New York Times article on boutique investment banks features Eric Gleacher, ‘67

Eric J. Gleacher (‘67) was among senior investment bankers profiled in the New York Times as part of a new trend on Wall Street: deal-makers who made their names in the boom of the 1980s setting up their own boutique investment banks. The trend addresses the decreasing importance large, mainstream firms place on mergers and acquisitions, IPO’s and other business financing.

Gleacher Partners, founded by Gleacher in 1990, is among firms capitalizing on their “brands” in a time when high-quality, independent advisors are scarce. They fill the gap left by the larger institutions that prefer to focus on their own trading activities. What sets these bankers apart, according to the Times, is the depth of their experience. Younger professionals lack the knowledge due to the high level of specialization in the industry.

Gleacher launched the M&A department at Lehman Brothers in 1978. He later went on to head global M&A at Morgan Stanley from 1985 to 1990. Gleacher currently serves on the Board of Trustees of The University of Chicago.