Mathieu Shapiro Discusses Business Divorces in an Interview with CFO Dive

Obermayer managing partner Mathieu Shapiro was interviewed by CFO Dive in connection with the recent developments of Ernst & Young’s (EY) split. The article, titled “How to pull off an amicable ‘business divorce’,” published on April 12, 2023, highlights some of the challenges that all firms face when long-term business partners go their separate ways.

Mathieu, who specializes in business split-ups and who has typically worked through such breakups with small to medium-sized privately held family offices or professional firms with lawyers, shared his insights on the business and emotional sides of business divorces. 

“Frequently the partners spend more time together than they do with their spouse and family and their primary relationship has to do with money, which is fraught in many ways,” Mathieu said. “So when it finally falls apart…it’s just like in a family divorce. You will have years and years of built up frustration, resentments and slights and each side is 100% convinced and wants to be vindicated on all of that history.”

According to Mathieu, the Ernst & Young breakup which has been halted is significantly more complicated because it entails so many people and countries and is playing out on a very public stage. 

Read the full article and Mathieu’s three rules of thumb that he advises companies facing a breakup to consider here.