| Headline: France Source: Euromoney Date: July 2001 Best bank BNP Paribas Best debt house BNP Paribas Best equity house Société Générale Best M&A house Lazard Frères & Cie BNP Paribas continues to press ahead with making a success of the merger that came about in extraordinary circumstances in 1999, after the three-way battle with Société Générale. The combination of the larger, but slower, wholesale bank, BNP, and the smaller more international investment bank, Paribas, has created the leading corporate bank in France. This comes with some strong specialist franchises, such as Cetelem, the consumer finance business and a retail business in France that commands high volumes.
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