A leading U.S. professional services firm was acquired by a global private equity sponsor. Post-acquisition, leadership sought to accelerate value creation. While the firm had an excellent reputation in its priority sectors, pricing discipline had lagged. Partners often won work through conservative upfront discounts and struggled to recapture margin later.

The Challenge

Due in part to our analysis during the diligence phase, management recognized pricing as a critical lever but lacked clarity on their market position. The possibility of raising fees brought concerns about competitiveness and client pushback. Yet without action, the firm risked margin erosion, slower partner income growth, and loss of share to peers already lifting rates strategically.

Our Approach

We drew on its proprietary intelligence network and deep knowledge of middle-market accounting to benchmark realized rates against key peers by sector and geography. We layered in a buyer survey and voice-of-customer interviews, integrating quantitative benchmarks with qualitative insights for a sector-specific pricing view. The work showed the client’s rates trailing peers with inconsistencies across offices and industries, while also identifying competitor approaches that sustained premium positioning.

Our Impact

The work gave leadership clarity on their pricing gap and levers to close it, reframing pricing as a source of value creation rather than risk. Our findings sparked a firm-wide transformation: revising structures, enforcing discipline, and rationalizing accounts, with execution supported by a dedicated pricing firm.

By quantifying that even a 5-10% uplift could yield millions in annual revenue and materially raise partner income, we built urgency as well as conviction. The effort equipped leaders with a roadmap to expand margin without eroding client trust and shifted partner mindsets toward seeing pricing as central to growth and competitiveness.