Business Changes and Developments Business Changes and Developments (Details) € in Thousands, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands					3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2015 EUR (€)	Jul. 02, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2014 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2015	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Reporting Unit, Percentage of Fair Value in Excess of Carrying Amount									15.00%
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	$ 62,764					$ 62,764	$ 103,279
Intangible Assets, accumulated amortization	21,754					21,754	33,735
Value of Assets Deconsolidated						4,726
Value of Liabilities Deconsolidated						2,074	0	$ 0
Goodwill, Acquired During Period						5,476	33,039
Amortization of Intangible Assets						17,458	8,007	7,994
Subordinated Borrowings	22,550			$ 22,550		22,550	22,550
Other Long-term Liabilities	36,070					36,070	26,200
Purchase of Noncontrolling Interest						0	7,100	0
Goodwill	194,961					194,961
Impairment of Goodwill						28,500	0	0
Goodwill, Impairment Loss, Net of Tax						9,785
Asset Impairment Charges								2,888
Special Charges						41,144	4,893	170
Other Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired					100.00%
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred					$ 6,900
Business Acquisitions Contingent Consideration Potential Cash Payment	6,765					6,765
Goodwill, Acquired During Period					$ 3,401
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares					72
Kuna & Co [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired			100.00%
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred			$ 8,400
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross		€ 3,000	3,335
Business Acquisitions Contingent Consideration Potential Cash Payment	$ 2,221					2,221
Goodwill, Acquired During Period			5,476
Contingent Cash Consideration Payable Each Year [Member] | Kuna & Co [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross | €		500
Contingent Cash Consideration [Member] | Kuna & Co [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross		€ 2,000	$ 2,223
Investment Banking [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Special Charges						2,151	4,893	0
Investment Banking [Member] | Other Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life					2 years
Amortization of Intangible Assets						1,983	877
Investment Banking [Member] | Kuna & Co [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		1 year	1 year
Amortization of Intangible Assets						2,211
Investment Management [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Special Charges						38,993	0	170
Investment Management [Member] | Special Charges [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Impairment of Goodwill						$ 28,500
Client Related Intangible Assets [Member] | Investment Banking [Member] | Other Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles					$ 1,050
Advisory Backlog [Member] | Investment Banking [Member] | Other Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles					$ 2,450
Advisory Backlog [Member] | Investment Banking [Member] | Kuna & Co [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles			$ 2,900
Atalanta Sosnoff [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Company Seats on Management Committee	1					3
Total Seats on Management Committee	3					5
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	$ 43,280					$ 43,280
Intangible Assets, accumulated amortization	$ 29,356					$ 29,356
Equity method investment (as a percent)	49.00%					49.00%
Equity Method Investment, Equity Interest	56.30%					56.30%
Goodwill, Period Increase (Decrease)						$ (27,274)
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Period Increase (Decrease)						(13,924)
Noncontrolling Interest, Period Increase (Decrease)						(16,090)
Temporary Equity, Other Changes						(2,683)
Atalanta Sosnoff [Member] | Special Charges [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Conversion of Profits Interests Charge						6,333
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount						(812)
Institutional Equities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase of Noncontrolling Interest				11,086
Evercore ISI [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred				90,234
Goodwill, Acquired During Period				29,638
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable				62,614
Other Long-term Liabilities				5,070
Evercore ISI [Member] | Investment Banking [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles				47,320
Amortization of Intangible Assets						9,428	$ 1,571
Evercore ISI [Member] | Favorable Lease [Member] | Investment Banking [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles				$ 5,320
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life				7 years
Evercore ISI [Member] | Trade Names [Member] | Investment Banking [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles				$ 2,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life				3 years
Evercore ISI [Member] | Client Related Intangible Assets [Member] | Investment Banking [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles				$ 40,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life				5 years
Class H Interests [Member] | Evercore ISI [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				4,095
Class G Interests [Member] | Evercore ISI [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				1,078
Unvested LP Units [Member] | Class E LP Units [Member] | Institutional Equities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				17
Unvested LP Units [Member] | Class E LP Units [Member] | Evercore ISI [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				710
Vested LP Units [Member] | Class H Interests [Member] | Institutional Equities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				217
Vested LP Units [Member] | Class G Interests [Member] | Institutional Equities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				57
Vested LP Units [Member] | Class E LP Units [Member] | Institutional Equities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				199
Compensation Expense [Member] | Vested LP Units [Member] | Class E LP Units [Member] | Evercore ISI [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				710
Purchase Price Allocation [Member] | Vested LP Units [Member] | Class E LP Units [Member] | Evercore ISI [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Grant Of LP Units (in units) | shares				947
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Pan [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Impairment of Goodwill								$ 2,718
Institutional Asset Management [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill										$ 94,700
Discount Rate, Goodwill Impairment										15.00%
Compound Annual Growth Rate, Revenue										9.00%
Institutional Asset Management [Member] | Special Charges [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Impairment of Goodwill						$ 28,500
Noncontrolling Interest [Member] | Institutional Asset Management [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill										$ 27,271
LP Units [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Limited Partnership Units Convertible Conversion Ratio						1