Comments on: Weekly Reader Q&A: Elite Boutiques, Moving To The Buyside Early And How To Dress For Success As A Summer Intern

By: Inquisitor

Inquisitor — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:38:36 +0000

I think the difference would be that Rothschild would open more opportunities for you in Europe vs. the others which might be better for US opps.

So less about the office where you work vs. where you want to go next.

By: Dawoody

Dawoody — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:26:12 +0000

Yeah I would agree also that Lazard, Evercore and Greenhill are the three main ones in the US. Only reason I mention Rothschild is that I always see them in or near/in the top 10 in the league tables for M&A Globally. In addition, they always seem to do very well in European M&A (#1/#2 in the UK, France, Germany, Italy). So I guess if you were working for Rothschild in London that would open more opportunities for you than their New York office would you say? Or is it all the same really?

By: Inquisitor

Inquisitor — Wed, 07 May 2008 08:38:22 +0000

I’d say the main 3 are Lazard, Evercore and Greenhill. Rothschild is great at some things (e.g. restructuring) but doesn’t quite have the same reputation as the other 3. Another one might be Perella Weinberg. And 2 new ones - Moelis & Co. and Qatalyst Partners - may have great reputations one day as well.

By: Dawoody

Dawoody — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:16:59 +0000

I know you mentioned elite boutiques like Lazard or Evercore. I was wondering what other banks you would include in this, I am sure there can only be a handful (Greenhill, Rothschild,……..). Which other boutiques would include out of curiousity as elite? (a.k.a. Will give you similar exit opportunities like BB)

By: Inquisitor

Inquisitor — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:30:20 +0000

yo: Yeah, some things never change. Anything with 9 to 5 hours usually pays like a 9 to 5 job. Small boutiques in particular are extremely susceptible to collapse since they are not diversified.

By: yo

yo — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:00:19 +0000

I worked at a small i bank in Houston after b school by the name of Underwood Neuhaus almost thirty years ago and the hours were basically nine to five. The bonuses were as small as the hours. The whole corp fin dept basically collapsed along with the oil market when I was there. Don’t think I liked it well enough to work until 2 am anyway.

By: Inquisitor

Inquisitor — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:12:42 +0000

Very good point, there are indeed some hedge funds that work as hard as bankers.

Still, for the most part HFs do require fewer hours on the whole compared to banking since most of what you do is tied to the market rather than clients.

And yes, you should always know what you’re getting into beforehand - this is a mistake people often make.

By: wallstreetguy25

wallstreetguy25 — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:41:39 +0000

the hf–>less hours idea is somewhat of a misconception; in general, i would say it is true, but at some of the larger funds, you could be working just as much as in banking; i know ppl at perry capital, for instance, who say their hours are worse. same with someone i know at tiger.

just make sure you know what you’re getting into beforehand, given your particular situation

By: Inquisitor

Inquisitor — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:01:29 +0000

Kevin, I normally buy it at Trader Joe’s - it’s not as strong as the “real stuff” (aka leaf variety that you can import from South America) but it’s also more widely available. If you are interested in the “real” (and VERY strong) stuff, you can buy/import it here: http://www.amigofoods.com/crdemapr.html

By: Kevin Hsu

Kevin Hsu — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:23:57 +0000

I read your post on WallStreet Oasis about Yerba mate. Where do you get your Yerba mate?