33 questions the larger firm should ask smaller firm partners, plus a telephone screening form.
by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers: your complete guide
even though these questions are primarily intended for larger firms to ask smaller firms, some of the questions may be appropriate for the smaller firm to ask larger firms. these are general questions; based on your review of the other firm’s data, you will certainly have specific questions to ask in addition to those below.
more on mergers: thinking ‘downsteam’ merger? check these 25 potential problems first | 18 concerns about merging in smaller firms | what to expect when merging up | 16 reasons merging up causes anxiety | 14 provisions to include in a letter of intent | want to merge? ask for data | the merger process in 21 steps | 13 ways to screw up a merger
an important goal of these interviews is to get open, honest and brutally candid responses. at most firms, this is virtually impossible if you interview two or more partners together. only rarely, where two or three partners appear to be “joined at the hip,” is it acceptable to do group interviews.
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