One year later, Lehman bank is still in business

By Tom Hals

WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) - A visit to the last major operating business of the once swaggering Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers feels a bit like entering a pawn shop.

Customers dropping by the "main branch" of the former Lehman Brothers Bank must knock to catch the attention of staff, who then press a buzzer to unlock the glass doors to the office.

The bank lacks the cushy chairs offered by nearby TD Bank or the lounge area with TVs at PNC Bank across the street in downtown Wilmington, a subdued city south of Philadelphia that is perhaps best known for being a place where many major companies are registered because of business-friendly laws.

A year after Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc declared bankruptcy, exacerbating a crisis that led to a trillion dollar rescue of the global financial system, one of its biggest remaining operations scarcely attracts the attention of anyone passing by.

The arrival of a reporter at the branch on the anniversary becomes a big event for the half dozen staff. They all vacate their desks and teller stations to gather and watch as their manager politely declines to answer any questions.

There is a small desk where customers can fill out deposit slips, but there is little sign it has been recently used. Accounts have to be opened online for what is largely an Internet bank.

A paper sign on the door says "no change given" and requests visitors report to building security.

It is all an indication of how far the once mighty Lehman Brothers has fallen.