Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers.

(b) On October 20, 2008, LaBranche & Co Inc. (the "Company") announced that Robert E. Torray has left the Company's Board of Directors, effective October 16, 2008. Mr. Torray has been a member of the Company's board of directors and of the Company's Audit, Compesation and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees since October 2005. Mr. Torray has been the Chair of the Compensation Committee since January 2007. Following Mr. Torray's departure, the Company's board set the board size at five directors.

Effective October 16, 2008, the Company's board of directors appointed Stuart M. Robbins to replace Mr. Torray as the Chair of the Company's Compensation Committee. Mr. Robbins is a non-management director of the Company and serves as a member of the Company's Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On October 20, 2008, LaBranche & Co Inc. issued a press release announcing the departure of Mr. Torray. A copy of this press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

99.1 Press release issued by LaBranche & Co Inc. dated October 20, 2008.

All other Items of this report are inapplicable.

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