Franci J. Blassberg

Ms. Blassberg recently retired as a partner after a 35-year career with Debevoise & Plimpton, where she is currently of counsel. She spent much of her legal career advising private equity clients. Since her retirement, she has been teaching courses in private equity and corporate governance at Cornell Law School and Berkeley Law School.

A skilled negotiator of complex transactions, Ms. Blassberg was named by the National Law Journal one of the 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America (2007) and one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America (2006). Ms. Blassberg has also been recognized by Private Equity International as one of the 30 most influential lawyers in global private equity. She is a trustee of the New-York Historical Society and a trustee emerita at Cornell University and served as a board member of the New York City Ballet. She is on the boards of The Lazard Funds, Inc., and other funds managed by Lazard Asset Management and its affiliates.