Many have commented recently on the prodigious weight loss of Bruce Wasserstein. He has really shrunk apparently. So have the firm's profits, unfortunately. The third quarter results were disappointing; Lazard's fees from advisory services are only up 7 percent this year despite a boom year for deals. The increase was less than half that of top investment banks and top boutiques. In the league tables, the firm has fallen to 11th from ninth over the past two years. A boutique will always be at somewhat of a disadvantage compared against the top firms that can offer a much wider array of services. Still, this might be a blip. Some note that the firm has inked some work for companies that have not yet announced deals but might sometime soon.

For more on Lazard:
- Here's a New York Post article
Spotlight On: Bruce Wasserstein