Rothschild & Co. plans to shut its Chicago office as the French firm shrinks its North American footprint, say people with knowledge of the matter.
The firm will transfer staff from its 77 W. Wacker Drive office to New York, said one of the people, all of whom requested anonymity to discuss confidential information. Details including timing of the relocations and when the office will be closed couldn’t immediately be learned.
Senior Rothschild bankers currently based in Chicago include the head of the North American media and telecom group, Jon Herbst, who is a partner, according to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority records.
A Rothschild spokesman declined to comment.
Rothschild recently closed its Miami office after opening it just last year. And Eric Hirschfield, a partner who led that outpost as well as the firm’s Chicago office, retired to spend time with family and on personal pursuits, Bloomberg News reported last week. After the Chicago closure, Rothschild will have three U.S. offices, according to its website: New York, Los Angeles and Boston.
The firm has shrunk in North America in recent months as deal volume has fallen. Rothschild’s head of Canada also left this year, Bloomberg News reported in February.