Company: LAZ
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001628280-25-007441
Chunk: 129

Company: Lazard, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 129
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 results in ongoing exposure to the potential for significant penalties, including fines or limitations on our ability to conduct our businesses.

The financial services industry is subject to extensive regulation. We are subject to regulation by governmental and self-regulatory organizations in the jurisdictions in which we operate around the world. Many of these regulators, including U.S. and non-U.S. government agencies and self-regulatory organizations, as well as state securities commissions in the U.S., are empowered to conduct administrative proceedings that can result in censure, fine, the issuance of cease-and-desist orders or the suspension or expulsion of a regulated entity from registration or membership. The requirements imposed by our regulators are generally designed to ensure the integrity of the financial markets and to protect customers and other third parties who deal with us and not to protect our stockholders. Consequently, these regulations often serve to limit our activities, including through net capital, customer protection and market conduct requirements.

We face the risk of significant intervention by regulatory and governmental authorities, including extended investigation and surveillance activity, adoption of costly or restrictive new regulations and judicial or administrative proceedings that may result in substantial penalties. Among other things, we could be fined or be prohibited from engaging in some of our business activities. In addition, the regulatory environment in which we operate is subject to modification and further regulation. Such changes may increase the expenses that we incur without necessarily leading to commensurate increases in revenue and income. Certain laws and regulations within the U.S. and externally include extraterritorial application that may lead to overlapping or conflicting legal and regulatory burdens with additional risks and implementation expenses. New laws or regulations or changes in the enforcement of existing laws or regulations applicable to us and our clients also may adversely affect our business, and our ability to function in this environment will depend on our ability to continually monitor and react to these changes.

The U.S. and other governments and institutions have taken actions, and may in the future take further actions, in response to geopolitical events and disruption and volatility in the global financial markets. Such further actions could include expanding current or enacting new standards, requirements and rules that may be applicable to us and our subsidiaries. The effect, complexity and scope of any such expanded or new standards, requirements and rules is uncertain 

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and could increase costs of compliance, monitoring and reporting and result in increased potential for litigation, sanctions and other liabilities, all of which could have adverse consequences to our business, financial condition and results of operations. While we continue to examine the requirements of new regulations that may become applicable to us