Cazenove and Co , investment bankers

The origins of Cazenove can be traced to the early Huguenot financiers who left France for Geneva in the late 17th century after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. In time, a number of the Huguenots left Geneva for the City of London, including members of the Cazenove family. The founder of the firm was Philip Cazenove (1798-1880). It began in 1819 when Philip joined the business of his brother-in-law John Menet with whom he went into partnership in 1823. John Menet died in 1835 and Philip subsequently went into partnership with Joseph Laurence and Charles Pearce, before branching out on his own and then forming a new partnership in 1854 with his son and nephew. Involved in issues ranging from His Highness the Nizam's State Railway Company to the Metropolitan Sewage and Essex Reclamation Company, his business prospered. Following Philip's death in 1880, the business continued to flourish and by the mid 1930s had become one of the City of London's pre-eminent stockbroking partnerships.

In the 1980s, Cazenove played an important part in most of the British Government's privatisation issues. In the turbulent period of "Big Bang" in the mid 1980s, which revolutionised the workings of the City, Cazenove retained its independence. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it expanded its business, both domestically and internationally. The firm incorporated in April 2001, raising equity and debt finance from some of the leading institutional investors in the UK. During 2002, it opened offices in Frankfurt, Paris and Beijing and began the restructuring of its fund management business. In the UK, it continued to extend its competence and market share in the mergers and acquisitions, financial advisory and equities businesses.

On 5 November 2004, Cazenove announced that it would combine its investment banking business with JPMorgan's UK investment banking business in a new investment banking company to be owned jointly and called JPMorgan Cazenove. The 50% interest in JPMorgan Cazenove was held by Cazenove Group, a private company. In 2009 the remaining 50% of the business was bought by JPMorgan.

Over the years the firm has been known under a variety of names: Menet and Cazenove, 1823-35; P. Cazenove and Company, 1835; Laurence, Cazenove and Pearce, 1836-54; P. Cazenove and Company, 1855-84; Cazenove and Akroyds, 1884-1932; Cazenove, Akroyds and Greenwood and Company, 1932-1954; Cazenove and Company, 1954-2004; Cazenove Group, 2004-. The company was based at: 7 Old Broad Street, 1823-35; Auction Mart, Bartholomew Lane, 1836-54; 39 Lothbury, 1855-1859; 52 Threadneedle Street, 1859-1919, 43 Threadneedle Street, 1919-1926; 10 Old Broad Street, 1926-37; 12 Tokenhouse Yard, 1937-2003; 20 Moorgate, 2003-.