-related meetings. Brokers also assist LAM with the
acquisition of research from third-parties, such as providers of market data services, with whom LAM does
not effect transactions (“third-party research services”). LAM obtains third-party research services by
entering into arrangements (also called “soft dollar” arrangements or “commission sharing arrangements”)
under which brokers who execute or otherwise effect client transactions compensate the third-party research
providers.
LAM has implemented controls designed to ensure that the research services it acquires under commission
sharing arrangements are compliant with Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act. Section 28(e) creates a safe
harbor protecting investment advisers from liability for a breach of fiduciary duty when deciding to pay
more than the lowest available commission rate to a broker. LAM has adopted procedures designed to
confirm that LAM seeks best execution on client transactions and also obtains research services through
commission arrangements in compliance with Section 28(e).
Research services furnished by brokers and third-party providers complement LAM’s in-house research
and help LAM’s portfolio management teams implement their investment strategies. LAM believes that
these services benefit its firm-wide investment processes, which in turn benefits LAM’s clients.
Commission credits generated by client equity transactions are effectively pooled together by LAM to pay
for broker and third-party research services that are accessible to essentially all of LAM’s investment
personnel, including personnel managing strategies (e.g., fixed income strategies) or client mandates (e.g.,
model-delivery mandates) that do not generate such credits. LAM does not attempt either to monitor the
amount of commission credits generated by each client account or to allocate the benefit of these
commission credits proportionately among clients, nor is LAM able to trace the commissions generated by
a particular client’s account to the acquisition of a particular research service. However, given its open
research model (described in Item 4 above) LAM believes that its clients as a whole benefit when its
investment personnel have broad access to these services.
When LAM receives research services as a result of client brokerage commissions, LAM receives a benefit
because it is not paying for such services from its own resources or producing such research on its own.
Additionally, the Section 28(e) safe harbor creates an incentive for LAM to select a broker-dealer based on
such receipt of research or other services rather than the ability to provide most favorable execution. LAM’s
controls, including the equity trader survey described above, are designed to address potential conflicts of
interest related to research arrangements. These controls also include “mixed use” procedures under which
LAM will pay cash for the portion of a service it consumes for purposes beyond the scope of the Section
28(e) safe harbor.
When acquiring an external service with commission credits, LAM establishes what it believes is a fair
value for such service and then causes brokers to compensate the service provider based upon that value.
In many cases, that value assigned to a third-party research service is based upon an invoice from the
vendor. For broker proprietary research services and other services that are not accompanied by an invoice,
55
LAM’s equity investment professionals participate in a semi-annual evaluation designed to assess the
quality and value of the research services that brokers and other firms provide to LAM. The results of the
research evaluation help determine which research providers will receive payments from brokers with
which LAM has commission sharing agreements.
Clients of LAM’s advisory affiliates that are regulated by the European Markets in Financial Instruments
Directive (“MiFID”) and certain clients of LAM that are domiciled in jurisdictions regulated by MiFID do
not pay commissions that generate Section 28(e) research credits with brokers. Accordingly, when equity
transactions for those clients are aggregated with those of other equity clients, the MiFID-governed
accounts normally will pay lower commission rates than the other clients in the block. In lieu of
commission research credits, LAM’s advisory affiliates in jurisdictions governed by MiFID pay for broker
research out of their own resources.
Certain other clients of LAM, for regulatory or other reasons, do not allow their equity commissions to
create credits for the acquisition of research or third-party research services but may ultimately benefit from
research and third-party research services acquired through other clients’ transactions.
Clients of LAM whose equity transactions are not subject to MiFID’s research rules or other restrictions
will continue to pay commissions to brokers to acquire research and third-party research services under
Section 28(e), and are likely to pay a higher percentage of commissions toward third-party research services
than they have in past years because the cost of such services will be borne by fewer clients. However,
LAM has adopted procedures and conducts reviews designed to prevent these clients from bearing an unfair
share of the firm’s overall research acquisition budget. Among other things, LAM has adopted a process
designed to pause the generation of soft dollar credits when research budget maximum limits are met.
With respect to pension plan clients subject to ERISA, soft dollar benefits received by LAM constitute
“indirect compensation” under the ERISA Section 408(b)(2) regulations. The amount of the soft dollar
benefits, if any, that are obtained in connection with the plan’s account cannot be estimated in advance as
it is dependent on the number of transactions effected and the executing brokers used. If applicable, soft
dollar amounts will be disclosed to the plan each year upon request for purposes of Form 5500 Schedule C
reporting.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
LAM does not consider referrals of potential investors as a factor in the selection of brokers and LAM has
adopted procedures that prohibit directing brokerage to brokers in recognition of client referrals and sales
of the Funds’ shares. Certain prime brokerage firms utilized by certain pooled vehicles advised by LAM
(or for which LAM or an affiliate serves as a general partner or manager) may provide capital introduction
services as part of their overall services as prime broker. LAM does not consider provision of capital
introduction services as the sole factor in choosing a prime broker for a pooled vehicle. In such cases, the
prime broker often has an incentive to refer clients to the pooled vehicle over another fund because the
prime broker’s compensation may be based on the number of trades executed by the pooled vehicle or the
amount of assets under management by the pooled vehicle.
Directed Brokerage
56
Generally, LAM will accept brokerage direction from clients with respect to domestic equity trades. In
such cases, LAM will work with the client to develop a mutually agreed upon broker and direction target.
LAM generally will not follow a client’s suggested designated brokerage target in the case of transactions
in which, in LAM’s judgment, the designated broker will not afford best execution, unless the client has
specifically directed that a specific broker be utilized and acknowledges that following the client’s
directions may result in higher execution costs and less competitive prices than may otherwise be available.
LAM is generally not able to accept brokerage direction for non-U.S. mandates due to the reduction in
participation in commission recapture programs by global brokerage firms. Additionally, brokerage
direction will not generally be permitted for fixed income transactions, as direction is generally
incompatible with the way in which fixed income securities are traded by LAM.
Pursuant to certain of the wrap fee arrangements between LAM and the wrap fee program sponsors, LAM
has discretion to select brokers or dealers other than the wrap fee program sponsors when necessary to
fulfill its duty to seek best execution of transactions for its clients’ accounts. However, brokerage
commissions and other charges for transactions not effected through the wrap fee program sponsors are
generally charged to the client, whereas the wrap fee covers the cost of brokerage commissions and other
fees on transactions effected through the wrap fee program sponsors. For this reason, it is likely that most,
if not all, transactions for such clients will be effected through the wrap fee program sponsors and it would
generally be exceptional for LAM to trade with a broker or dealer other than the wrap fee program sponsor.
To the extent possible, LAM will seek to obtain best execution on such trades through “step out” trades,
where LAM aggregates trades with an executing broker (often not the wrap fee program sponsor) and “steps
out” the appropriate portion of the trade to such sponsor for clearing and settlement at the execution price
obtained through the executing broker. LAM is not in a position to negotiate commission rates with the
wrap fee program sponsors on behalf of its wrap fee clients, or to monitor or evaluate the commission rates
being paid by such clients or the nature and quality of the services they obtain from the wrap fee program
sponsors.
It is expected that LAM will direct most, if not all, trades for clients that retain Pershing to provide such
services to Pershing.
Aggregation and Allocation
When orders to purchase or sell the same equity securities on identical terms are placed by more than one
account managed by LAM or its affiliates, the transactions are normally averaged as to price (to the extent
they are with the same broker/dealer) and allocated as to amount in accordance with the daily purchases or
sales orders actually placed for each account. Transactions effected on behalf of LF&Co.’s pension account
and other accounts in which LAM’s personnel have invested but which LAM treats as managed accounts
may be aggregated with transactions of other investment advisory accounts and will receive the same
average price. Such orders are combined when possible to facilitate best execution by reducing overall
transaction costs. In cases where only part of an order is filled, securities are allocated to accounts in a
manner which LAM deems equitable. In situations where an order takes multiple days to fill and during
such time a new participating account is added, LAM normally prioritizes the new participating account to
bring such account in line with the weight of the existing participating accounts and then the remainder of
57
the order is allocated on a pro rata basis. LAM also will exempt from aggregation and prioritize orders
related to client redemptions, error corrections, guideline breaches and similar circumstances.
Where LAM purchases or sells the same security for clients whose orders are aggregated and also is trading
that security for clients who direct brokerage to specific counterparties, LAM will seek to treat all clients
fairly in timing the orders. Nevertheless, the price paid or received by one group of accounts may differ
from that paid or received by the directed brokerage accounts. Aggregated orders that are executed through
LAM will generally not result in reduced aggregate commissions, as each client will be charged LAM’s
commission rate established with the respective broker or dealer. Aggregated executions are generally
allocated to participating accounts pro rata or via other methods such as a random allocation determined by
LAM’s trading system or an allocation which brings all clients to a certain percentage holding of the
security. In certain circumstances, LAM may also select certain clients to participate in a partially filled
order based upon certain criteria deemed significant by LAM, including, without limitation: (i) the need
for, or availability of, cash to complete the transaction; (ii) whether the transaction would result in a
meaningful position for the client’s account; (iii) whether the order specifies a priority allocation to one or
more accounts; (iv) whether a client’s account is under- or over-weighted with respect to a particular
security, industry or sector in comparison to other accounts in the order; (v) the availability of an alternative
investment in the same security or industry; (vi) the client is fully closing its account; and (vii) the extent
to which an allocation would be too small to justify processing or custodial charges associated with the
transaction.
While LAM generally will aggregate institutional equity orders in the same security that are open on the
same day, there are circumstances under which orders for individual client accounts will be traded
separately. For example, when market liquidity is insufficient to fill all orders, LAM reserves its right to
separate and prioritize the execution of equity orders relating to individual client inflows, client
redemptions, the correction of guideline breaches, individual account rebalancing, and similar
circumstances. Further, when LAM is conducting equity trades to transition a client account into or out of
an investment strategy or pooled vehicle, LAM reserves its right to conduct those trades separately in a
manner that is fair to all relevant clients. New equity orders that are placed less than one hour before the
scheduled market close (or if the market is already closed) generally will not be aggregated with or averaged
as to price with prior orders in the same security that day. De minimis orders (for example, under 1,000
shares) may also be worked separately and may not be averaged as to price with prior orders in the same
security that day.
Due to the nature of their investment processes, trades by LAM’s alternative strategies (including but not
limited to the Rathmore Strategy Emerging Income Strategy) are executed separately from, and not
aggregated with, trades effected on behalf of LAM’s other clients in the same security or securities. LAM
has established policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that clients within each strategy are
treated fairly and equitably. However, it is possible that in such circumstances, because of the size or timing
of the respective trades, such clients could receive prices that are more or less favorable than the prices
received by the strategies whose trades are not aggregated with the trades for such clients. Trades by
LAM’s long-only fixed income teams (including but not limited to Global Convertibles Strategy, U.S. Fixed
Income Strategy, Global Fixed Incomeand Emerging Markets Debt Strategy) are executed by LAM’s Fixed
Income Trading Desk. LAM’s Fixed Income Trading Desk ensures trades effected on behalf of LAM’s
58
clients in the same security or securities are aggregated wherever practicable. LAM also reserves its right
to separately execute orders in these strategies for the reasons described in the preceding paragraph.
Initial Public Offering Securities
LAM may invest client assets in securities offered in an initial public offering (“IPOs” or “IPO Shares”).
IPO Shares frequently are in great demand and available only in limited quantities. Moreover, IPO Shares
can trade at a premium shortly after issuance. Because these factors subject IPO Shares to potential abuse,
LAM seeks to ensure that IPO Shares are allocated in a fair and equitable manner. Each portfolio
management team will determine whether to participate in IPOs. This decision will be based upon factors
such as, without limitation: (i) the investment strategy or the investment parameters associated with the
strategy used to manage the client accounts; (ii) the merits of the investment proposition; (iii) whether the
risks of investing in an IPO are appropriate for the client accounts; and (iv) client guidelines or legal
restrictions.
Generally, LAM will allocate IPO Shares among client accounts pro rata based upon the aggregate asset
size (excluding leverage) of the eligible client accounts that have placed the order for IPO Shares. The
asset base used to calculate this allocation does not include: (i) accounts that are restricted from participating
in the IPO or who are prohibited from purchasing IPO Shares according to their guidelines or strategy; or
(ii) market values of restricted assets in the LAM hedge funds (i.e., share classes restricted from receiving
U.S. IPO allocations). LAM may also allocate IPO Shares on a random basis as selected electronically, or
other basis, provided that such basis is fair and equitable. Allocations of IPO Shares to alternative
investment strategies may be limited by LAM procedures when those strategies are participating in IPO
allocations with the firm’s institutional equities strategies.
Because orders for IPOs are typically only partially filled, accounts participating in the original order may
receive only a portion of the shares requested and may not receive any shares at all. As also noted above,
IPO Shares will typically be allocated on a pro rata basis and each portfolio management team is responsible
for determining whether to purchase IPO Shares for the strategy or strategies that the team manages. A
portfolio management team may decide not to participate in a particular IPO based on the merits or profile
of the investment opportunity. Many LAM investment strategies are relative-value oriented and long-term
in nature, seeking companies with a history of profitability. When considering whether to invest in an IPO,
the portfolio management team must weigh the investment proposition against the potential for gain from
the existing holdings in the strategy and the other costs associated with the transactions, including
transaction implementation costs (e.g., market impact, price and commissions) related to selling positions
to pay for the IPO Shares. Additionally, many LAM portfolio management teams manage their investment
strategies relying heavily on fundamental, bottom-up investment research. As many IPOs involve
unseasoned, small-capitalization companies with limited financial data available, a portfolio management
team may decide to participate in an occasional IPO where it is able to become comfortable with the
fundamentals of the company. In addition, as outlined below, market capitalization or regional exposure
might also limit the ability to purchase IPOs.
Many LAM strategies do not invest in IPOs on a regular basis, while certain strategies, particularly certain
of LAM’s alternative investment strategies, do. IPO Shares may trade at a premium over the IPO price
59
shortly after its issuance. Consequently, those strategies that regularly invest in IPO Shares (including
alternative investment strategies) may be able to quickly sell IPO Shares and may therefore significantly
benefit from such investments, while those strategies that do not regularly invest in IPO Shares will not.
Transactions in IPO Shares can potentially contribute significantly to the investment performance of a
client’s account. As a result, these potential benefits will not be available in a LAM strategy that does not
invest in IPOs on a regular basis or to clients that restrict investments in IPO Shares. In addition, there may
be times when there is a significant amount of IPO activity in the financial markets. Conversely, there may
be other times when IPO activity is not as robust. As a result, investment performance achieved during
periods of increased availability of IPO Shares in the marketplace may not be repeated during periods where
there is decreased IPO activity.
IPO Shares may be sold by LAM on the same day LAM receives an allocation.
Generally, many of LAM’s accounts are eligible to participate in IPOs. However, participation in such
investments is limited by various factors outlined below.
Many LAM investment strategies adhere to specific investment parameters. For example, a large-
capitalization strategy will typically not invest in a small-capitalization IPO and therefore, a particular IPO
may not be a suitable investment for the client’s investment mandate (e.g., a client invested in a U.S. Large
Cap mandate would not, generally, participate in an offering of a small capitalization IPO, and a client
invested in a U.S. equity mandate would not, generally, participate in an IPO for an emerging market
security).
Accounts of “restricted persons” as defined under FINRA Rule 5130 are prohibited from participating in
IPO Shares, except as permitted by the rule (a “5130 restricted person”). FINRA Rule 5131 imposes
additional restrictions on the purchase of IPO Shares, which are designed to address the practice of
“spinning.”2 Generally, Rule 5131 bans spinning by prohibiting a FINRA member from allocating IPO
Shares to any account in which an executive officer or director of a “public company” or a “covered non-
public company” (each as defined in Rule 5131), or certain other persons, has a beneficial interest, if such
person’s company has or expects to have an investment banking relationship with the FINRA member
(each, a “5131 restricted person” and together with a “5130 restricted person, a “restricted person”).
In order for a client account to be eligible to participate in IPOs, LAM must have a copy of the client’s
Investor Certificate indicating that the account is not a restricted person. Reallocation will be required if it
is determined that a restricted person participated in an IPO allocation. There are other instances where a
client may be restricted from purchasing IPOs. For example:
• Clients who require all purchases and sales of securities to be effected with a particular broker or
dealer will not be eligible to participate in IPOs underwritten by other brokers.
2 Spinning occurs when a broker-dealer allocates a new issue to an executive officer or director of a company, who then
returns the favor by using the broker-dealer for its company’s investment banking needs.
60
• LAM manages client accounts in accordance with each client’s particular investment restrictions
or guidelines. If a client’s investment guidelines prohibit investments in IPOs, such client will not
be eligible to participate in IPOs.
• Clients who do not have a sufficient amount of cash to purchase IPO Shares will not be able to
purchase IPO Shares.
• Based on LAM’s IPO allocation procedures, if an account would not receive a round lot or
meaningful position (e.g., an allocation of at least 100 shares), then that client would not receive
an allocation of IPO Shares.
• LAM’s Legal and Compliance department must approve (i) potential purchases of IPO Shares
from broker-dealers affiliated with LAM; (ii) for accounts subject to ERISA, potential purchases
of IPO Shares where any broker-dealer affiliated with LAM is a manager of the underwriting
syndicate; and (iii) for accounts subject to ERISA, potential purchases of IPO Shares where a
broker-dealer or underwriter affiliated with the ERISA client is a participant in the underwriting
syndicate.
• For U.S. registered funds, Rule 10f-3 procedures must be followed and the appropriate
documentation completed if any broker-dealer affiliated with LAM or another restricted broker (in
the case of sub-advised funds) is a lead or co-manager of the underwriting syndicate. If the
affiliated broker is part of the syndicate, the fund is allowed to participate; however, the allocation
must be received from another member of the syndicate.
LAM’s online wrap accounts and private client accounts do not participate in IPOs.
Certain strategies managed by LAM also invest in convertible securities. These include the Rathmore
Strategy and the Global Convertibles Strategy, which are managed by separate teams that under LAM’s
procedures do not coordinate their research or their trading. It is possible for both teams to attempt to
acquire the same convertible security in the primary market at the same time, and both teams may attempt
to buy or sell the same convertible security in the secondary market at the same time. In the normal course,
due to differences in the investment processes and objectives of both strategies, LAM does not manage the
allocations of securities orders generated by each of these teams. It is possible that accounts managed by
either team will not receive the full allocation of securities they have sought through orders to broker-
dealers.
Cross and Agency Cross Transactions
Cross transactions involve the purchase or sale of a security between two accounts managed by LAM. For
example, in some instances a security to be sold by one client account may independently be considered
appropriate for purchase by another client account. In such cases, LAM may, but is not required, to cause
the security to be “crossed” or transferred directly between the relevant accounts at an independently
determined market price and without incurring brokerage commissions, although customary custodian fees
and transfer fees may be incurred, no part of which will be received by LAM). LAM will generally not
61
engage in cross transactions between an ERISA plan account and any other account managed by LAM,
unless an exception is satisfied. LAM will only engage in cross transactions between an investment
company registered under the 1940 Act and another account managed by LAM pursuant to procedures
adopted under Rule 17a-7. Generally, LAM will only engage in cross transactions if it is permitted to do
so under its investment management agreement with the client, or with written permission from the client.
Clients who provide blanket consent to LAM to engage in cross transactions may withdraw such consent
without penalty by providing written notice to LAM. Generally, the price for a cross trade of a fixed income
security will be the mid-price of three independent bids and offers (or another fair and equitable
methodology approved by LAM’s Legal and Compliance department). The price for a cross trade of an
equity security generally will be the day’s volume weighted average price (commonly referred to as the
VWAP), the end-of-day price or another approach deemed appropriate and approved by LAM’s Legal and
Compliance department.
Although it is LAM’s policy to avoid market transactions that could be viewed as the facilitation of cross
trades between separate client accounts, at times, LAM will be required to execute orders in the same
security on the opposite sides of the market. With respect to equity transactions, buy and sell orders in the
same security made on the same day for different client accounts, whether due to client cash flows or
portfolio model changes, are routed by the Equity Trading Desk to separate brokers for execution.
However, when the Equity Trading Desk determines that a single broker can execute buy and sell orders in
the same security on the same day for different client accounts in a manner that also satisfies LAM’s duty
to seek best execution, the Equity Trading Desk will instruct the executing broker to avoid crossing those
two orders as principal (i.e., internally at the executing broker). With respect to fixed income transactions,
buy and sell orders in the same security made on the same day for different client accounts, whether due to
client cash flows or portfolio model changes, must be placed as separate orders on anonymous, multi-dealer
electronic trading systems (“Electronic Trading Platforms”). Same day buy and sell orders in securities
that are not serviced by an Electronic Trading Platform are executed following a consultation with LAM’s
Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee.
LAM will generally not engage in agency cross transactions in which LF&Co. acts as broker for the parties
on both sides of the transaction.
Principal Transactions
In general, LAM does not engage in principal transactions with client accounts or investment funds. In a
“principal transaction,” LAM or a LAM affiliate buys a security from, or sells a security to, the account of
a client. However, LAM may, from time to time, and subject to applicable laws and internal policy, engage
in a principal transaction with a client if LAM reasonably believes that the transaction will be in the best
interests of the client. For example, in certain cases, LAM and its owners, affiliates and employees may
have financial interests in certain accounts, including investment funds managed by LAM or an affiliate,
which, at times, may exceed 25% of the total account so that the account may be deemed to be a principal
account (a “Principal Account”). Whenever transactions are effected by LAM between a Principal Account
and one or more non-Principal Accounts, LAM will generally seek to obtain consent from the non-Principal
Accounts prior to executing such trades (or in no event later than the settlement of such trades).
62
Transactions with LF&Co.
LAM has adopted policies and procedures related to transactions involving LF&Co. LAM may purchase
for its discretionary accounts securities as to which LF&Co. is a member of an underwriting or selling
syndicate. Such purchases will generally be made in accordance with Prohibited Transaction Exemption
75-1, or otherwise under ERISA, for accounts subject to ERISA, relevant client restrictions and Rule 10f-
3 under the 1940 Act, for registered funds. LF&Co. engages in a secondary trading business with
institutional customers, primarily executing contingent trades on a principal basis, though it may also
execute non-contingent orders as agent or riskless principal. LF&Co. has not engaged in any secondary
trading business with LAM. In the event that LF&Co. engaged in any such business with LAM, it would
do so without charging any mark-up or commission.
Trades involving LF&Co. for LAM clients on an agency basis and brokerage commissions paid to LF&Co.
with respect to such trades are designed to comply with applicable law, including for LAM clients that are
employee benefit plans subject to ERISA upon complying with the conditions set forth in Department of
Labor Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 86-128 or otherwise in accordance with ERISA, for
registered investment companies advised by LAM upon complying with the conditions set forth in (as
applicable) ERISA, Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and, in any case, in compliance with Section 11(a) of
the Exchange Act. As a general matter, the commission rates charged to clients by brokers are negotiated,
and, therefore, different rates may be charged depending upon the service or package of services provided
to the client.
LAM may purchase for its discretionary clients securities as to which LF&Co. is engaged and compensated
by a company to advise and effect exchanges of securities issued by the company. Any such purchase will
be done without the client’s consent to the extent consistent with applicable law. For its services, LF&Co.
is compensated by the company that issued the securities to be exchanged and LF&Co. does not receive
compensation from any LAM client on account of such client’s participation in the exchange transaction.
LF&Co.’s compensation from companies is structured in various ways. Any participation by LAM’s
ERISA clients in such an exchange transaction will be effected in accordance with ERISA or, if it cannot
be so effected, LAM’s ERISA clients will be excluded from participating in the exchange transaction, which
will disadvantage such clients. Depending upon the particular exchange transaction, LF&Co. and LAM
may (but are not required to) agree, in their sole discretion, for LF&Co. to not accept any compensation
from the company directly attributable to such ERISA clients’ participation in the exchange transaction or
to otherwise disgorge or credit back such amounts to participating ERISA clients.
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
All portfolios are reviewed on a regular basis. The review process is as follows:
63
Equity
Trades for institutional equity portfolios are reviewed on a regular basis by a portfolio manager/analyst and
members of the broader investment team to determine trade completion, guideline compliance and
consistency of portfolio asset allocation. In addition, portfolio manager/analysts review the model
portfolios on a regular basis for consistency with investment strategies, overweight or underweight
positions and available investment funds. Because LAM manages portfolios on a team basis, one or more
portfolio manager/analysts will review each of the portfolios for which that team has responsibility.
Fixed Income
Fixed income portfolio manager/analysts review all institutional fixed income portfolios on a daily basis
for trade accuracy, asset allocation, available cash and investment strategies. More than one sector manager
may review accounts. LAM manages accounts on a team basis. Fixed income accounts are reviewed
weekly by the relevant Fixed Income portfolio management team for consistency with the objective of the
relevant investment strategy.
Private Client Group
Private Client Group portfolios are reviewed daily by portfolio assistants for trade accuracy and available
cash. The respective portfolio manager also reviews all such portfolios typically on a daily basis.
The Head of the Private Client Group reviews clients’ accounts periodically.
Wrap accounts are reviewed on a daily or weekly basis by SEI for portfolio consistency with investment
strategy, trade accuracy, and available cash. Issues raised by SEI are brought to the attention of the relevant
Director of Operations and other control groups within LAM, including, but not limited to, the Operations
and Finance and Legal and Compliance Teams.
Additionally, accounts will be reviewed in connection with client requests, routine compliance checks or
reporting reviews and otherwise as needed.
Client Reporting
Generally, at the end of each calendar quarter a full client reporting package is sent to clients of LAM other
than clients in wrap fee programs or other programs where the client has requested that a report not be sent
because a report is being sent by the client’s consultant, wrap program sponsor or broker. Holdings reports
typically display security description, quantity owned, market price, total market value and percent of total
market value.
In addition to holdings reports, the standard report contains a one-page portfolio summary, transactions,
corporate actions, and other reports applicable to the product in which the client has invested. The portfolio
summary page includes performance return relative to market indices and asset allocation. Additionally, if
an institutional client account includes an allocation to a portfolio of LFI, client reporting packages may
64
include a listing of the respective portfolio’s holdings, provided on a delayed basis. Such reports are
typically provided no more frequently than quarterly and are provided no earlier than 5 business days after
the end of a quarter, the time that LFI Portfolio holdings are made available on LAM’s website.
Additionally, upon request, LAM may provide to certain clients or investors, on a delayed basis, portfolio
holdings information with respect to private funds managed by LAM or its affiliates that is not provided
with the same frequency to other investors in such private fund.
Clients invested in the Funds or private funds managed by LAM will also receive audited financial
statements and certain other regular reports and documents sent to investors. Additionally, for certain Funds
or portfolios managed by the Multi-Asset portfolio management team, LAM provides quarterly
performance of the investment strategies comprising these Funds and makes this information available to
Fund shareholders upon request.
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Except with respect to soft dollar benefits, as described in Item 12 above, LAM does not receive fees or
other incentives from parties other than clients.
LAM is a party to several written agreements pursuant to which it pays a fee to consulting firms, individuals
and others (collectively, “Placement Agents”) for referring clients to LAM. The fee paid under these
agreements is based, directly or indirectly, on the amount of funds received for management from clients
that the Placement Agents refer. The agreements may also provide for the reimbursement of certain
expenses incurred by the Placement Agents and specifically require the Placement Agents to comply with
Rule 206(4)-3 of the Advisers Act and other regulations thereunder. Additionally, from time to time,
personnel of LF&Co. may refer clients to LAM.
LAM pays for, and utilizes, various services and attends various forums and events that are supplied or
sponsored by consultants and third-party intermediaries. The receipt of payment for these services could
be perceived to provide a benefit to such consultant or third party and, therefore, result in a conflict of
interest. However, LAM believes that its receipt of such services offers genuine educational or other
benefits to it and its clients.
In the conduct of its regular business operations, LAM and/or its employees, may make political
contributions, entertain clients, receive gifts or make charitable contributions. LAM has adopted policies
and procedures reasonably designed to address any potential conflicts of interest associated with such
activities.
Additionally, please refer to the discussion of “sweep arrangements” in Item 4 above.
Item 15 – Custody
In certain cases, pursuant to Rule 206(4)-2 under the Advisers Act, LAM may be deemed to have custody
of client assets. Clients should receive at least quarterly statements from the broker-dealer, bank or other
qualified custodian that holds and maintains client’s investment assets. LAM urges its clients to carefully
65
review such statements and compare such official custodial records to the account statements that LAM
provides to its clients. LAM’s statements may vary from custodial statements.
LAM undergoes an annual surprise examination by an independent public accountant in connection with
accounts for which it or an affiliate is deemed to have custody, as required by Rule 206(4)-2.
The Funds and the private funds managed by LAM issue financial statements on an annual basis that are
audited by such fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and delivered in accordance with the
requirements of Rule 206(4)-(2).
For information relating to the custody arrangements of Lazard Wealth, please refer to Item 15 of the LW
Brochure.
Item 16 – Investment Discretion
LAM furnishes continuous investment advice to advisory clients pursuant to investment management
agreements under which each client delegates investment management discretion to LAM. LAM manages
assets according to a variety of equity, fixed income and alternative investment strategies. In exercising its
judgment in managing client accounts, LAM takes into account the individual objectives, restrictions and
guidelines of each client, as communicated by the client, and other factors deemed relevant by the client
and disclosed to LAM, such as the nature and amount of other assets and income from other sources.
Generally, to the extent that a client wishes to impose limitations on the management of its account or
requests that LAM manage an account consistent with the client’s investment policy statement or
guidelines, LAM will review any such documentation provided by a client prior to the inception of an
account. To the extent that any such guidelines or limitations are not acceptable by LAM, LAM will work
with the client to make appropriate revisions to such documentation in a manner that is mutually acceptable
to both parties. In addition, LAM furnishes investment supervisory services to registered open- and closed-
end investment companies and private funds, including hedge funds and commingled funds and trusts,
based on the investment objectives and restrictions as set forth in each fund’s prospectus or similar offering
document.
Client portfolios with similar investment objectives within the same investment strategy are generally
managed similarly with a goal that each such client account would have substantially the same percentage
of the portfolio invested in the same securities (subject to differences arising from a variety of factors,
including, but not limited to, client restrictions and liquidity of underlying securities, when the portfolio
was opened and cash flows into and out of the portfolio). Investment opportunities are generally allocated
to those accounts, which LAM determines, in its sole discretion, to have an investment mandate and profile
consistent with the type of security (i.e., large cap equity, mid cap equity, small cap equity, core fixed,
intermediate fixed) and which LAM determines, in its sole discretion, should be included in the portfolio.
All such allocation decisions are subject to client guidelines and restrictions. Limited investment
opportunities will be allocated to client accounts in a manner in which LAM, in its sole discretion,
determines is equitable to its clients. Factors considered by LAM include, but are not limited to, the
availability of alternative investments, the extent to which the allocation would represent a meaningful
position for the account, the liquidity of the security and the availability of cash to settle the transaction.
Client requests for particular securities may also be considered.
66
As noted in Item 4 above, LAM has adopted an ESG Policy and related policy documents pursuant to which
its investment personnel will consider financially material ESG matters when making discretionary
investment decisions, subject to strategy investment objectives, client guidelines and applicable law. LAM
also offers several strategies that expressly include financially material ESG considerations in their
investment policies.
Please see Item 16 of the LW Brochure for a description of Lazard Wealth’s investment discretion.
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities
Generally, LAM is granted proxy voting authority under its client agreements and LAM generally accepts
the responsibility to vote proxies on behalf of any client. However, it is the responsibility of the custodian
appointed by the client to ensure that LAM receives notice of the relevant proxies sufficiently in advance
of the meeting’s cut-off date to vote, in order to allow LAM to vote. LAM is not responsible for voting
proxies for which it does not receive timely notice from a custodian appointed by a client, or in the case of
wrap programs, the program sponsor.
LAM’s Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures
LAM’s proxy voting process is administered by members of its Operations department (the “Proxy
Administration Team”). Oversight of the process is provided by LAM’s Legal and Compliance department
and by an Active Ownership Committee (“AO Committee”)comprised of senior investment professionals,
members of the Legal and Compliance department, the Head of Sustainable Investment & ESG and other
LAM personnel. The AO Committee meets regularly, generally on a quarterly basis, to review the Global
Proxy Voting Policy and other matters relating to the firm’s proxy voting functions. Meetings may be
convened more frequently (for example, to discuss a specific proxy voting agenda or proposal) as needed.
LAM currently subscribes to advisory and other proxy voting services provided by ISS and Glass Lewis.
These proxy advisory services provide independent analysis and recommendations regarding various
companies’ proxy proposals. While this research serves to help improve LAM’s understanding of the issues
surrounding a company’s proxy proposals, LAM’s investment professionals are responsible for providing
the vote recommendation for a given non-routine proposal, subject to conflicts of interest procedures.
Voting for each agenda of each meeting is instructed specifically by LAM in accordance with the policy.
ISS also provides administrative services to LAM related to proxy voting such as a web-based platform for
proxy voting, ballot processing, recordkeeping and reporting.
LAM votes on behalf of its clients according to proxy voting guidelines approved by the AO Committee
(the “Approved Guidelines”). The Approved Guidelines, which are summarized in the Global Proxy
Voting Policy, indicate whether LAM generally would be expected to vote “For” an agenda item, “Against”
an agenda item, or consider its vote on a case-by case basis. The Proxy Administration Team ensures that
investment professionals responsible for proxy voting are aware of the Approved Guidelines for each
proposal. Voting on a proposal in a manner that is inconsistent with an Approved Guideline requires the
approval of the AO Committee. With respect to proposals to be voted on a case-by-case basis, the Proxy
Administration Team will consult with relevant investment professionals prior to determining how to vote
on a proposal. Generally, LAM votes “For” certain agenda items considered routine.
67
Meetings that pose a potential material conflict of interest for LAM are voted in accordance with the conflict
procedures in the Global Proxy Voting Policy. For example, in situations where the Approved Guideline
is to vote case-by-case and a material conflict of interest appears to exist, LAM’s policy is to vote the proxy
item according to the majority recommendation of the independent proxy services to which LAM
subscribes or abstain.
It is LAM’s intention to vote all proposals at every meeting where it does not decide to abstain. However,
there are instances when voting is not practical or is not, in LAM’s view, in the best interests of its clients.
LAM does not generally vote proxies for securities loaned by clients through a custodian’s stock lending
program.
Unless it determines that doing so is in the best interests of clients, LAM generally will not reveal to third
parties how it intends to vote until such votes have been cast. Of course, LAM may disclose to a client,
upon request, how it intends to vote with respect to securities held in that client’s portfolio. Under some
circumstances, such as when ballots are not delivered on a timely basis, LAM will be unable to vote proxies.
In other cases – such as where the cost of voting is excessive, where LAM lacks sufficient information, or
where share blocking procedures are in place – LAM may determine not to vote.
Separately managed account clients who delegate proxy voting authority to LAM will receive a report
detailing the proxies voted by LAM on their behalf during a particular reporting period. LAM also files
Form N-PX with the SEC with respect to the proxies voted on behalf of the Funds.
Please see Item 17 of the LW Brochure for a description of Lazard Wealth’s proxy voting procedures.
Item 18 – Financial Information
LAM has no financial commitment that impairs its ability to meet contractual and fiduciary commitments
to clients, and has not been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
68
DISCLOSURE FOR ERISA CLIENTS
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH ERISA SECTION 408(B)(2)
LAM provides investment advisory services to certain clients subject to the provisions of ERISA as a
registered investment adviser and ERISA fiduciary. Each such client and/or plan’s (each, a “Plan”) relevant
investment management agreement between the Plan and LAM (each, an “Agreement”) sets forth the
provisions and terms relating to such arrangement, including terms and obligations relating to ERISA. In
connection with providing investment advisory services, LAM receives the fee set forth in the Agreement.
Soft Dollars. Please refer to Item 12 of this Brochure for a description of LAM’s soft dollar arrangements.
Gifts and Entertainment. LAM does not have any arrangements in place under which it would receive any
gifts or entertainment with respect to a Plan, nor does LAM expect to receive any gifts or entertainment in
connection with providing services to any Plan that would cause LAM to report any such amounts under
Schedule C of Form 5500 or to exceed the de minimis exception to compensation disclosable under ERISA
Section 408(b)(2). Under its policies, LAM personnel may not receive gifts in excess of $100 per year
from any client or potential client, and all gifts must be disclosed to LAM’s Legal and Compliance
department.
No LAM affiliate or subcontractor provides services that are charged to a Plan account or are charged on a
per-transaction basis. If a Plan terminates the Agreement, LAM receives its management fee up to the
termination date.
LAM does not provide recordkeeping services to any Plan. In general, in cases where a Plan invests through
a separately managed account, LAM provides fiduciary services directly to the Plan, not through a fund or
product. To the extent that LAM provides investment services to a Fund or other pooled vehicle in which
a Plan invests, the fees and expenses of such Fund or pooled vehicle are set forth in the prospectus or
offering memorandum and its financial statements and other materials sent to investors.
69