Episode 17 of The Slarskey Brief is LIVE – MSOs: The Next Law Firm Frontier

August 17, 2026

Episode 17 of our podcast, The Slarskey Brief, is now live on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

In this episode, “MSOs: The Next Law Firm Frontier,” Partner Evan Fried is joined by John Fitzgerald of Citrin Cooperman and Reuben Gottlieb of Marc S. Gottlieb CPA.

Highlights from the discussion include:

• What MSOs (Management Service Organizations) are, and how they’re changing the law firm landscape by enabling non-lawyer investment in firms while navigating New York’s legal ethics rules
• The evolving law firm valuation equation: personal vs. enterprise goodwill, the challenges of valuing contingency portfolios, and how MSOs are reshaping succession planning and liquidity events
• The strategic reasons law firms are considering MSO structures or outside capital—including technology demands, the AI revolution, and the drive to remain competitive amid industry consolidation
• Key risks and considerations: regulatory and ethical uncertainty under Model Rule 5.4, cultural fit, execution risk, and the possible tension between firm identity and outside ownership
• Lessons from accounting firm M&A, the critical differences in recurring revenue and non-compete dynamics, and how law firms can prepare to be acquisition-ready in a rapidly changing landscape
• Predictions for the future: a wave of mid-sized law firm consolidation, the rising costs of next-generation law practice, and the likely surge in disputes over earnouts and MSO agreements

Click on the following links to view the video recording on YouTube, or to access the audio recording on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.