Decision-support toolkit
Written for the skeptic, not the champion.
The purchase decision happens in a room we are not invited to. A board risk committee. A partners meeting. A hallway conversation with your Chief Risk Officer or ethics partner. These documents exist to make that meeting go well. Download what you need — no form.
For banks
The CRO, the CEO, and the board each need something specific.
Champion's Internal Presentation — Banks
A two-page board-ready memo the CEO or COO can put in the board packet without editing.
Who this is for. The CEO, COO, or CFO who needs to present the case for an AI diagnostic to the board risk committee, a peer executive, or a skeptical CRO.
What it contains. The problem in community bank vocabulary — efficiency ratio pressure, NIM compression, deposit attrition, BSA false-positive burden. The regulatory precedent — OCC Bulletin 2023-17 and SR 11-7. The scope, duration, and governance posture. The downside and the exit.
When to use it. Before the board risk committee meeting. Before the budget conversation with the CFO. Before the CRO asks "what do we know about these people."
Security, Risk & Governance Overview
A structured response to the standard vendor-risk assessment your CRO will require. Organized to follow the OCC's third-party risk lifecycle.
Who this is for. The Chief Risk Officer. The vendor-risk analyst. The third-party risk management function.
What it contains. The engagement's posture on SR 11-7 model risk tailoring and OCC Bulletin 2025-26 community-bank clarification. OCC Bulletin 2023-17 third-party risk lifecycle coverage. Information security controls. Data handling, client-tenant architecture, access controls. Business continuity and incident response posture. Regulatory references verified against primary sources. Where the engagement is in progress toward a formal attestation (SOC 2 Type II), the document names the target and the interim evidence available on request.
When to use it. Hand it to the CRO the same day the conversation starts. If the CRO has to request it and wait, the deal slows — and silence fills the gap.
For law firms
The managing partner, the ethics partner, and the equity partnership each need something specific.
Champion's Internal Presentation — Law Firms
A six-slide partner-meeting deck the managing partner or COO can present without rewriting a single slide.
Who this is for. The managing partner, COO, Executive Director, or practice group leader presenting to the equity partnership, a compensation committee, or a skeptical senior partner.
What it contains. Six slides. The problem — ethics exposure from unsanctioned AI use, realization pressure, the competitive gap. The regulatory framework — ABA Formal Opinion 512 and Model Rules 1.1, 1.6, 5.1, 5.3. The engagement scope. The risk posture. The decision.
When to use it. Before the partners meeting. Before the hallway conversation with equity partners that determines whether the idea survives. Before the ethics partner is asked for a reaction.
ABA Formal Opinion 512 Alignment Brief
A two-page document mapping Zusman Partners's engagement model to Opinion 512's operative requirements.
Who this is for. The ethics partner. The equity partner responsible for professional responsibility. Outside ethics counsel. The malpractice carrier's underwriter at renewal.
What it contains. Opinion 512's six operative requirements — competence (Rule 1.1), confidentiality (Rule 1.6(c)), communication (Rule 1.4), candor (Rule 3.3), supervision (Rules 5.1 and 5.3), and fees (Rule 1.5). Each section names the requirement, describes how the engagement satisfies it, and cites the specific Opinion 512 language.
When to use it. Before the ethics partner is asked to evaluate the engagement. The ethics partner is the veto-by-silence stakeholder at most law firms.
Finding what you need
The fastest path to the document you need.
You are a CRO or vendor-risk analyst
Start with the Security, Risk & Governance Overview. It addresses SR 11-7 model risk tailoring, OCC Bulletin 2025-26, OCC 2023-17 third-party lifecycle, data handling, and the client-tenant architecture.
You are an ethics partner or professional responsibility counsel
Start with the ABA Formal Opinion 512 Alignment Brief. It maps the engagement to Opinion 512's six operative requirements.
You are a CEO, managing partner, COO, or CFO
Start with the Champion's Internal Presentation for your vertical. Banks — two-page board memo. Law firms — six-slide partner-meeting deck.
You are seeing Zusman Partners for the first time
Start with the "Why We Work This Way" Memo. Two pages. Covers who we are, how we work, and the regulatory posture.
After you read
A 90-minute working session, when the toolkit has done its job.
Most stakeholders find what they need in the documents above. When the conversation moves from review to commitment, the working session is the next step. You describe the situation. We describe how we would approach it. The written assessment arrives within 48 hours.
Every document above is downloadable without a form.
Forward freely.