Jefferies Group

Office address: 520 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10022
Website: jefferies.com
Year established: 1962
Company type: financial services
Employees: 5,600+ (global)
Expertise: investment banking advisory, mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, debt capital markets, equities trading, fixed income trading, alternative asset management, wealth management
Parent company: Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
Key people: Richard Handler (CEO), Brian Friedman (president), Michael Sharp (general counsel), Matthew Larson (CFO), Mark Cagno (global controller), John Stacconi (global treasurer), Laura Ulbrandt DiPierro (secretary)
Financing status: shareholder-owned company

Jefferies Financial Group, also known as Jefferies Group, is a New York‑based full‑service investment bank and capital markets firm. It has about 5,600 staff worldwide and serves companies and investors across major sectors. The company generated more than $7 billion in revenue in the year to September 2025.

History of Jefferies Group

In 1962, Boyd Jefferies borrowed $30,000 to buy a Pacific Coast Stock Exchange seat. He built a firm that let big investors trade listed stocks directly with each other. That third‑market niche grew into the investment banking and capital markets business now known as Jefferies Financial Group.

Building a global culture

From those roots, Jefferies expanded over more than 60 years into a full‑service Wall Street platform. Its culture prizes talent, drive, and a flat, partnership style that encourages people to think like owners.

Teams at Jefferies Group now advise clients across:

• the Americas
• Europe
• the Middle East
• Asia‑Pacific

The company has strength in advisory, underwriting, equities, fixed income, alternative assets, and wealth management.

Trusted on major transactions

As its reach grew, so did the scale of work trusted to the firm. Jefferies Group worked on over $3 trillion in major capital markets deals from 2021 to 2025. Leadership stresses a long‑term mindset, focusing on repeat relationships, sector depth, and high‑touch service through every market cycle.

Jefferies Group products and services

Jefferies Financial Group provides a wide mix of investment banking, markets, and asset management services for corporate, sponsor, institutional, and wealth clients:

Investment banking and advisory

• strategic advisory
• equity capital markets
• debt capital markets
• leveraged finance
• private capital solutions
• restructuring advisory

Research, equities, and trading

• global research and strategy
• equities franchise
• equity derivatives
• prime services
• global distribution

Fixed income and credit

• credit trading
• leveraged loans and high yield
• emerging markets debt
• municipal finance
• ABS and CLO activity

Alternative and wealth solutions

• alternative asset management
• credit and asset‑based strategies
• multi‑strategy platforms
• wealth management

Jefferies Group also focuses on sector‑specialist teams, cross‑border capabilities, and integrated capital markets support. Its platform links advisory, financing, trading, and managed strategies for a range of client needs.

Culture and corporate values

Jefferies Group says that it values driven people who want clear leadership, purpose, and long‑term careers. The firm promotes a flat, entrepreneurial culture that stresses teamwork, collaboration, and acting like owners. Its leaders focus on client outcomes by:

• working hard
• thinking long term
• providing sharp industry insight

According to Jefferies Group, the work environment supports both personal and professional requirements. The firm states it offers a broad, competitive benefits package, including:

• healthcare and insurance: medical, dental, vision, life, accident, travel, and pet coverage
• pre-tax health and care accounts: healthcare and dependent care spending accounts for eligible expenses
• family and caregiving support: primary and non‑primary leave, adoption help, backup child and eldercare
• employee discounts: auto and home insurance, banking offers, car rentals, and wireless
• JefPerks savings: discounts on retailers, entertainment, travel, electronics, and other everyday purchases
• time off and recognition: generous holidays, vacation policies, and an employee referral program
• commuting and legal benefits: US commuter programs, plus access to a group legal plan
• education assistance: tuition support, training programs, and long‑running scholarships for family members
• retirement and wealth: 401(k) with employer match and employee stock purchase options
• wellness programs: Employee Assistance Plan, gym discounts, jFIT challenges, and wellness incentives

Jefferies Group also says that creativity grows when people feel connected, so it builds a strong internal community. The firm also recruits broadly, provides tools to advance all employees, and runs eight global employee resource groups to support those goals.

About CEO Richard Handler and key people

Rich Handler serves as the CEO of Jefferies Group, a role he has held since 2001. Before joining Jefferies, Handler worked in investment banking at First Boston and later in high‑yield bonds at Drexel Burnham Lambert. Handler completed a BA in economics at the University of Rochester, then an MBA at Stanford University.

Alongside Handler, several senior officers run Jefferies Group's daily operations:

• Brian Friedman serves as president, leading group strategy, principal investments, and long-term planning
• Michael Sharp is EVP and general counsel, overseeing the company's legal matters and global regulatory risk
• Matthew Larson serves as EVP and CFO, managing financial reporting, capital, and overall balance sheet
• Mark Cagno works as managing director and global controller, responsible for accounting policies and financial integrity
• John Stacconi serves as managing director and global treasurer, overseeing Jefferies Group's liquidity and firmwide balance sheet risks
• Laura Ulbrandt DiPierro is senior VP and secretary, supporting board processes, records, and corporate governance matters

Jefferies Group's leadership says it aims to model respect and shared responsibility. They rely on collective insight to deliver new ideas for clients.

The future at Jefferies Group

Jefferies aims to fuel its next stage of global growth by expanding its alliance with SMBC Group, a large Japan‑based banking group. It plans to:

• combine Japanese equities and equity capital markets (ECM) operations
• broaden joint coverage of large sponsors
• co‑lead syndicated leveraged loans for clients in EMEA

SMBC plans to raise its stake to up to 20 percent and provide about $2.5 billion in new credit facilities. This gives Jefferies Group more capital and balance sheet support for future deals worldwide.

In other news, Jefferies is also tackling future risk after First Brands Group, an aftermarket auto‑parts maker, went into Chapter 11. First Brands sought bankruptcy protection because of alleged problems with how its receivables were financed and possibly sold.

Jefferies Group is connected to First Brands through trade‑finance receivables and loans held in portfolios it manages for investors. Point Bonita Capital, a Leucadia Asset Management fund linked to Jefferies, bought First Brands‑related receivables from major auto‑parts retailers.

The firm aims to protect investors by laying out its exposure, handling redemption requests in an orderly way, and pursuing recoveries. Taken together, these steps reinforce Jefferies' wider goal of managing risk carefully while safeguarding client capital for the long term.

The latest Jefferies Group news