Rothschild

The overview

After 200 years as NM Rothschild, the banking house became simply ‘Rothschild’ following a rebranding in February 2011. The firm’s main business areas are global financial advisory, corporate banking and private banking and the wealth management and trust division.

Global financial advisory

At the same time as its overall rebrand, Rothschild renamed its investment banking division. It became the global financial advisory division in order to reflect the firm’s greater emphasis on advisory services, covering mergers & acquisitions, debt advisory, restructuring, and equity advisory, rather than traditional investment banking activities. This division is expanding and already has more advisory staff than any of its competitors. Placements and graduate schemes all currently feed into the area.

In recent years the bigger headlines have been grabbed by the restructuring team. Restructuring involves helping companies reshape their debt in order to avoid insolvency. Amongst their successes is the £980 million restructuring of builder McCarthy & Stone’s debt facilities.

The firm works with governments, NGOs, and large national and international firms. One of its main strengths is its eye for the long-term; many of its key clients have been with it for decades.

This eye for the long-term is one of the reasons for the image change; the prudent and conservative outlook is better suited to giving financial advice, while leaving short-term investments to other businesses: an approach that has enabled the firm to maintain a low staff turnover.

Rankings and awards

• LBO Advisory Bank of the Year for 2009 according to EuroWeek.
• Awarded Cross Border Deal of the Year for their work on the £7.8 billion acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle plc by Carlsberg A/S and Heineken, according to Acquisitions Monthly.
• UK Financial Adviser of the Year at the FT & Merger Market Awards 2008.
• Consistently ranks first in Europe for number of announced deals.
• Also consistently ranks first in France and the UK by number of deals.
• Ranked 240 in the Guardian UK300 graduate employers, 2010-11.

A history of numbers

The Rothschild bank has a history going all the way back to the eighteenth century. It has historical links with the British government, having helped to fund Wellington’s campaign against Napoleon, as well as supporting the creation of the Suez Canal. The Rothschild family still plays an important part in the business, with family members occupying a number of senior roles.

Rothschild’s staff recently moved into a new building on their traditional New Court site at St Swithin’s Lane in the City. The metal-clad structure was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. It features a modernist ‘turret-like’ penthouse office, an auditorium, outdoor meeting rooms and a roof garden.

Salary and benefits

Rothschild says no more than its graduate salaries are ‘highly competitive’. The company reviews salaries annually.

Other benefits

• Annual bonuses.
• Lunch vouchers.
• Free dinner after 9.00 pm.
• Free taxis after 10.00 pm.
• On-site gym and fitness centre.
• Health insurance.
• Medical services.
• Pension contributions.
• Up to two days’ a year off to volunteer with a UK charity of the employee’s choice, and frequent opportunities to volunteer with a charity of the company’s choice.

As a family-owned company, Rothschild recognises the benefits of a good work-life balance for employees and acknowledges the value of family time in its corporate literature.