The structure beneath the partnership table.
Where authority actually lives
Titles say one thing; practice says another. Informal veto, deferred decisions, and "we'll discuss after the meeting" often mean authority is shared on paper but held in person. Mapping that honestly is the first step — not to embarrass anyone, but to see why governance keeps looping.
The generational bargain
Each cohort carries expectations — when they'll lead, what they'll inherit, what they owe the one before. Those deals are rarely written down. When they're out of sync, you get resentment dressed as strategy disagreement, or successors who produce revenue but are never given real decision rights.
Bench strength — not just top producers
Revenue contribution isn't the same as leadership readiness. We look at whether the firm has people genuinely being developed for governance — given client relationships, decision exposure, and a credible path — or whether succession is a label on a small inner circle.
Can the system let go?
Founders and senior partners often struggle to release not because they lack intent, but because identity and firm are fused. Until that transition is named and staged, every organizational initiative competes with an unspoken hold on the past.