In a 2007
New York Times article, Perella was described as "one of the financial industry’s sharpest recruiters" who "discovered and helped train" Wasserstein Perella. Then, in the 1980s at First Boston, and at Wasserstein Perella after 1988, together they helped create "a dynasty of bankers and executives that has spread throughout Wall Street and corporate America". They included
Robert S. Wiesenthal who became chairman of
Sony; Jeffrey A. Rosen, vice chairman at
Lazard; Raymond J. McGuire of
Citigroup; Douglas L. Braunstein of
JPMorgan Chase;
Ronald Kramer, former President of
Wynn Resorts and current CEO of
Griffon Corporation; Michael B. Kraines of
Sandler O'Neill; John H. Simpson, formerly
Canyon Partners, now Broadhaven LLC; Robert Pruzan, founder of
Centerview Partners;
Deborah C. Wright of
Carver Federal Savings Bank; Gail Zauder of
Credit Suisse; current ABC News contributor, former mayor of Chicago and former chief of staff for President Obama
Rahm Emanuel; Howard Kerzner, hotel tycoon and son of
Sol Kerzner; Jon B. Kutler, founder of
Quarterdeck Investment Partners, Inc., now with Admiralty Partners, Inc.; Michael J. Biondi, investment banking chair at
Lazard, nicknamed Mr. Judgement; Gary Parr at Lazard;
Hugh "Skip" McGee III, former head of Lehman's investment banking, now at
Barclays; Mark G. Shafir, former global co-head of M&A at Lehman Brothers, now with Citigroup;
Walid Chammah, former CEO of Barclays International; Veritas Capital's
Robert B. McKeon; and others. Wasserstein stayed through the 2001 takeover by
Dresdner Bank, but left the firm in 2002, following the 2001 merger of Dresdner and
Allianz, to head investment bank Lazard, until his unexpected death in 2009. The investment banking business of Dresdner Bank changed its name to
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein as a result of the deal. In 2006, four years after Wasserstein's departure, it dropped Wasserstein's name. ==Mergers==