Lazard may end its 156-year history as a private investment bank and go public opening its financial records to investors in an IPO. Lazard is projected to file an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The initial public offering that could value Lazard at more than $3billion would bethe largest on Wall Street since Goldman Sachs incorporated in 1999.

The application could be expected to offer insight into the information that has long been closed to the public such as mergers, acquisitions, restructuring advisory work, and asset management.

The underwriting process is led by Goldman Sachs.