Restructuring Expert Sam Whittaker Returns to Lazard as Managing Director

Lazard has brought back Sam Whittaker to bolster its London-based restructuring operations. The financial advisory firm announced that Whittaker will take up the role of Managing Director in Lazard Financial Advisory, joining the firm’s EMEA Restructuring division with immediate effect.

The appointment represents a significant move for Lazard’s global restructuring franchise. Whittaker, who spent the past five years at PJT Partners where he held the position of Managing Director in its EMEA Restructuring group, brings over 15 years of hands-on experience in restructuring and financial advisory work. During his career, he has worked extensively with both debtors and creditors across the UK and internationally.

A Strategic Return to Lazard

Whittaker initially joined Lazard back in 2005, bringing with him experience from his involvement in London’s Olympic Games bid initiative and his time working in the UK Prime Minister’s strategy unit at the Cabinet Office. Now, working out of London, he will partner with David Burlison, Managing Director and Co-Head of Lazard’s EMEA Restructuring practice, to strengthen the firm’s restructuring capabilities in the region.

David Burlison commented on the appointment: “Sam’s track record and particularly his strong relationships on the creditor side will enhance our senior adviser roster and reinforce our leading position in the global restructuring market. This move benefits our client base significantly.”

Whittaker expressed his enthusiasm about the return: “Lazard maintains one of the finest restructuring platforms in the industry. I’m eager to collaborate with David and the London team, as well as engage with colleagues and clients across the globe to advance Lazard’s restructuring business.”

Strengthening the Restructuring Group

This hiring follows other recent senior moves within Lazard’s Restructuring Group. The firm also appointed Christopher Mallon as Senior Adviser and James Simpson as Director, both stationed in London, reflecting the firm’s commitment to expanding its restructuring bench strength.

Lazard’s Restructuring Group ranks among the most prominent in the industry, with a strong history of handling large-scale and multifaceted restructuring mandates for corporations and governments. The Banker recently recognized Lazard as ‘Investment Bank of the Year for Restructuring,’ underscoring its market leadership.

The group’s professionals are distributed across multiple regions worldwide and combine deep restructuring expertise with capabilities in M&A, credit analysis, capital markets, sector knowledge, and complex negotiations in distressed environments. Among the notable restructuring cases Lazard has managed are Abengoa, Global Cloud Xchange, Interserve, Neiman Marcus, NMC Health, Oi, PG&E, Premier Oil, Seadrill, Valaris, and Weatherford International. Lazard led the global restructuring market in terms of completed deals during the first nine months of 2020, according to Refinitiv data.

About the Firm

Founded in 1848, Lazard operates as a leading financial advisory and asset management house with offices spanning 40 cities across 25 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Central and South America. The firm offers strategic guidance on mergers and acquisitions, capital structure and restructuring, financing, corporate development, and asset management services to corporate clients, institutional investors, governments, and private clients globally.