Question

Assume you work for a valuation firm, and you have been given the assignment of valuing a local law firm comprising three partners and four associates. One partner plans to retire spoon, and the partners are trying to agree on the value of a one-third interest in the firm in order to buy out the departing partner's interest. The firm's revenue per partner is two times higher than that of the average firm of a similar size, but you soon discover that 80% of firm revenue is from one client.
Required:
Please raise one question about this scenario that you would want to address.

Answer 1

Answer:

Valuation of a law firm

One question to raise:

Which of the partners brought in this one powerful client?  I hope it is not the retiring partner.

Explanation:

If the retiring partner had brought in the client and had been in charge of the client's business, the firm's valuation would be drastically influenced by these facts.  It is likely that the client might retire the service as the retiring partner retires.  This will jeopardize the revenue outlook of the firm, its future prospects, and its current value.  However, if the retiring partner is not linked to this powerful client, then it may be that the firm's value will not be at risk.  Again, over-dependence on one client for firm's revenue is does not augur well for the firm.  Moreover, the margin of over-dependence is too high for comfort.  There is serious need for a review of the relationship, not in terms of termination, but in terms of seeking for more big-ticket clients to relatively reduce the over-dependence.