Lazard Superday Guide
Everything you need to know to prepare for and succeed in your Lazard Superday. This guide covers the format, what to expect, and proven strategies from successful candidates.
Last updated April 2026 · By the Superday AI editorial team
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Full Day (8-12 hours)
4-6 Back-to-Back
New York, NY Office
Superday Format
Typically 5-6 interviews with senior bankers. Lazard places significant emphasis on analytical thinking and may include brain teasers or case studies involving complex restructuring scenarios.
Typical Day Structure:
Arrival at Lazard
Candidates arrive at Lazard's offices at 30 Rockefeller Plaza and are directed to a waiting area. The atmosphere is distinctly intellectual and understated compared to the intensity of Evercore or the scale of Goldman. You receive a schedule of 4-5 interviews.
Technical and Restructuring Focus
The first 2-3 interviews are technically demanding, with a particular emphasis on restructuring concepts, capital structure analysis, and complex valuation scenarios. Lazard interviewers may present distressed situations and ask you to work through advisory recommendations for different stakeholders.
Intellectual Discussion
At least one interview takes a more open-ended, conversational format. A senior banker may ask about your views on market trends, sovereign debt, or specific industries. This tests your intellectual range and ability to engage in the kind of strategic discussion Lazard's advisory practice demands.
Cultural Fit Assessment
Behavioral interviews at Lazard focus on intellectual curiosity, independence of thought, and cultural alignment. The firm values analysts who contribute ideas and challenge assumptions, not just execute instructions.
Senior Partner Meeting
A concluding meeting with a senior partner or MD is highly influential. These conversations are often wide-ranging and assess whether you can hold your own in the kind of client discussions that define Lazard's advisory model. Decisions are communicated within one week.
What to Do
- Prepare thoroughly on restructuring concepts: debt-for-equity swaps, DIP financing, fulcrum security analysis, and the Chapter 11 process. These topics come up more frequently at Lazard than at any other top bank.
- Demonstrate intellectual breadth and curiosity. Lazard values analysts who read the Financial Times, have views on geopolitics, and can connect macroeconomic trends to corporate advisory situations.
- Articulate why Lazard's combination of M&A advisory, restructuring, and asset management creates a unique and intellectually stimulating environment.
- Study Lazard's sovereign advisory practice and be prepared to discuss government debt dynamics. This is a genuinely unique capability that differentiates Lazard from all competitors.
- Show that you are drawn to the quality of the work, not just the prestige. Lazard's culture prizes substance over status.
- Ask questions that demonstrate you have thought deeply about Lazard's approach to advisory. Generic questions will not impress interviewers at this firm.
What to Avoid
- Do not ignore restructuring. Even if you are primarily interested in M&A, Lazard's restructuring franchise is central to its identity and interviewers expect at least baseline fluency.
- Avoid giving formulaic or memorized answers to technical questions. Lazard interviewers prefer candidates who think through problems in real time and show genuine analytical instinct.
- Do not compare Lazard unfavorably to Evercore on compensation alone. Lazard's value proposition is rooted in intellectual culture, deal quality, and breadth of advisory capabilities.
- Never appear intellectually incurious. If asked about a market trend or concept you have not considered, engage thoughtfully rather than deflecting. Lazard values honest intellectual engagement.
- Avoid being narrow in your interests. Lazard's platform spans M&A, restructuring, sovereign advisory, and capital raising, and analysts benefit from exposure across these areas.
- Do not overlook the asset management side of the business. It is a meaningful part of Lazard's revenue and culture, and dismissing it shows incomplete research.
What to Bring
Multiple resume copies
5-6 clean copies
Notepad and pen
For notes and questions
Breath mints
After lunch refresher
Portfolio/padfolio
Looks professional
Business cards
If you have them
Phone charger
For emergencies only