The Blackstone Group L.P. is a multinational private equity, investment banking, alternative asset management and financial services corporation based in New York City. As the largest alternative investment firm in the world, Blackstone specializes in private equity, credit and hedge fund investment strategies, as well as financial advisory services, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), restructurings and reorganizations, and private placements. The Blackstone Group provides custom market research and consulting services, helping clients make sense of customer behavior and attitudes as well as market trends. Not to be confused with leading US private equity firm The Blackstone Group L.P., this research company serves clients in the US, Europe, and Asia from offices in Chicago, London, Toronto, and Chennai, India. It caters to industries such as consumer packaged goods, financial services, health care, and technology with studies on topics including branding, customer satisfaction and loyalty, multicultural markets, new product evaluation, and segmentation. Clients have included the American Medical Association, Chicago Tribune, eBay, and Pfizer. The Blackstone Group LP is a global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services. The firm's asset management businesses include the management of corporate private equity funds, real estate funds, mezzanine funds, proprietary hedge funds and closed-end mutual funds. Blackstone also provides M&A and reorganization advisory, as well as private placement services.