Pzena Investment Management, Inc. - Annual Report: 2009 (Form 10-K)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART IV
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF PZENA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC. AND PZENA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Commission file number 001-33761

PZENA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

120 West 45th Street
New York, New York 10036
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 355-1600

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o    No ý

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o    No ý

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý    No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Date File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o    No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) Yes o    No ý

The aggregate market value of the common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2009, the last business day of its most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $58,502,319 based on the closing sale price of $7.58 per share of Class A common stock of the registrant on such date on the New York Stock Exchange. For purposes of this calculation only, it is assumed that the affiliates of the registrant include only directors and executive officers of the registrant.

As of March 2, 2010, there were 8,633,041 outstanding shares of the registrant's Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

As of March 2, 2010, there were 55,696,236 outstanding shares of the registrant's Class B common stock, par value $0.000001 per share.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

None.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This Annual Report on Form 10-K, or Annual Report, contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations, or forecasts, of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "ongoing," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project" or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

        Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements for many reasons, including the factors described in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in Part I of this Annual Report. Accordingly, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual Report. We undertake no obligation to publicly revise any forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events after the date of this Annual Report, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should, however, review the factors and risks we describe in the reports we will file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, after the date of this Annual Report.

        Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

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our anticipated future results of operations and operating cash flows;



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our business strategies and investment policies;



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our financing plans and the availability of short- or long-term borrowing, or equity financing;



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our competitive position and the effects of competition on our business;



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potential growth opportunities available to us;



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the recruitment and retention of our employees;



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our expected levels of compensation for our employees;



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our potential operating performance, achievements, efficiency and cost reduction efforts;



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our expected tax rate;



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changes in interest rates;



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our expectation with respect to the economy, capital markets, the market for asset management services and other industry trends; and



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the impact of future legislation and regulation, and changes in existing legislation and regulation, on our business.

        The reports that we file with the SEC, accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, identify additional factors that can affect forward-looking statements.

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Preliminary Notes

        In this Annual Report, "we," "our," and "us" refers to Pzena Investment Management, Inc. (also referred to as the "Company") and its consolidated subsidiaries, except that, prior to the consummation of our initial public offering and the reorganization on October 30, 2007, these terms refer to Pzena Investment Management, LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries.

        Each Russell Index referred to in this Annual Report is a registered trademark or trade name of The Frank Russell Company®. The Frank Russell Company® is the owner of all copyrights relating to these indices and is the source of the performance statistics of these indices that are referred to herein.

        The Morgan Stanley Capital International EAFE® Index, which we refer to as the MSCI EAFE® Index, is a trademark of Morgan Stanley Capital International, a division of Morgan Stanley. The Morgan Stanley Capital International World^SM Index, which we refer to as the MSCI World^SM Index, is a service mark of Morgan Stanley Capital International. Morgan Stanley Capital International is the owner of all copyrights relating to these indices and is the source of the performance statistics of these indices that are referred to in this Annual Report.

        The S&P 500® Index is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc., which is the owner of all copyrights relating to this index and the source of the performance statistics of this index that are referred to herein.

PART I.

ITEM 1.    BUSINESS

Overview

        Pzena Investment Management, Inc. is the sole managing member of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, which is our operating company. Founded in late 1995, Pzena Investment Management, LLC is a value-oriented investment management firm. We believe that we have established a positive, team-oriented culture that enables us to attract and retain very qualified people. Over the past fourteen years, we have built a diverse, global client base of respected and sophisticated institutional investors, high net worth individuals and select third-party distributed mutual funds for which we act as sub-investment adviser.

        The graphic below illustrates our holding company structure and ownership as of December 31, 2009.

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(1)

As of December 31, 2009, the members of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, other than us, consisted of:

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Richard S. Pzena, John P. Goetz, and William L. Lipsey, our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and two Presidents, respectively, and their respective estate planning vehicles, who collectively held approximately 56.6% of the economic interests in us.

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28 of our other employees, including our Chief Financial Officer, Gregory S. Martin, who collectively held approximately 9.7% of the economic interests in us.

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Certain other members of our operating company, including one of our directors and his related entities, and two former employees, who collectively held approximately 20.2% of the economic interests in us (with the 31 employee members, the Principals).

(2)

Each share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote per share. Class A common stockholders have 100% of the rights of all classes of our capital stock to receive distributions.

(3)

Each share of Class B common stock is entitled to five votes per share for so long as the number of shares of Class B common stock outstanding represents at least 20% of all shares of common stock outstanding. Class B common stockholders have the right to receive the par value of the Class B common stock upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, but do not share in dividends.

(4)

As of December 31, 2009, we held 8,633,041 Class A units of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, which represented the right to receive 13.4% of the distributions made by Pzena Investment Management, LLC.

(5)

As of December 31, 2009, the Principals collectively held 55,659,236 Class B units of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, which represented the right to receive 86.6% of the distributions made by Pzena Investment Management, LLC.

        We utilize a classic value approach to investing and seek to make investments in good businesses at low prices. Our approach and process have helped us achieve attractive returns over the long term. As of December 31, 2009, we managed assets in thirteen value-oriented investment strategies across a wide range of market capitalizations in both U.S. and non-U.S. capital markets. Our assets under management, or AUM, were $14.3 billion at December 31, 2009, and we managed money on behalf of institutions and high net worth individuals and acted as sub-investment adviser to a variety of SEC-registered mutual funds and offshore funds.

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        Our investment discipline and our commitment to a classic value approach have been important elements of our success. We construct concentrated portfolios selected through a rigorous fundamental research process similar to the approach of a private equity investor. Our investment decisions are not motivated by short-term results or aimed at closely tracking specific market benchmarks. Generating excess returns by utilizing a classic value investment approach requires:

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willingness to invest in companies before their stock prices reflect signs of business improvement, and



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significant patience, based upon our understanding of the business' fundamentals, and our long-term investment horizon.

        As of December 31, 2009, we had 67 employees, including 31 employee members who collectively owned 66.3% of the ownership interests in our operating company. Our operating company is led by an executive committee, including our CEO and two Presidents.

Our Competitive Strengths

        We believe that the following are our competitive strengths:

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Focus on Investment Excellence.  We recognize that we must achieve investment excellence in order to attain long-term business success. All of our business decisions, including the design of our investment process and our willingness to limit AUM in our investment strategies, are focused on producing attractive long-term investment results. We believe that our long-term investment performance, together with our willingness to close our strategies to new investors in order to optimize the prospects for future performance, has contributed to our positive reputation among our clients and the institutional consultants who advise them.



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Consistency of Investment Process.  Since our inception over fourteen years ago, we have utilized a classic value investment approach and a systematic, disciplined investment process to construct portfolios for our investment strategies in U.S. and non-U.S. markets across all market capitalizations. The consistency of our process has allowed us to leverage the same investment team to launch new products. We believe that our consistent investment process has resulted in strong brand recognition of our firm in the investment community.



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Diverse and High Quality Client Base.  We believe that we have developed a favorable reputation in the institutional investment community. This is evidenced by our strong relationships with consultants and the diversity and sophistication of our investors.

With the exception of two client relationships, which represented 17.5% and 13.9%, respectively, of our AUM as of December 31, 2009, no other single account represented more than 5% of our AUM as of December 31, 2009. For the year ended December 31, 2009, these relationships represented 11.1% and 4.3%, respectively, of our total revenues. No other single account represented more than 5% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2009.

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Experienced Investment Professionals and a Team-Oriented Approach.  Our greatest asset is the experience of the individuals on our team. In addition to detailed financial analysis, our investment process requires a long-term view of the nature of each business we are considering, the company's current and likely future competitive standing and the management team's strategies for change. Therefore, we have assembled a diverse team that includes individuals with corporate management, private equity, management consulting, legal, accounting and Wall Street experience. We believe that their wide range of experiences gives us unique perspectives while executing our in-depth, research-based decision making process. To capitalize on the diversity of these backgrounds, we follow a collaborative, consensus-oriented approach to making investment

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decisions, in which any of our investment professionals, irrespective of seniority, can play a significant role.

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Employee Retention.  We have focused on building an environment that we believe is attractive to talented investment professionals. Important among our practices are our team-oriented approach to investment decisions, rotation of coverage areas among individuals and a culture of employee ownership of our firm.



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Culture of Ownership.  We believe in significant ownership of our business by the key contributors to our success. Since our inception, we have communicated to all our employees that they have the opportunity to become partners in our operating company. As of December 31, 2009, we had 31 employee owners positioned within all functional areas of the firm. We believe this ownership model results in a shared sense of purpose with our clients and their advisers. We intend to continue fostering a culture of ownership through our equity incentive plans, which are designed to align our team's interests with those of our stockholders and clients. We believe this culture of ownership contributes to our team orientation and connection with clients.

Our Business Strategy

        The key to our success is continued long-term investment performance. In conjunction with this, we believe the following strategies will enable us to grow our business over time.

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Unwavering Focus on Investment Excellence.  We view our unwavering focus on long-term investment excellence to be the key driver of our business success.



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Fill Excess Capacity in Domestic Strategies.  Currently, all of our domestic strategies are open to new investors. We are actively marketing these domestic strategies.



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Capitalize on Growth Opportunities in Our Global Value and EAFE Value Strategies. Since our inception, we have made it a practice to leverage our knowledge of value investing and our investment processes to create new investment strategies for our clients. In early 2004, this manifested itself in the launch of our Global Value and Europe Australasia Far East (EAFE) Value (formerly known as International Value) investment strategies. Among both institutional and retail investors industry-wide, over the past few years, there has been increasing levels of investments in portfolios including non-U.S. equities. In 2009, we launched two additional investment strategies in this area, EAFE Diversified Value and Global Diversified Value. As of December 31, 2009, the total AUM in our Global Value strategies, EAFE Value strategies, and other non-U.S. strategies was $4.7 billion, or 32.9% of our overall AUM.



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Employ Our Proven Process to Introduce New Products.  We anticipate continuing to offer new investment strategies over time, on a measured basis, consistent with our past practice, utilizing our proven investment process.



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Work with Our Strong Consultant Relationships.  We believe that we have built strong relationships with the leading investment consulting firms who advise potential institutional clients. Historically, new accounts sourced through consultant-led searches have been a large driver of our inflows and are expected to be a major component of our future inflows.



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Expand Our Non-U.S. Client Base.  In recent years, we have increased our efforts to develop our non-U.S. client base. Through our strong relationships with global consultants, we have been able to accelerate the development of our relationships with their non-U.S. branches. Over time, we aim to achieve growth of this client base through these relationships and by directly calling on the world's largest institutional investors. To date, these marketing efforts have resulted in client relationships in more than ten non-U.S. countries, such as the UK, Australia and Canada. We have also sought to expand our non-U.S. base through our relationships with non-U.S.

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mutual funds and other investment fund advisors. As of December 31, 2009, we managed $3.9 billion in separate accounts, commingled funds and sub-advised funds on behalf of non-U.S. clients.

Our Investment Team

        We believe we have built an investment team that is well-suited to implementing our classic value investment strategy. The members of our investment team have a diverse set of backgrounds including former corporate management, private equity, management consulting, legal, accounting and Wall Street professionals. Their diverse business backgrounds are instrumental in enabling us to make investments in companies where we would be comfortable owning the entire business for a three- to five-year period. We look beyond temporary earnings shortfalls that result in stock price declines, which may lead others to forego investment opportunities, if we believe the long-term fundamentals of a company remain attractive.

        As of December 31, 2009, we had a 21-member investment team. Each member serves as a research analyst, and certain members of the team also have portfolio management responsibilities. There are three portfolio managers for each investment strategy. These three managers have joint decision-making responsibility, and each has "veto authority" over all decisions regarding the relevant portfolio. For each of our current investment strategies, these three senior members are identified under "—Our Investment Strategies." Research analysts have sector and company-level research responsibilities which span all of our investment strategies, including those with a non-U.S. focus. In order to facilitate the professional development of our team, and to keep a fresh perspective on our portfolio companies, our research analysts generally rotate industry coverage every three years.

        We follow a collaborative, consensus-oriented approach to making investment decisions, such that all members of our investment team, irrespective of their seniority, can play a significant role in this decision making process. We hold weekly research review meetings attended by all portfolio managers and relevant research analysts, and are open to other members of our firm, at which we openly discuss and debate our findings regarding the normalized earnings power of potential portfolio companies. In addition, we hold daily morning meetings, attended by our portfolio managers, research analysts, and portfolio administration and client service personnel, in order to review developments in our holdings and set a trading strategy for the day. These meetings are critical for sharing relevant developments and analysis of the companies in our portfolios. We believe that our collaborative culture is attractive to our investment professionals.

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Our Investment Strategies

        As of December 31, 2009, our approximately $14.3 billion in AUM were invested in a variety of value-oriented investment strategies, representing distinct capitalization segments of U.S. and non-U.S. markets. The following table describes the largest of our current U.S. and non-U.S. investment strategies, and the allocation of our approximately $14.3 billion in AUM among them, as of December 31, 2009.

        We understand that our ability to retain and grow assets as a firm has been, and will be, driven primarily by delivering attractive investment results to our clients. As a consequence, we have prioritized, and will continue to prioritize, investment performance over asset accumulation. Where we deemed it necessary, we have, at times, closed certain products to new investors in order to preserve capacity to effectively implement our concentrated investment strategies for the benefit of existing clients. Currently, all of our investment strategies are open to new investors.

        Our five largest investment strategies as of December 31, 2009 are further described below. We follow the same investment process for each of these strategies. Our investment strategies are distinguished by the market capitalization ranges from which we select securities for their portfolios, which we refer to as each strategy's investment universe, as well as the regions in which we invest. While our investment process includes ongoing review of companies in the investment universes described below, our actual investments may include companies outside of the relevant market capitalization range at the time of our investment. In addition, the number of holdings typically found in the portfolios of each of our investment strategies may vary as described below.

U.S Strategies

        Large Cap Value.    We screen a universe of the 500 largest U.S.-listed companies, based on market capitalization, to build a portfolio generally consisting of 30 to 40 stocks. We launched this strategy in October 2000.

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        Value Service.    We screen a universe of the 1,000 largest U.S.-listed companies, based on market capitalization, to build a portfolio generally consisting of 30 to 40 stocks. We launched this strategy in January 1996.

        Small Cap Value.    We screen a universe of U.S.-listed companies ranked from the 1,001^st to 3,000^th largest, based on market capitalization, to build a portfolio generally consisting of 40 to 50 stocks. We launched this strategy in January 1996.

        Other U.S. Strategies.    Our other U.S. investment strategies are: Mid Cap Value, All Cap Value, Financial Opportunities Service, and Mega Cap Value.

Non-U.S Strategies

        Global Value.    We screen a universe of the 1,500 largest non U.S.-listed companies, based on market capitalization, and the 500 largest U.S.-listed companies, based on market capitalization, to build a portfolio generally consisting of 40 to 60 stocks. We launched this strategy in January 2004.

        EAFE Diversified Value.    We screen a universe of the 1,500 largest non-U.S.-listed companies, based on market capitalization, to build a portfolio generally consisting of 60 to 100 stocks. We launched this strategy in November 2008.

        Other Non-U.S. Strategies.    Our other non-U.S. investment strategies are: EAFE Value (formerly known as International Value), Global Diversified Value, European Value, and Emerging Markets Value.

Our Product Development Approach

        Historically, a major component of our growth has been the development of new products. Prior to seeding a new product, we perform in-depth research on the potential market for the product, as well as its overall compatibility with our investment expertise. This process involves analysis by our client team, as well as by our investment professionals. We will only launch a new product if we believe that it can add value to a client's investment portfolio. In the past, if appropriate, we have created partnerships with third parties to enhance the distribution of a product or add expertise that we do not have in-house. Prior to marketing a new product, we generally incubate the product for a period of one to five years. Products are incubated using primarily our own capital, typically along with an outside investor, so that we can test and refine our investment strategy and process before actively marketing the product to our clients.

        Furthermore, we continually seek to identify opportunities to extend our investment process into new markets or to apply it in different ways to offer clients additional strategies. This led to the introduction of our Global Value and EAFE Value (formerly International Value) strategies in 2004 and, more recently, to the introduction of our EAFE Diversified Value, Global Diversified Value, European Value, Financial Opportunities Service, and Mega Cap Value strategies. We are currently incubating several products, which we believe may be attractive to our clients in the future.

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Our Investment Performance

        Since we are long-term fundamental investors, we believe that our investment strategies yield the most benefits, and are best evaluated over a long-term timeframe.

        The following table indicates the annualized returns, gross and net (which represents annualized returns prior to and after payment of advisory fees, respectively), of our five largest investment strategies from their inception to December 31, 2009, and in the five-year, three-year, and one-year periods ended December 31, 2009, relative to the performance of: (i) the market index which is most commonly used by our clients to compare the performance of the relevant investment strategy, and (ii) the S&P 500® Index, which is provided for the limited purpose of providing a comparison to the broader equity market.

Advisory Fees

        We earn advisory fees on the institutional accounts that we manage and for retail clients, such as certain mutual funds and other investment funds.

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        On our institutional accounts, we are paid fees according to a schedule which varies by investment strategy. The substantial majority of these accounts pay us management fees pursuant to a schedule in which the rate we earn on the AUM declines as the amount of AUM increases. Certain of these clients pay us fees according to the performance of their accounts relative to certain agreed-upon benchmarks, which results in a lower base fee, but allows for us to earn higher fees if the relevant investment strategy out-performs the agreed-upon benchmark.

        As of December 31, 2009, we sub-advised ten SEC-registered mutual funds that each have an initial two-year term and are subject to annual renewal by the fund's board of directors pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which we refer to as the Investment Company Act. Seven of these ten sub-investment advisory agreements, including our largest sub-advised relationship, are beyond their initial two-year terms as of December 31, 2009. In addition, we sub-advise thirteen offshore funds. Pursuant to these agreements, we are generally paid a management fee according to a schedule, in which the rate we earn on the AUM declines as the amount of AUM increases. Certain of these funds pay us fixed rate management fees. Due to the substantially larger account size of certain of these accounts, the average advisory fees we earn on them, as a percentage of assets under management, are lower than the advisory fees we earn on our institutional accounts. The majority of the advisory fees we earn on institutional accounts are based on the value of AUM at a specific date on a quarterly basis, either in arrears or in advance. Advisory fees on certain of our institutional accounts, and with respect to most of the mutual funds that we sub-advise, are calculated based on the average of the monthly or daily market value of the account. Advisory fees are also generally adjusted for any cash flows into or out of a portfolio, where the cash flow represents greater than 10% of the value of the portfolio. While a specific group of accounts may use the same fee rate, the method used to calculate the fee according to the fee rate schedule may differ, as described above.

Our Client Relationships and Distribution Approach

        We manage separate accounts on behalf of institutions and high net worth individuals and, as of December 31, 2009, acted as sub-investment adviser for ten SEC-registered mutual funds and thirteen offshore funds. We believe that strong relationships with our clients are critical to our ability to succeed and to grow our AUM. In building these relationships, we have focused our efforts where we can efficiently access and service large pools of sophisticated clients with our team of dedicated marketing and client service professionals. We distribute our products to institutional and retail clients primarily through the efforts of our internal sales team, who calls on them directly and on the consultants who serve them, as well as through the marketing programs of our sub-investment advisory partners. Since our objective is to attract long-term investors with an investment horizon in excess of three years, our sales and client service efforts focus on educating our investors regarding our disciplined value investment process and philosophy.

        Our marketing effort is led by our five person business development team, which is responsible for:

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identifying and marketing to prospective institutional clients;



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responding to requests for investment management proposals; and



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developing and maintaining relationships with independent consultants.

Direct Institutional Relationships

        Since our inception, we have directly offered institutional investment products to public and corporate pension funds, endowments, foundations and Taft-Hartley plans. Wherever possible, we have sought to develop direct relationships with the largest U.S. institutional investors, a universe we define to include plan sponsors with greater than $300 million in plan assets. Over the past few years, we have focused on expanding this direct calling effort to selected potential institutional clients outside of the United States.

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Investment Consultants

        We estimate that approximately 70% of all retirement plan assets are advised by investment consultants, with a relatively small number of these consultants representing a significant majority of these relationships. As a result of a consistent servicing effort over our history, we have built strong relationships with those consulting firms that we believe are the most important consulting firms and believe that most of them rate our open investment strategies favorably. New accounts sourced through consultant-led searches have been a large driver of our historical growth and are expected to be a major component of our future growth. We seek to develop direct relationships with accounts sourced through consultant-led searches by our ongoing marketing and client service efforts, as described below.

Sub-Investment Advisory Distribution

        We currently sub-advise two mutual funds that are advised by John Hancock Advisers, namely the John Hancock Classic Value Fund and the John Hancock Classic Value Mega Cap Fund. As of December 31, 2009, these two funds represented $2.5 billion, or 17.5% of our AUM. For the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007, approximately 11.1%, 13.9% and 20.4%, respectively, of our total revenue was generated from our sub-investment advisory agreements with John Hancock Advisers. Our sub-investment advisory agreement with the John Hancock Classic Value Fund represented all, or substantially all, of this revenue during these periods. During 2009, John Hancock Advisers liquidated or reorganized a number of mutual funds that it deemed to have an insufficient level of assets. As part of this initiative, the John Hancock Classic Value Fund II, which we had been sub-advising since 2006, reorganized into another John Hancock Advisers mutual fund not sub-advised by us, and the John Hancock International Classic Value Fund, which we had been sub-advising since 2006, was liquidated. The aggregate AUM in these two funds as of December 31, 2008 was $46.4 million and represented 0.4% of our AUM. The revenue generated from our sub-advisory agreements with these two funds for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007 was 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively, of our total revenues for those years. These actions by John Hancock Advisers will not have a material impact on our financial position and results of operation.

        We have selectively established relationships with other mutual fund and fund providers domestically and internationally, who offer us opportunities to efficiently access new market segments through sub-investment advisory roles.

High Net Worth Advisory Firms

        We have accessed the high net worth segment of the investing community through relationships with wealth advisers who utilize our investment strategies in investment programs they construct for their clients. Similar to our approach with consultants, we have targeted select firms around the world serving the family office and ultra high net worth market. We believe this approach leads to an efficient client servicing model and strong relationships with wealth advisers, who ultimately view us as partners in their investment programs. Occasionally, we establish direct separate account relationships with high net worth individuals.

Client Service

        Our client service team's efforts are instrumental to maintaining our direct relationships with institutional and individual separate account clients and developing direct relationships with separate accounts sourced through consultant-led searches. We have a dedicated client service team, which is primarily responsible for addressing all ongoing client needs, including periodic updates and reporting requirements. Our sales team assists in providing ongoing client service to existing institutional accounts. Our institutional distribution, sales and client service efforts are also supported, as necessary, by members of our investment team.

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        Our client service team consists of individuals with both general business backgrounds and investment research experience. Our client service team members are fully integrated into our research team, attending both research meetings and company management meetings to ensure our clients receive primary information. As appropriate, we introduce members of our research and portfolio management team into client portfolio reviews to ensure that our clients are exposed to the full breadth of our investment resources. We also provide quarterly reports to our clients in order to share our investment perspectives with them. We additionally meet and hold conference calls regularly with clients to share perspectives on the portfolio and the current investment environment.

Competition

        We compete in all aspects of our business with a large number of investment management firms, commercial banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions.

        In order to grow our business, we must be able to compete effectively to maintain existing AUM and attract additional AUM. Historically, we have competed for AUM principally on the basis of:

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the performance of our investment strategies;



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our clients' perceptions of our drive, focus and alignment of our interests with theirs;



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the quality of the service we provide to our clients and the duration of our relationships with them;



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our brand recognition and reputation within the investing community;



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the range of products we offer; and



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the level of advisory fees we charge for our investment management services.

        Our ability to continue to compete effectively will also depend upon our ability to attract highly qualified investment professionals and retain our existing employees. For additional information concerning the competitive risks that we face, see "Item 1A—Risks Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—The investment management business is intensely competitive."

Employees

        At December 31, 2009, we had 67 full-time employees. This consists of 23 research department personnel; 3 traders; 12 client service and marketing personnel; 15 employees in operations; and 14 legal, compliance and finance personnel.

Available Information

        We maintain a website at www.pzena.com. The contents of our website are not part of, nor are they incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report.

        We make available through our website our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K, as well as amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with the Securities Exchange Commission. To retrieve these reports and any amendments thereto, visit the Investor Relations section of our website.

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REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT AND COMPLIANCE

        Our business is subject to extensive regulation in the United States at both the federal and state level, as well as by self-regulatory organizations. Under these laws and regulations, agencies that regulate investment advisers have broad administrative powers, including the power to limit, restrict or prohibit an investment adviser from carrying on its business in the event that it fails to comply with such laws and regulations. Possible sanctions that may be imposed include the suspension of individual employees, limitations on engaging in certain lines of business for specified periods of time, revocation of investment adviser and other registrations, censures and fines.

SEC Regulation

        Our operating company, Pzena Investment Management, LLC, is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC. As a registered investment adviser, it is subject to the requirements of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, which we refer to as the Investment Advisers Act, and the SEC's regulations thereunder, as well as to examination by the SEC's staff. The Investment Advisers Act imposes substantive regulation on virtually all aspects of our business and our relationships with our clients. Applicable requirements relate to, among other things, fiduciary duties to clients, engaging in transactions with clients, maintaining an effective compliance program, performance fees, solicitation arrangements, conflicts of interest, advertising, recordkeeping, reporting and disclosure requirements. Ten of the funds for which Pzena Investment Management, LLC acts as the sub-investment adviser are registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act. The Investment Company Act imposes additional obligations, including detailed operational requirements for both the funds and their advisers. Moreover, an investment adviser's contract with a registered fund may be terminated by the fund on not more than 60 days' notice, and is subject to annual renewal by the fund's board after an initial two-year term. Both the Investment Advisers Act and the Investment Company Act regulate the "assignment" of advisory contracts by the investment adviser. The SEC is authorized to institute proceedings and impose sanctions for violations of the Investment Advisers Act and the Investment Company Act, ranging from fines and censures to termination of an investment adviser's registration. The failure of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, or the registered funds for which Pzena Investment Management, LLC acts as sub-investment adviser, to comply with the requirements of the SEC could have a material adverse effect on us.

ERISA-Related Regulation

        To the extent that Pzena Investment Management, LLC is a "fiduciary" under the Employment Retirement Act of 1974, or ERISA, with respect to benefit plan clients, it is subject to ERISA, and to regulations promulgated thereunder. ERISA and applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code impose certain duties on persons who are fiduciaries under ERISA, prohibit certain transactions involving ERISA plan clients and provide monetary penalties for violations of these prohibitions. Our failure to comply with these requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Foreign Regulation

        Pzena Investment Management, LLC is registered as an exempt market dealer and portfolio manager (international adviser) in Ontario, Canada. As a portfolio manager, Pzena Investment Management, LLC is only permitted to provide advice in Ontario to certain institutional and high net worth individual clients. As a limited market dealer, Pzena Investment Management, LLC is permitted to act as a market intermediary for only certain types of trades, and is permitted to market, sell and distribute prospectus-exempt securities to accredited investors. A portfolio manager must, upon the request of the Ontario Securities Commission, or OSC, produce all books, papers, documents, records and correspondence relating to its activities in Ontario, and inform the OSC if it becomes the subject

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of an investigation or disciplinary action by any financial services or securities regulatory authority or self-regulatory authority.

        Previously, Pzena Investment Management, LLC was a Foreign Adviser in British Columbia, Canada, and a Portfolio Manager and Investment Counsel (Foreign) in Alberta, Canada. However, on September 28, 2009, National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements and Exemptions, and related rules and amendments, went into effect across Canada, creating a new registration regime Canada-wide.

        Pzena Investment Management, LLC is approved by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority as a promoter and investment manager of Irish authorized collective schemes.

        We operate in various other foreign jurisdictions without registration in reliance upon applicable exemptions under the laws of those jurisdictions.

Compliance

        Our firm maintains a Legal and Compliance Department with four full-time lawyers, including our General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Other members of the Department, as well as the firm in general, also devote significant time to compliance matters.

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ITEM 1A.    RISK FACTORS.

        We face a variety of significant and diverse risks, many of which are inherent in our business. Described below are the risks that we currently believe could materially affect us. Other risks and uncertainties that we do not presently consider to be material, or of which we are not presently aware, may become important factors that affect us in the future. The occurrence of any of the risks discussed below, or any such other risks, could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

Risks Related to Our Business

We depend on Richard S. Pzena, John P. Goetz, and William L. Lipsey and the loss of the services of any of them could have a material adverse effect on us.

        The success of our business largely depends on the participation of Richard S. Pzena, John P. Goetz, and William L. Lipsey, our CEO and two Presidents, respectively. Their professional reputations, expertise in investing and relationships with our clients and within the investing community in the U.S. and abroad, are critical elements to executing our business strategy and attracting and retaining clients. Accordingly, the retention of these individuals is crucial to our future success. There is no guarantee that they will not resign, join our competitors or form a competing company. The terms of the current operating agreement of our operating company restrict each of these individuals from competing with us or soliciting our clients or other employees during the term of their employment with us and for three years thereafter. The penalty for their breach of these restrictive covenants will be the forfeiture of a number of Class B units held by the individual that is equal to 50% of the number of membership units collectively held by him and his permitted transferees as of the earlier of the date of his breach or the termination of his employment, unless our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, determines otherwise. Although we may also seek specific performance of these restrictive covenants, there can be no assurance that we would be successful in obtaining this relief. Further, after this post-employment restrictive period, we will not be able to prohibit them from competing with us or soliciting our clients or employees. If any of these individuals were to join a competitor or form a competing company, some of our current clients or other prominent members of the investing community could choose to invest with that competitor rather than us. Furthermore, we do not carry any "key man" insurance that would provide us with proceeds in the event of the death or disability of any of these individuals. The loss of the services of any of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business and could impact our future performance.

If our investment strategies perform poorly, we could lose clients or suffer a decline in AUM which would impair our revenues and earnings.

        The performance of our investment strategies is one of the most important factors in retaining clients and AUM and competing for new business. If our investment strategies perform poorly, it could impair our earnings because:

•

our existing clients might withdraw their funds from our investment strategies, which would cause the level of our advisory fees to decline;



•

the level of the performance-based fees paid by certain of our clients, which provides us with a percentage of returns if our investment strategies outperform certain agreed upon benchmarks, would decline;



•

third-party financial intermediaries, advisers or consultants may rate our investment products poorly, which may lead our existing clients to withdraw funds from our investment strategies or to the reduction of asset inflows from these third parties or their clients; or

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•

the mutual funds and other investment funds that we sub-advise may decide not to renew or to terminate the agreements pursuant to which we sub-advise them and we may not be able to replace these relationships.

        In 2006, 2007 and 2008, our investment strategies underperformed their respective benchmarks, and, while each of our investment strategies outperformed their respective benchmarks in 2009, there can be no assurance that some or all of our strategies will not underperform their benchmarks in the future. The annualized gross returns (which represents annualized returns prior to payment of advisory fees) of our Large Cap Value strategy (which represented approximately 46.9% of our AUM as of December 31, 2009) for the 1-year, 3-year, 5-year and since inception (October 2000) periods ended December 31, 2009 were 38.5%, (12.1)%, (2.3)%, and 3.5%, respectively. This compares to the returns of the Russell 1000® Value Index, the market index most commonly used by our clients to compare the performance of our Large Cap Value strategy, during the same periods of 19.7%, (9.0)%,(0.3)%, and 2.3%, respectively.

        During periods of declining AUM and revenues, such as we experienced from the quarter ended September 30, 2007, through the quarter ended March 31, 2009, there can be no assurance that we will be able to reduce our expenses at a commensurate rate, potentially leading to accelerated profitability declines. Additionally, given the nature of our business, there is a minimum expense base necessary to retain our employees and maintain our operations, and it may be difficult to reduce expenses beyond certain levels.

Our relationships with two clients represent a significant source of our AUM and revenues, and the termination of one or both of these relationships would impair our revenues and earnings.

        As of December 31, 2009, two client relationships represented 17.5% and 13.9%, respectively, of our AUM. For the year ended December 31, 2009, these relationships represented 11.1% and 4.3%, respectively, of our total revenues. No other single account represented more than 5% of our AUM as of December 31, 2009, or more than 5% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2009.

        There can be no assurance that our agreements with respect to these two client relationships will remain in place. The termination of either relationship would significantly reduce our revenues and earnings, and we may not be able to establish relationships with other accounts in order to replace the lost revenues and earnings.

Because our clients can reduce the amount of assets we manage for them, or terminate our agreements with them, on short notice, we may experience unexpected declines in revenue and profitability.

        Our investment advisory and sub-investment advisory agreements are generally terminable upon short notice. Our sub-investment advisory agreements with ten SEC-registered mutual funds each have an initial two-year term and are subject to annual renewal by the fund's board of directors pursuant to the Investment Company Act. Seven of these ten sub-investment advisory agreements, including our largest sub-advised relationship, are beyond their initial two-year term, as of December 31, 2009. Institutional and individual clients, and the funds with which we have sub-investment advisory agreements, can terminate their relationships with us, or reduce the aggregate amount of AUM, for a number of reasons, including investment performance, changes in prevailing interest rates, and financial market performance, or to shift their funds to competitors who may charge lower advisory fee rates, or for no stated reason. Poor performance relative to that of other investment management firms tends to result in decreased investments in our investment strategies, increased withdrawals from our investment strategies and the loss of institutional or individual accounts or sub-investment advisory relationships. In addition, the ability to terminate relationships may allow clients to renegotiate for lower fees paid for asset management services. If our investment advisory agreements are terminated, or our clients reduce

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the amount of AUM, either of which may occur on short notice, we may experience declines in revenue and profitability.

Difficult market conditions can adversely affect our business by reducing the market value of the assets we manage or causing our clients to withdraw funds.

        Our business would be expected to generate lower revenue in a declining stock market or general economic downturn. Under our advisory fee arrangements, the fees we receive typically are based on the market value of our AUM. Accordingly, a decline in the prices of securities held in our clients' portfolios would be expected to cause our revenue and profitability to decline by:

•

causing the value of our AUM to decline, which would result in lower advisory fees; or



•

causing some of our clients to withdraw funds from our investment strategies in favor of investments they perceive as offering greater opportunity or lower risk, which also would result in lower advisory fees.

        We experienced declines in AUM from the quarter ended September 30, 2007, through the quarter ended March 31, 2009, and declines in revenue and profitability from the quarter ended December 31, 2007, through the quarter ended March 31, 2009, and there can be no assurance that there will not be declines in our AUM, revenue and profitability in the future.

Volatility and disruption of the capital and credit markets and adverse changes in the global economy may negatively impact our AUM, revenues and profitability.

        As a company that operates in both U.S. and non-U.S. markets, and with a global client base, our business is subject to changing conditions in the global financial markets, and may also be effected by political, social and economic conditions in general. Beginning in the second half of 2007, and particularly during the second half of 2008 through early 2009, the financial markets were characterized by unprecedented levels of volatility and limited liquidity. This materially and adversely affected the capital and credit markets and led to a widespread loss of investor confidence. This has resulted in, and may continue to result in, some client attrition and hence reduced AUM, revenues and profitability. The effects of the financial crisis on the economy—with corporate losses and reduced profitability still occurring in some sectors, overall employee compensation coming under pressure, the decline of values across asset classes, and thereby a need to liquidate or re-allocate investments—could be of significant importance to the investment behavior of some of our clients. As a result, we could be confronted with net outflows of AUM, and could experience difficulties attracting new clients, resulting in a material adverse effect on our AUM, revenue and profitability in the future.

        As indicated above, we experienced declines in AUM from the quarter ended September 30, 2007, through the quarter ended March 31, 2009, largely due to the volatility and disruption in the capital and credit markets. During those periods, we experienced declines in revenue and profitability, and there can be no assurance that there will not be declines in our AUM, revenue and profitability should volatility and disruption in the capital and credit markets occur again in the future.

We may need to raise additional capital or refinance existing debt in the future, and resources may not be available to us in sufficient amounts or on acceptable terms.

        Our ability to enter the capital markets in a timely manner depends on a number of factors, including the state of global credit and equity markets, interest rates, credit spreads and our credit ratings. If we are unable to access capital markets to issue new debt, refinance existing debt or sell shares of our Class A Common Stock, as needed, or if we are unable to obtain such financing on acceptable terms, our business could be adversely impacted.

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Our ability to retain our senior investment professionals and attract additional qualified investment professionals is critical to our success. A decline in our revenues and profitability may have an adverse effect on our business and our ability to attract and retain employees.

        Our success depends on our ability to retain the senior members of our investment team and to recruit additional qualified investment professionals. However, we may not be successful in our efforts to retain them, as the market for investment professionals is extremely competitive. Our portfolio managers possess substantial experience and expertise in investing and, in particular, our classic value investment approach, which requires significant qualitative judgments as to the future earnings power of currently underperforming businesses. Our portfolio managers also have significant relationships with our clients. Accordingly, the loss of any of our senior investment professionals could limit our ability to successfully execute our classic value investment approach and, therefore, sustain the performance of our investment strategies, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Future growth of our business may be difficult to achieve, and may place significant demands on our resources and employees, and may increase our expenses.

        Future growth of our business may be difficult to achieve, and may place significant demands on our infrastructure, our investment team and other employees, and may increase our expenses. In addition, we are required to continuously develop our infrastructure in response to the increasing sophistication of the investment management market, as well as due to legal and regulatory developments.

        As a result of our investment strategies underperforming their respective benchmarks in 2006, 2007 and 2008, our future growth may be more challenging, as this may impact our ability to attract inflows of AUM. Additionally, the current overall market environment may impact potential investors' interest in committing new capital to equity strategies such as those offered by us, thereby making growth more difficult.

        The future growth of our business, if achieved, will depend, among other things, on our ability to maintain an infrastructure and staffing levels sufficient to address its growth and may require us to incur significant additional expenses and commit additional senior management and operational resources. We may face significant challenges in maintaining adequate financial and operational controls, implementing new or updated information and financial systems and procedures and training, managing and appropriately sizing our work force and other components of our business on a timely and cost-effective basis. In addition, our efforts to retain or attract qualified investment professionals may result in significant additional expenses. There can be no assurance that we will be able to manage the growth of our business effectively, or that we will be able to continue to grow, and any failure to do so could adversely affect our ability to generate revenue and control our expenses.

The investment management business is intensely competitive.

        Competition in the investment management business is based on a variety of factors, including:

•

investment performance;



•

investor perception of an investment manager's drive, focus and alignment of interest with them;



•

quality of service provided to, and duration of relationships with, clients;



•

business reputation; and



•

level of fees charged for services.

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        We compete in all aspects of our business with a large number of investment management firms, commercial banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions. Our competitive risks are heightened by the fact that some of our competitors may invest according to different investment styles or in alternative asset classes which the markets may perceive as more attractive than our investment approach in the public equity markets. If we are unable to compete effectively, our earnings and revenues could be reduced, and our business could be materially adversely affected.

Reductions in business sourced through third-party distribution channels, or their poor reviews of us or our products, could materially reduce our revenue and ability to attract new clients.

        New accounts sourced through consultant-led searches have been a large driver of our inflows in the past, and are expected to be a major component of our future inflows. In addition, we have established relationships with certain mutual fund providers who have offered us opportunities to access new market segments through sub-investment advisory roles. We have also accessed the high-net-worth segment of the investing community through relationships with well respected wealth advisers who utilize our investment strategies in investment programs they construct for their clients. If we fail to successfully maintain these third-party distribution and sub-investment advisory relationships, our business could be materially adversely affected. In addition, many of these parties review and evaluate our products and our organization. Poor reviews or evaluations of either the particular product, or of us, may result in client withdrawals or may impact our ability to attract new assets through such intermediaries.

A change of control of us could result in termination of our sub-investment advisory and investment advisory agreements.

        Pursuant to the Investment Company Act, each of the sub-investment advisory agreements for the SEC-registered mutual funds that we sub-advise automatically terminates upon its deemed "assignment" and a fund's board and shareholders must approve a new agreement in order for us to continue to act as its sub-investment adviser. In addition, pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act, each of our investment advisory agreements for the separate accounts we manage may not be "assigned" without the consent of the client. A sale of a controlling block of our voting securities and certain other transactions would be deemed an "assignment" pursuant to both the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act. Such an assignment may be deemed to occur in the event that the holders of the Class B units of our operating company exchange enough of their Class B units for shares of our Class A common stock such that they no longer own a controlling interest in us. If such a deemed assignment occurs, there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain the necessary consents from clients whose funds are managed pursuant to separate accounts or the necessary approvals from the boards and shareholders of the SEC-registered funds that we sub-advise. An assignment, actual or constructive, would trigger these termination and consent provisions and, unless the necessary approvals and consents are obtained, could adversely affect our ability to continue managing client accounts, resulting in the loss of AUM and a corresponding loss of revenue.

Our failure to comply with guidelines set by our clients could result in damage awards against us and a loss of AUM, either of which would cause our earnings to decline or affect our ability to remain in business.

        As an investment adviser, we have a fiduciary duty to our clients. When clients retain us to manage assets on their behalf, they may specify certain guidelines regarding investment allocation and strategy that we are required to observe in the management of their portfolios. Our failure to comply with these guidelines and other limitations could result in losses to a client account that the client could seek to recover from us and could result in the client withdrawing its assets from our

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management or terminating our investment advisory agreement with them. Any of these events could cause our earnings to decline or affect our ability to remain in business.

Extensive regulation of our business limits our activities and exposes us to the potential for significant penalties, including fines or limitations on our ability to conduct our business.

        We are subject to extensive regulation of our investment management business and operations. As a registered investment adviser, the SEC oversees our activities pursuant to its regulatory authority under the Investment Advisers Act. In addition, we must comply with certain requirements under the Investment Company Act with respect to the SEC-registered funds for which we act as sub-investment adviser. We are also subject to regulation by the Department of Labor under ERISA. Each of the regulatory bodies with jurisdiction over us has regulatory powers dealing with many aspects of financial services, including the authority to grant, and, in specific circumstances to cancel, permissions to carry on particular businesses. Our failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations could result in fines, censure, suspensions of personnel or other sanctions, including revocation of our registration as an investment adviser. Even if a sanction imposed against us or our personnel is small in monetary amount, the adverse publicity arising from the imposition of sanctions against us by regulators could harm our reputation, result in withdrawal by our clients from our investment strategies and impede our ability to retain clients and develop new client relationships, which may reduce our revenues.

        We face the risk of significant intervention by regulatory authorities, including extended investigation and surveillance activity, adoption of costly or restrictive new regulations and judicial or administrative proceedings that may result in substantial penalties. Among other things, we could be fined or be prohibited from engaging in some of our business activities. The requirements imposed by our regulators are designed to ensure the integrity of the financial markets and to protect customers and other third parties who deal with us, and are not designed to protect our stockholders. Consequently, these regulations often serve to limit our activities, including through net capital, customer protection and market conduct requirements.

        In addition, the regulatory environment in which we operate is subject to modifications and further regulation. New laws or regulations, or changes in the enforcement of existing laws or regulations, applicable to us and our clients also may adversely affect our business, and our ability to function in this environment will depend on our ability to constantly monitor and react to these changes. For investment management firms in general, there have been a number of highly publicized regulatory inquiries that focus on the mutual fund industry. These inquiries already have resulted in increased scrutiny in the industry and new rules and regulations for mutual funds and their investment managers. This regulatory scrutiny may limit our ability to engage in certain activities.

        Specific regulatory changes also may have a direct impact on our revenue. In addition to regulatory scrutiny and potential fines and sanctions, regulators continue to examine different aspects of the asset management industry. New regulation regarding the annual approval process for mutual fund sub-investment advisory agreements may result in the reduction of fees or possible terminations of these agreements. These regulatory changes and other proposed or potential changes may result in a reduction of revenue associated with these activities.

Operational risks may disrupt our business, result in losses, or limit our growth.

        We rely heavily on our financial, accounting, trading, compliance and other data processing systems. Any failure or interruption of these systems, whether caused by fire, other natural disaster, power or telecommunications failure, act of terrorism or war, or otherwise, could result in a disruption of our business, liability to clients, regulatory intervention or reputational damage, and thus materially adversely affect our business. Although we have back-up systems in place, our back-up procedures and capabilities in the event of a failure or interruption may not be adequate. The inability of our systems

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to accommodate an increasing volume of transactions also could constrain our ability to expand our businesses. In recent years, we have substantially upgraded and expanded the capabilities of our data processing systems and other operating technology, and we expect that we will need to continue to upgrade and expand these capabilities in the future to avoid disruption of, or constraints on, our operations.

        Furthermore, we depend on our headquarters in New York City for the continued operation of our business. A disaster or a disruption in the infrastructure that supports our business, or directly affecting our headquarters, may have a material adverse impact on our ability to continue to operate our business without interruption. Although we have disaster recovery programs in place, there can be no assurance that these will be sufficient to mitigate the harm that may result from such a disaster or disruption. In addition, insurance and other safeguards might only partially reimburse us for our losses.

The investment management industry faces substantial litigation risks which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations or cause significant reputational harm to us.

        We depend to a large extent on our relationships with our clients and our reputation for integrity and high-caliber professional services to attract and retain clients. As a result, if a client is not satisfied with our services, such dissatisfaction may be more damaging to our business than to other types of businesses. We make investment decisions on behalf of our clients which could result in substantial losses to them. In order for our classic value investment strategies to yield attractive returns, we expect to have to hold securities for multi-year periods and, therefore, our investment strategies may not perform well in the short-term. If our clients suffer significant losses, or are otherwise dissatisfied with our services, we could be subject to the risk of legal liabilities or actions alleging negligent misconduct, breach of fiduciary duty, or breach of contract. These risks are often difficult to assess or quantify and their existence and magnitude often remain unknown for substantial periods of time. We may incur significant legal expenses in defending against litigation. Substantial legal liability or significant regulatory action against us could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or cause significant reputational harm to us. For information on our past legal proceedings, see "Item 3—Legal Proceedings."

Fulfilling our public company financial reporting and other regulatory obligations has been and will be expensive and time consuming.

        Since becoming a public company, we have been required to implement specific corporate governance practices and adhere to a variety of reporting requirements and complex accounting rules under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("SOX") and the related rules and regulations of the SEC, as well as the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE"). We anticipate that compliance with these requirements will cause us to continue to incur significant legal and accounting compliance costs, and place significant demands on our accounting and finance staff, and on our accounting, financial and information systems. We have hired, and may need to further hire, additional accounting and finance staff with appropriate public company financial reporting experience and technical accounting knowledge, which has and may continue to increase our compensation expense.

        Beginning with the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, our management was required to conduct an annual assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and include a report on our internal controls in our annual reports on Form 10-K pursuant to Section 404 of SOX. In addition, we are required to have our independent registered public accounting firm attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. We will continue to incur costs in order to maintain our internal control over financial reporting and comply with Section 404 of SOX, including necessary auditing and legal fees, and costs associated with accounting, internal audit, information technology, compliance and administrative staff.

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The historical consolidated financial information included in this Annual Report and our previously filed public company reports may not necessarily be indicative of our future financial results.

        The historical consolidated financial information included in this Annual Report and our previously filed public company reports may not necessarily be indicative of our future financial results. We do not expect our AUM or revenue to grow at the same rate as they grew in the five years ended December 31, 2007. As mentioned above, we experienced declines in AUM, revenue, and profitability from the quarter ended September 30, 2007, through the quarter ended March 31, 2009, and there can be no assurance that there will not be similar, or more severe, declines in our AUM, revenue and profitability in the future. Although in 2007 we re-opened the Large Cap Value, Value Service, Small Cap Value, Mid Cap Value and All Cap Value strategies, in the future, we may close these or other strategies at any time. In addition, the historical consolidated financial information included in this Annual Report, and our previously filed public company reports with respect to the periods prior to the consummation of the reorganization of our operating company and the concurrent initial public offering of our Class A common stock on October 30, 2007, do not reflect all the added costs that we have incurred, and continue to expect to incur, as a public company. For example, because we operated through a limited liability company prior to October 30, 2007 and paid little or no taxes on our profits, our historical consolidated financial information prior to October 30, 2007 does not reflect the tax impact of our adoption of a corporate holding company structure.

        See "Part 2, Item 7—Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and the historical financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

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Risks Related to Our Investment Strategies

        Our results of operations depend on the performance of our investment strategies. Poor performance of our investment strategies will reduce or minimize the value of our assets under management, on which our advisory fees are based. Since advisory fees comprise all of our operating revenues, poor performance of our investment strategies will have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. In addition, poor performance will make it difficult for us to retain or attract clients and to grow our business. The performance of our strategies is subject to some or all of the following risks.

Our classic value investments subject the performance of our investment strategies to the risk that the companies in which we invest may not achieve the level of earnings recovery that we initially expect, or at all.

        We generally invest in companies after they have experienced a shortfall in their historic earnings, due to an adverse business development, management error, accounting scandal or other disruption, and before there is clear evidence of earnings recovery or business momentum. While very few investors are willing to invest when companies lack earnings visibility, our classic value investment approach seeks to capture the return that can be obtained by investing in a company before the market has a level of confidence in its ability to achieve earnings recovery. However, our investment approach entails the risk that the companies included in our portfolios are not able to execute the turnaround that we had expected when we originally invested in them, thereby reducing the performance of our strategies. Since our positions in these investments are often substantial, there is the risk that we may be unable to find willing purchasers for our investments when we decide to sell them. Most of our strategies construct concentrated portfolios, generally ranging from 30 to 60 holdings, of companies underperforming their historical earnings power, which is subject to a higher risk of underperformance relative to benchmarks than the investment approaches of some of our competitors.

        Since we apply the same investment process across all of our investment strategies, utilizing one team, and given the overlapping universes of many of our investment strategies, we could have common positions and industry or sector concentrations across many of our investment strategies at the same time. As such, factors leading one of our investment strategies to underperform may lead other strategies to underperform simultaneously.

Our investment strategies may not obtain attractive returns in certain periods or during certain market conditions.

        Our products are best suited for investors with long-term investment horizons. In order for our classic value investment approach to yield attractive returns, we must typically hold securities for an average of over three years. Our investment strategies may not perform well during certain periods of time. In addition, our strategies may not perform well during points in the economic cycle when value-oriented stocks are relatively less attractive. For instance, during the late stages of an economic cycle, investors may purchase relatively expensive stocks in order to obtain access to above average growth, as was the case in the late 1990s. Value-oriented strategies may also experience weakness during periods when the markets are focused on one investment thesis or sector. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, our investment strategies underperformed their respective benchmarks, and there can be no assurance that such underperformance will not occur in future periods.

Our investment approach may underperform other investment approaches, which may result in significant withdrawals of client assets or client departures or a reduction in our AUM.

        Even when securities prices are rising generally, portfolio performance can be affected by our investment approach. We employ a classic value investment approach in all of our investment strategies. This investment approach has outperformed the market in some economic and market environments and underperformed it in others. In particular, a prolonged period in which the growth style of

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investing outperforms the value style may cause our investment strategy to go out of favor with some clients, consultants or third-party intermediaries. Our investment strategy may be less favored during certain time periods for other reasons as well, including due to perceived riskiness or volatility of our approach. Poor performance relative to peers, coupled with changes in personnel, extensive periods in particular market environments, or other difficulties may result in significant withdrawals of client assets, client departures or a reduction in our AUM.

The recessionary environment has, and may continue to, negatively affect the companies in which we invest. Despite recent governmental efforts to stimulate the economy, the recessionary environment may continue.

        The recent disruption in the global credit markets and the deterioration of the economy and the financial markets has created difficult conditions for most companies, including many of those in which we invest. The recessionary environment that the United States and the world face as a result of these factors has had the effect of pushing the prices of equity securities in which we invest lower than their historical levels. In addition, the recessionary environment has had the effect of reducing the funds available to our clients to invest. Both of these trends could continue to reduce our AUM, which is the main driver of our revenues and profitability.

        The federal government has implemented a host of programs intended to stimulate the economy and unclog credit markets. The ultimate effect of these governmental programs is unknown at this time and, despite their enactment and implementation, the recessionary environment may not improve for some time, or may deteriorate, either of which could materially adversely affect the companies in which we invest, the economy in general and our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as the trading price of our common stock.

Our investment process requires us to conduct extensive fundamental research on any company before investing in it, which may result in missed investment opportunities and reduce the performance of our investment strategies.

        We take a considerable amount of time to complete the in-depth research projects that our investment process requires before adding any security to our portfolio. Our process requires that we take this time in order to understand the company and the business well enough to make an informed decision as to whether we are willing to own a significant position in a company whose current earnings are below its historic norms and that does not yet have earnings visibility. However, the time we take to make this judgment may cause us to miss the opportunity to invest in a company that has a sharp and rapid earnings recovery. Any such missed investment opportunities could adversely impact the performance of our investment strategies.

Our Global Value, EAFE Value, Global Diversified Value, EAFE Diversified Value, European Value and Emerging Markets Value strategies consist primarily of investments in the securities of issuers located outside of the United States, which may involve foreign currency exchange, political, social and economic uncertainties and risks.

        Our Global Value, EAFE Value, Global Diversified Value, EAFE Diversified Value, European Value and Emerging Markets Value strategies, which together represented $4.7 billion and $2.2 billion of our AUM as of December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, respectively, and may comprise a larger portion of our AUM in the future, are primarily invested in securities of companies located outside the United States. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could negatively impact the portfolios of our clients who are invested in these strategies. In addition, foreign currency fluctuations may affect the levels of our AUM from one reporting period to another. An increase in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to non-U.S. currencies may result in a decrease in the dollar value of our AUM, which, in turn, would result in lower U.S. dollar denominated revenue. We do not currently engage in any hedging activities for these portfolios and continue to market these products as unhedged.

23

        Investments in non-U.S. issuers may also be effected by political, social and economic uncertainty effecting a country or region in which we are invested. Many non-U.S. financial markets are not as developed, or as efficient, as the U.S. financial market, and, as a result, liquidity may be reduced and price volatility may be higher. The legal and regulatory environments, including financial accounting standards and practices, may also be different, and there may be less publicly available information in respect of such companies. These risks could adversely impact the performance of our strategies that are invested in securities of non-U.S. issuers.

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Risks Related to Our Structure

We are dependent upon distributions from our operating company to make distributions to our Class A stockholders, and to pay taxes and other expenses.

        We are a holding company and have no material assets other than our ownership of membership units of our operating company. We have no independent means of generating revenue and cash flow. Our operating company is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, is not itself subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, its taxable income is allocated to its members, including us, pro-rata according to the number of membership units each owns. Accordingly, we incur income taxes on our proportionate share of any net taxable income of our operating company and also incur expenses related to our operations. We intend to cause our operating company to distribute cash to its members in an amount at least equal to that necessary to cover their tax liabilities, if any, with respect to the earnings of our operating company. To the extent that we need funds to pay our tax or other liabilities or to fund our operations, and our operating company is restricted from making distributions to us under applicable laws or regulations, or loan agreements, or does not have sufficient earnings to make these distributions, we may have to borrow funds to meet these obligations and run our business and, thus, our liquidity and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. There can be no assurance that funds will be available to borrow under such circumstances on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

We are required to pay certain former and current members of our operating company who sold to us membership units of our operating company in October 2007, and the other holders of Class B units of our operating company who subsequently have and will exchange their Class B units for shares of our Class A common stock most of the tax benefit of any amortization deductions we may claim as a result of the tax basis step up we receive in connection with these sales of membership units and any future exchanges of Class B units.

        We used the net proceeds of our October 2007 initial public offering to purchase membership units of our operating company from three of its members, or the selling members. These purchases have and are expected to continue to result in increases in our share of the tax basis in the tangible and intangible assets of our operating company that otherwise would not have been available. Subsequent exchanges of Class B units of our operating company for shares of our Class A common stock have and are expected to continue to result in increases in our share of the tax basis in the tangible and intangible assets of our operating company that otherwise would not have been available. These increases in tax basis have and are expected to continue to reduce the amount of tax that we would otherwise be required to pay in the future, although the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, might challenge all or part of this tax basis increase, and a court might sustain such a challenge.

        Pursuant to a tax receivable agreement dated October 30, 2007, among the selling members, all holders of Class B units after our October 2007 initial public offering and us, we are required to pay the selling members and any holders of Class B units who elect to exchange their Class B units for shares of our Class A common stock 85% of the amount of the cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax that we realize as a result of the increases in amortizable tax basis due to the sale to us of membership units in October 2007 and the subsequent exchanges of Class B units for shares of our Class A common stock. The actual increase in tax basis, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under this agreement, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of exchanges, the price of our Class A common stock at the time of the exchange, the extent to which such exchanges are taxable, the amount and timing of our income and the tax rates then applicable. We expect that, as a result of the size and increases in our share of the tax basis in the tangible and intangible assets of our operating company attributable to our interest therein, the payments that we may make to these members likely will be substantial. In October 2008, each of the selling members agreed with us to waive any payments that we were required to make to them with

25

respect to the 2008 and 2009 tax years, as a result of their sale to us of an aggregate of 6.1 million membership units in October 2007.

        Were the IRS to successfully challenge the tax basis increases described above, we would not be reimbursed for any payments made under the tax receivable agreement. As a result, in certain circumstances, we could be required to make payments under the tax receivable agreement in excess of our cash tax savings.

If we are deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our business would be subject to applicable restrictions under that Act, which could make it impracticable for us to continue our business as contemplated.

        We believe our company is not an investment company under Section 3(b)(1) of the Investment Company Act because we are primarily engaged in a non-investment company business. We conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed an investment company. However, if we were to be deemed an investment company, restrictions imposed by the Investment Company Act, including limitations on our capital structure and our ability to transact with affiliates, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated.

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Risks Related to Our Class A Common Stock

The market price and trading volume of our Class A common stock may be volatile, which could result in rapid and substantial losses for our stockholders.

        The market price of our Class A common stock has been and may continue to be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations. In addition, the trading volume in our Class A common stock may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. If the market price of our Class A common stock declines significantly, you may be unable to resell your shares of Class A common stock at or above your purchase price, if at all. We cannot assure you that the market price of our Class A common stock will not fluctuate or decline significantly in the future. Some of the factors that could negatively affect the price of our Class A common stock, or result in fluctuations in the price or trading volume of our Class A common stock, include:

•

decreases in our assets under management;



•

variations in our quarterly operating results;



•

failure to meet our earnings estimates;



•

publication of research reports about us or the investment management industry;



•

additions or departures of our key personnel;



•

adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we may incur or securities we may issue in the future;



•

actions by stockholders;



•

changes in market valuations of similar companies;



•

changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations, or differing interpretations thereof, affecting our business, or enforcement of these laws and regulations, or announcements relating to these matters;



•

adverse publicity about the asset management industry, generally, or individual scandals, specifically; and



•

general market and economic conditions.

The market price of our Class A common stock could decline due to the large number of shares of our Class A common stock eligible for future sale upon the exchange of Class B units of our operating company.

        Pursuant to the operating agreement of our operating company, on at least one date designated by us each year (or, if we do not designate a date by September 30th of any year, on October 30th), each holder of Class B units may exchange up to 15% of its Class B units for an equivalent number of shares of our Class A common stock, subject to certain restrictions set forth in the operating agreement. Pursuant to the resale and registration rights agreement, dated October 30, 2007, among the holders of Class B units and us, (i) on at least one date designated by us each year (or, if we do not designate a date by September 30th of any year, on a date that is three business days after October 30th) these holders may resell the shares of Class A common stock issued to them upon the exchange of up to 15% of their Class B units, and (ii) until October 30, 2011, they may only resell these shares in the manner determined by us.

        We filed a Form S-3 registration statement, which became effective in February 2009, in order to register our issuance to these holders of the total number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exchange of all Class B units outstanding immediately after the consummation of our operating company's reorganization. We designated March 3, 2009 as the 2009 exchange date. Certain executive officers and employees elected to exchange an aggregate of 2,445,973 Class B units for an equivalent

27

number of shares of our Class A common stock, which, with the exception of those held by our executive officers, are freely tradable. The market price of our Class A common stock could decline as a result of sales pursuant to the Form S-3 registration statement, or the perception that such sales could occur. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital by selling equity securities in the future, at a time and price that we deem appropriate.

Control by our Class B stockholders, which include our CEO and two Presidents, 28 of our other employees, certain outside investors and two former employees, of 97.0% of the combined voting power of our common stock may give rise to conflicts of interest.

        Our Class B stockholders collectively hold approximately 97.0% of the combined voting power of our common stock. These stockholders consist of our CEO, two Presidents, 28 of our other employees, certain unaffiliated investors and two former employees. Holders of shares of our Class B common stock have entered into a Class B stockholders' agreement with respect to all shares of Class B common stock then held by them and any additional shares of Class B common stock they may acquire in the future. Pursuant to this agreement, they will vote these shares of Class B common stock together on all matters submitted to a vote of our common stockholders. To the extent that we cause our operating company to issue additional Class B units, which may be granted, subject to vesting, to our employees pursuant to the PIM LLC 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, these employees will be entitled to receive an equivalent number of shares of our Class B common stock, subject to the condition that they agree to enter into this Class B stockholders' agreement. Each share of our Class B common stock entitles its holder to five votes per share for so long as the Class B stockholders collectively hold 20% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding. When a Class B unit is exchanged for a share of our Class A common stock, an unvested Class B unit is forfeited due to the employee holder's failure to satisfy the conditions of the award agreement pursuant to which it was granted, or any Class B unit is forfeited as result of a breach of any restrictive covenants contained in our operating company's amended and restated operating agreement, a corresponding share of our Class B common stock will automatically be redeemed by us. For so long as our Class B stockholders hold at least 20% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding, they will be able to elect all of the members of our Board of Directors and thereby control our management and affairs, including determinations with respect to acquisitions, dispositions, borrowings, issuances of securities, and the declaration and payment of dividends. In addition, they will be able to determine the outcome of all matters requiring approval of stockholders, and will be able to cause or prevent a change of control of our company or a change in the composition of our Board of Directors, and could preclude any unsolicited acquisition of our company. Our Class B stockholders have the ability to prevent the consummation of mergers, takeovers or other transactions that may be in the best interests of our Class A stockholders. In particular, this concentration of voting power could deprive Class A stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares of Class A common stock as part of a sale of our company, and could ultimately affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

Anti-takeover provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws could discourage a change of control that our stockholders may favor, which could also adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

        Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws may make it more difficult and expensive for a third party to acquire control of us, even if a change of control would be beneficial to our stockholders. For example, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes our Board of Directors to issue up to 200,000,000 shares of our preferred stock and to designate the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of unissued series of our preferred stock, each without any vote or action by our stockholders. We could issue a series of preferred stock to impede the consummation of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt. The anti-takeover

28

provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws may impede takeover attempts, or other transactions, that may be in the best interests of our stockholders and, in particular, our Class A stockholders. In addition, the market price of our Class A common stock could be adversely affected to the extent that provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws discourage potential takeover attempts, or other transactions, that our stockholders may favor.

In the future, we may pay dividends to our stockholders, but our ability to do so is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and may be limited by our holding company structure and applicable provisions of Delaware law.

        Our Board of Directors may, in its discretion, reinstate the dividend in an amount to be determined by it. Subsequently, our Board of Directors may, in its discretion, decrease the level of dividends, or discontinue the payment of dividends entirely. In addition, as a holding company, we depend upon the ability of Pzena Investment Management, LLC to generate earnings and cash flows and distribute them to us so that we may pay our obligations and expenses and pay dividends to our stockholders. We expect to cause Pzena Investment Management, LLC to make distributions to its members, including us. However, the ability of Pzena Investment Management, LLC to make such distributions is subject to its operating results, cash requirements and financial condition and applicable Delaware laws (which may limit the amount of funds available for distribution to its members). If, as a consequence of these various limitations and restrictions, we are unable to generate sufficient distributions from our business, we may not be able to make, or may have to reduce or eliminate, the payment of dividends on our Class A common stock, see Item 5—"Our Dividend Policy."

The disparity in the voting rights among the classes of our common stock may have a potential adverse effect on the price of our Class A common stock.

        Each share of our Class A common stock entitles its holder to one vote on all matters to be voted on by stockholders generally, while each share of our Class B common stock entitles its holder to five votes for so long as the number of shares of Class B common stock represents 20% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding. The difference in voting rights could adversely affect the value of our Class A common stock to the extent that investors view, or any potential future purchaser of our company views, the superior voting rights of the Class B common stock to have value.

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ITEM 1B.    UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

        None.

ITEM 2.    PROPERTIES

        Our corporate headquarters and principal offices are located at 120 West 45^th Street, New York, New York 10036, where we occupy approximately 32,000 square feet of space under a non-cancellable operating lease, the term of which expires in October 2015. We believe our current facilities are adequate for our current needs and that suitable additional space will be available as and when needed.

ITEM 3.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

        In the normal course of business, the Company may be subject to various legal and administrative proceedings.

        Currently, there are no material legal proceedings pending against us.

ITEM 4.    RESERVED

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PART II.

ITEM 5.    MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

        Our Class A common stock is listed for trading on the NYSE under the symbol "PZN". As of March 2, 2010, there were approximately 26 record holders of our Class A common stock and 71 record holders of our Class B common shares. These numbers do not include shareholders who hold their shares through one or more intermediaries, such as banks, brokers or depositories.

        The following table sets forth the quarterly high and low sales prices of our Class A common stock on the NYSE for the periods indicated and dividends declared during such periods.

Our Dividend Policy

        We are a holding company and have no material assets other than our ownership of membership interests in our operating company. As a result, we depend upon distributions from our operating company to pay any dividends that our Board of Directors may declare to be paid to our Class A common stockholders, if any. When and if our Board of Directors declares any such dividends, we then cause our operating company to make distributions to us in an amount sufficient to cover the amount of the dividends declared. As of December 31, 2009, we are no longer contractually prohibited from making dividend payments. We may not pay dividends to our Class A common stockholders in amounts that have been paid to them in the past, or at all, if, among other things, we do not have the cash necessary to pay our intended dividends, or any of our financing facilities or other agreements restrict us from doing so. In the future, our Board of Directors may, in its discretion and subject to the Company's operating results, debt agreements and applicable law, reinstate the dividend at an amount to be determined by it. To the extent we do not have cash on hand sufficient to pay dividends in the future, we may decide not to pay dividends. By paying cash dividends rather than investing that cash in our future growth, we risk slowing the pace of our growth, or not having a sufficient amount of cash to fund our operations or unanticipated capital expenditures, should the need arise.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

        In 2009, we awarded an aggregate of 30,000 Class B units and the related 30,000 shares of Class B common stock to six new employee members. The issuances did not involve any public offering, general advertising or general solicitation. The certificates representing the securities bear a restrictive legend. On the basis of these facts, the securities were issued in a transaction not involving a public offering and were issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.

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Performance Graph

        The following graph compares the cumulative total stockholder return on our Class A common stock from October 25, 2007 (the date our Class A common stock first began trading on the NYSE) through December 31, 2009, with the cumulative total return of the S&P 500® and the SNL Asset Manager Index*. The graph assumes the investment of $100 in our common stock and in each of the two indices on October 25, 2007 and the reinvestment of all dividends, if any.

Total Return Performance

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        In accordance with the rules of the SEC, this section entitled "Performance Graph" shall not be incorporated by reference into any future filings by us under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and shall not be deemed to be soliciting material or to be filed under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

Recent Purchases of Equity Securities

        During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, we did not repurchase any of our equity securities.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

        For certain information concerning securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans, see "Item 12—Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters—Equity Compensation Plan Information."

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ITEM 6.    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

        The following tables set forth selected historical consolidated financial data of Pzena Investment Management, Inc. Reported results for the periods prior to October 30, 2007 reflect solely the operations of Pzena Investment Management, LLC. The selected consolidated statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008, and 2007 and the consolidated statements of financial condition data as of December 31, 2009 and 2008 have been derived from Pzena Investment Management, Inc.'s audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

        The selected consolidated statement of financial condition as of December 31, 2007 has been derived from Pzena Investment Management, Inc.'s audited consolidated financial statements not included in this report. The selected consolidated statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, and the consolidated statement of financial condition data as of December 31, 2006 and 2005, have been derived from Pzena Investment Management, LLC's audited consolidated financial statements not included in this Annual Report.

        You should read the following selected historical consolidated financial data together with "Item 7—Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and the historical consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

(1)

Represents the Company's weighted average shares and its earnings generated through its economic interest in the operating company subsequent to October 30, 2007.

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        Prior to the consummation of our initial public offering on October 30, 2007, Pzena Investment Management, LLC operated as a partnership and was not subject to U.S. federal and certain state income taxes. After that date, we became subject to U.S. federal and certain state and local income taxes applicable to C-corporations.

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ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

        We are an investment management firm that utilizes a classic value investment approach in each of our investment strategies. We currently manage assets in a variety of value-oriented investment strategies across a wide range of market capitalizations in both U.S. and non-U.S. capital markets. At December 31, 2009, our assets under management, or AUM, were $14.3 billion. We manage separate accounts on behalf of institutions and high net worth individuals and act as sub-investment adviser for a variety of SEC-registered mutual funds and offshore funds.

        We function as the holding company through which the business of our operating company, Pzena Investment Management, LLC, is conducted. Following our initial public offering and reorganization on October 30, 2007, we became the sole managing member of Pzena Investment Management, LLC. As such, we now control its business and affairs and, therefore, consolidate its financial results with ours. In light of our employees' and other investors' collective membership interest in our operating company, we reflect their ownership as a non-controlling interest in our consolidated financial statements. As a result, subsequent to October 30, 2007, our income is generated by our economic interest in our operating company's net income. As of December 31, 2009, the holders of Class A common stock (through the Company) and the holders of Class B units of the operating company held approximately 13.4% and 86.6%, respectively, of the economic interests in the operations of our business.

Revenue

        We generate revenue primarily from management fees and incentive fees, which we collectively refer to as our advisory fees, by managing assets on behalf of institutional accounts and for retail clients, which are generally open-end mutual funds catering primarily to retail clients. Our advisory fee income is recognized over the period in which investment management services are provided. Following the preferred method identified in the Revenue Recognition Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification ("FASB ASC," described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report), income from incentive fees is recorded at the conclusion of the contractual performance period, when all contingencies are resolved.

        Our advisory fees are primarily driven by the level of our AUM. Our AUM increases or decreases with the net inflows or outflows of funds into our various investment strategies and with the investment performance thereof. In order to increase our AUM and expand our business, we must develop and market investment strategies that suit the investment needs of our target clients and provide attractive returns over the long term. The value and composition of our AUM, and our ability to continue to attract clients, will depend on a variety of factors including, among other things:

•

our ability to educate our target clients about our classic value investment strategies and provide them with exceptional client service;



•

the relative investment performance of our investment strategies, as compared to competing products and market indices;



•

competitive conditions in the investment management and broader financial services sectors;



•

general economic conditions;



•

investor sentiment and confidence; and



•

our decision to close strategies when we deem it to be in the best interests of our clients.

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        For our institutional accounts, we are paid fees according to a schedule, which varies by investment strategy. The substantial majority of these accounts pay us management fees pursuant to a schedule in which the rate we earn on the AUM declines as the amount of AUM increases. Certain of these clients pay us fees according to the performance of their accounts relative to certain agreed-upon benchmarks, which results in a slightly lower base fee, but allows us to earn higher fees if the relevant investment strategy outperforms the agreed-upon benchmark.

        Pursuant to our sub-investment advisory agreements with our retail clients, we are generally paid a management fee according to a schedule in which the rate we earn on the AUM declines as the amount of AUM increases. Certain of these funds pay us fixed rate management fees. Due to the substantially larger account size of certain of these accounts, the average advisory fees we earn on them, as a percentage of AUM, are lower than the advisory fees we earn on our institutional accounts.

        The majority of advisory fees we earn on institutional accounts are based on the value of AUM at a specific date on a quarterly basis, either in arrears or advance. Generally, advisory fees on certain of our institutional accounts, and with respect to most of our retail accounts, are calculated based on the average of the monthly or daily market value. Advisory fees are also adjusted for any cash flows into or out of a portfolio, where the cash flow represents greater than 10% of the value of the portfolio. While a specific group of accounts may use the same fee rate, the method used to calculate the fee according to the fee rate schedule may differ as described above.

        Our advisory fees may fluctuate based on a number of factors, including the following:

•

changes in AUM due to appreciation or depreciation of our investment portfolios, and the levels of the contribution and withdrawal of assets by new and existing clients;



•

distribution of AUM among our investment strategies, which have different fee schedules;



•

distribution of AUM between institutional accounts and retail accounts, for which we generally earn lower overall advisory fees; and



•

the level of our performance with respect to accounts on which we are paid incentive fees.

Expenses

        Our expenses consist primarily of compensation and benefits expenses, as well as general and administrative expenses. These expenses may fluctuate due to a number of factors, including the following:

•

variations in the level of total compensation expense due to, among other things, bonuses, awards of equity to our employees and members of our operating company, changes in our employee count and mix, and competitive factors; and



•

expenses, such as rent, professional service fees and data-related costs, incurred, as necessary, to run our business.

Compensation and Benefits Expense

        Our largest expense is compensation and benefits, which includes the salaries, bonuses, equity-based compensation, and related benefits and payroll costs attributable to our members and employees. Compensation and benefits packages are benchmarked against relevant industry and geographic peer groups in order to attract and retain qualified personnel. Since 2007, we have experienced a general decrease in cash compensation and benefits expense, as we reduced our year-end bonus packages to reflect the adverse economic conditions in our business and industry in general. Cash compensation has also declined since 2007 due to lower revenue-based variable compensation costs and a decline in

37

average headcount. The table included in the section below describes the components of our compensation expense for the three years ended December 31, 2009:

        Historically, we granted interests in our operating company to selected employees which entitled the holder to a share of the future distributions of our operating company. Pursuant to the then terms of the operating agreement of our operating company, the holders of these interests had the right to require us to redeem their interests upon their termination of employment, or death. Prior to March 31, 2007, we accounted for the distributions on these interests, as well as the annual increase in their redemption value, as compensation expense. Our operating company's operating agreement was amended as of March 31, 2007 to eliminate its obligation to redeem these interests units under any circumstance. As all of its membership units thereafter had only equity characteristics, neither distributions nor subsequent incremental changes to their value were charged against income from the date of the amendment. As of March 31, 2007, we accelerated the vesting of all compensatory units (as described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report) then subject to vesting. The one-time charge associated with this acceleration, approximately $65.0 million, was recorded on March 31, 2007. Subsequent to this date, distributions on these units have been recorded as a direct reduction of operating company capital.

        On January 1, 2007, we adopted the PIM LLC 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, pursuant to which we have issued restricted units, and options to acquire units, in our operating company. We used a fair-value method in recording the compensation expense associated with the granting of these restricted units, and options to acquire units, to new and existing members under the PIM LLC 2006 Equity Incentive Plan. Under this method, compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the estimated fair value of the award and is recognized over the award's vesting period. The fair value of the units is determined by reference to the market price of our Class A common stock on the date of grant, since these units are exchangeable for shares of our Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis. The fair value of the options to acquire units is determined by using an appropriate option pricing model on the grant date.

        Pursuant to the operating company's Bonus Plan, which became effective January 1, 2007, eligible employees whose cash compensation is in excess of certain thresholds have a portion of that excess mandatorily deferred. These deferred amounts may be invested, at the employee's discretion, in certain of our investment strategies, restricted phantom units of our operating company, or money market funds. Amounts deferred in any calendar year reduce that year's cash compensation expense and vest ratably over a four-year period beginning on January 1^st of the next year. Therefore, the amortization of 2007 deferred amounts has been reflected in our expenses beginning January 1, 2008. For the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008, and 2007, approximately $1.6 million, $0.0 million, and $4.4 million, respectively, in such compensation was deferred. At December 31, 2009 and 2008, the liability associated with deferred compensation investment accounts was approximately $0.4 million and $0.3 million, respectively, and has been included as a component of other liabilities on the consolidated

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statement of financial condition. For the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, the Company recognized approximately $0.7 million and $0.6 million, respectively, in compensation and benefits expense associated with the amortization of all deferred compensation awards. Should additional amounts be deferred in future years, we would expect the non-cash portion of our compensation expense to increase as the existing and subsequently deferred amounts are amortized through income.

        As of December 31, 2009, we had approximately $5.3 million in unrecorded compensation expense related to unvested operating company phantom units issued pursuant to our deferred compensation plan, operating company unit and option grants issued under our PIM LLC 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, and stock and option grants issued under our PIM Inc. 20007 Equity Incentive Plan. We expect that the amortization of these amounts will be approximately $2.6 million for 2010, $2.5 million for 2011, and $0.1 million per year in 2012 and 2013.

General and Administrative Expenses

        General and administrative expenses include office expenses, professional and outside services fees, depreciation, and the costs associated with operating and maintaining our research, trading, and portfolio accounting systems. Our occupancy-related costs and professional services expenses, in particular, generally increase or decrease in relative proportion to the overall size and scale of our business operations.

        As a result of our offering on October 30, 2007, we have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, additional expenses associated with being a public company for, among other things, director and officer insurance, director fees, SEC reporting and compliance (including SOX compliance), professional fees, transfer agent fees, and other similar expenses. These additional expenses have and will continue to reduce our net income.

Other Income/(Expense)

        Other income/(expense) is derived primarily from investment income or loss arising from our investments in various private investment vehicles that we employ to incubate new strategies, interest expense on our outstanding debt, mark-to-market movements on our swap agreement prior to its termination, and interest income generated on our excess cash balances. Other income/(expense) is also affected by changes in our estimates of the liability due to our selling and converting shareholders associated with payments owed to them under the tax receivable agreement which was executed in connection with our reorganization and offering on October 30, 2007. As discussed further below, under "Tax Receivable Agreement," this liability represents 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, and local income tax that we realize as a result of the amortization of the increases in tax basis generated from the Company's acquisitions of operating company units from its selling and converting shareholders. Amounts waived by our selling and converting shareholders reduce this liability. We expect the interest and investment components of other income/(expense), in the aggregate, to fluctuate based on market conditions and the performance of our investment strategies.

Non-Controlling Interests

        Our operating company has historically consolidated the results of operations of the private investment partnerships over which we exercise a controlling influence. After our reorganization, we became the sole managing member of our operating company and now control its business and affairs and, therefore, consolidate its financial results with ours. In light of our employees' and outside investors' interest in our operating company, we have reflected their membership interests as a non-controlling interest in our consolidated financial statements. As a result, subsequent to October 30, 2007, our income is generated by our economic interest in our operating company's net income. As of December 31, 2009, the holders of Class A common stock (through the Company) and the holders of

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Class B units of the operating company held approximately 13.4% and 86.6%, respectively, of the economic interests in the operations of the business.

Income Tax Provision/(Benefit)

        While our operating company has historically not been subject to U.S. federal and certain state income taxes, it has been subject to New York City Unincorporated Business Tax. As a result of our reorganization, we are now subject to taxes applicable to C-corporations. As such, our effective tax rate has increased as a result of our reorganization. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount more likely than not to be realized. As of December 31, 2009 and 2008, the Company's valuation allowance against the deferred tax asset associated with our acquisition of operating company units in conjunction with the offering and subsequent grants was $60.3 million and a $62.7 million, respectively.

Interest on Mandatorily Redeemable Units

        Until the amendment of its operating agreement on March 31, 2007, the operating company recorded a net liability for its units issued to founders and those purchased by certain employees equal to the accumulated redemption value as of the balance sheet date of all such outstanding units. This liability also included any undistributed earnings attributable to such units. As such, interest on mandatorily redeemable units included distributions made on these outstanding units, as well as the incremental increases or decreases in their redemption values. Distributions were generally paid on the operating company's income before non-cash compensation charges. Redemption values were determined based on fair value.

        Prior to March 31, 2007, these units were required to be redeemed upon a member's termination or death. Effective March 31, 2007, the operating company's operating agreement was amended to eliminate its obligation to redeem units under any circumstance. Since all units thereafter had only equity characteristics, neither distributions, nor subsequent incremental changes to these units' value, were charged against income subsequent to the effective date of the amendment. The $16.6 million charge recorded in 2007 represents the distributions and incremental changes to these units' fair value through March 31, 2007.

Operating Results

General

        Our earnings and cash flows are heavily dependent upon prevailing financial market conditions. Significant increases or decreases in the various securities markets, particularly the equities markets, can have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.

        Beginning in the second half of 2007 and continuing through the first quarter of 2009, the performance of our investment strategies was negatively impacted by significant volatility in the equity markets. Investment performance during 2008 was influenced by our overweight exposure to the financial services sector in particular, which underperformed the market. As a result, our assets under management declined by $12.9 billion, or 54.7%, from $23.6 billion at December 31, 2007 to $10.7 billion at December 31, 2008. Beginning in the second quarter of 2009, the performance of our investment strategies improved alongside the significant improvement in the equity markets. As a result, our AUM increased $3.6 billion, or 33.6%, from $10.7 billion at December 31, 2008, to $14.3 billion at December 31, 2009.

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        For the year ended December 31, 2009, we experienced gross inflows of $4.0 billion, which were offset by gross outflows of $4.1 billion. Our institutional accounts experienced gross inflows of $2.6 billion, which were partially offset by $2.0 billion in gross outflows. The institutional gross inflows were mainly attributable to the establishment of several new client relationships in our non-U.S. diversified value strategies, while the gross outflows were due to our investment strategies' medium-term underperformance relative to their respective benchmarks and client re-balancing in response to the volatile economic environment. For the year ended December 31, 2009, our retail accounts experienced $0.7 billion in net outflows, as a result of $2.1 billion in gross outflows and $1.4 billion in gross inflows. The gross outflows in retail accounts were driven by the underperformance and re-balancing described above.

        For the year ended December 31, 2008, we experienced gross outflows of $8.3 billion, which were partially offset by gross inflows of $5.4 billion. Our institutional accounts experienced gross outflows of $4.3 billion, which were partially offset by $2.6 billion in gross inflows. The institutional gross outflows were mainly attributable to the weaker performance of our institutional funds compared to that of their respective benchmarks, while the gross inflows were primarily due to the establishment of new client relationships across a variety of our strategies. For the year ended December 31, 2008, our retail accounts experienced $1.2 billion in net outflows, as a result of $4.0 billion in gross outflows and $2.8 billion in gross inflows.

        Our average AUM fluctuates based on changes in the market value of accounts advised and managed by us, and on fund flows. Accordingly, given our lower average AUM levels, our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2009 have declined from previous years. A decrease in revenue typically results in lower operating income and net income.

        We expect that we will experience pressure on our operating margins in the future if AUM were to decline similar to that of 2007 and 2008. For the year ended December 31, 2009, our operating expenses declined from their comparable 2008 and 2007 periods, as we identified and implemented cost savings opportunities.

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Assets Under Management and Flows

        The change in AUM in our institutional accounts and our retail accounts for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 is described below:

        At December 31, 2009, our $14.3 billion of AUM were invested in various value-oriented investment strategies representing distinct geographical segments of the U.S., Global, and Europe, Australasia, and Far East ("EAFE") markets. The following table describes the allocation of our AUM, as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, among our investment strategies:

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