Who shows up after your advisory firm is acquired
Private equity has spent the last several years buying accounting and advisory firms. For the firms, it brings capital and scale. For mid-market clients, the more practical question is simpler: who actually shows up on the engagement after the deal closes?
What tends to change
Ownership changes rarely change a firm's name or its marketing. They often change the economics underneath, and those economics shape staffing.
Leverage. A return on investment is usually built on more hours delivered by more junior staff per senior reviewer. The partner who sold the work may be further from the day-to-day.
Turnover. Integration periods are when experienced practitioners are most likely to move on. Continuity on a multi-year relationship is worth asking about directly.
Pricing. Rate structures, minimum engagement sizes and change-order practices can shift as a firm is managed to new targets.
Cross-selling. A broader platform can be useful. It can also mean more conversations about services you did not ask for.
Questions worth asking your advisors
Who will do the work, and how much of it will the senior person you met actually perform?
What happens to the team if someone leaves mid-engagement?
Has anything about pricing, scope or minimums changed since the ownership change?
Who do you call when something goes wrong, and how quickly will they answer?
How we think about it
At Solaris, every engagement is scoped and delivered by the same senior practitioner. That is not the right fit for every company, but it is a deliberate choice, and it means the answer to "who shows up" is the person you met.
If your advisory relationship has changed since an acquisition and you want a second opinion, book a 20-minute call.