The organization
Triggered by the departure of their financial controller, an Ontario-based law firm struggled to quickly find a replacement with the right specialized industry experience. Drawing on our deep experience in the legal sector and access to a multidisciplinary team, the firm turned to BDO’s fractional finance solutions team for support.
The challenge
With the Ontario Law Society’s (LSO) annual return deadline and the firm’s fiscal year-end fast approaching—the firm urgently needed interim financial leadership, right in the middle of the busy season.
With much of the firm’s institutional knowledge held by the departing controller, the organization faced a vulnerable transition and lacked the resources to efficiently onboard a replacement.
BDO was engaged to quickly bridge the gap with an experienced law firm controller and interim CFO, who faced a two-day handover that revealed significant gaps in the firm’s operating processes. The finance team was siloed, with limited internal communication, making the transition even more challenging. To add complexity, experienced law firm controllers are scarce, meaning the incoming replacement would likely need training.
The solution
BDO’s interim controller immediately began working closely with the outgoing controller to capture every aspect of the role. Using Copilot, he recorded and transcribed their conversations—even when sitting side by side—and converted the transcripts into detailed system notes, effectively transferring the outgoing controller’s knowledge within the two-day period.
With these system notes, he mapped the firm’s organizational structure and clearly defined the responsibilities associated with each position. Part of his objective was to help the firm understood the transition process and eliminate any uncertainties. By stripping operations back to the fundamentals, he was able to identify gaps and inefficiencies that had contributed to the challenges the firm was facing—while maintaining financial stability and continuity throughout the transition.
The outcome and benefits
In just two months, with BDO’s transition support, the firm successfully completed its LSO filing, finalized the 2025 budget, addressed key gaps in its financial processes, and facilitated a seamless transition for the incoming controller.
Under BDO’s guidance, the finance team adopted a more collaborative and solutions-oriented approach—sharing ideas, addressing challenges collectively, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency. This renewed mindset has led to more accurate monthly reporting and stronger overall financial oversight.
With the new controller onboarded, the team is better positioned to identify market opportunities for profitability and support further management development.
Contact
Our team of experienced financial professionals is here to support your firm with tailored, fractional finance solutions. We combine deep knowledge of the legal industry with hands-on expertise to deliver strategies designed around your unique needs.