News

GI Partners has closed its previously announced acquisition and merging of eDiscovery companies Advanced Discovery and Consilio. No financial terms were disclosed. BlackArch was financial adviser to Advanced Discovery and its former private equity backer Trivest Partners on the transaction.

PRESS RELEASE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (PRWEB) JUNE 07, 2018

BlackArch Partners (“BlackArch”) is pleased to announce the closing of the sale of Advanced Discovery (“AD” or the “Company”), a former portfolio company of Trivest Partners (“Trivest”), to GI Partners (“GI”) on March 22, 2018. GI has merged Advanced Discovery with Consilio, a global eDiscovery, document review and legal consulting services provider that GI acquired concurrently with AD.

Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will operate as an unparalleled global technology-enabled service platform and the #2 global leader in eDiscovery with 2,500 employees and more than 60 offices, review centers and data centers spanning 11 countries.

With patents covering both risk management and eDiscovery workflows, Advanced Discovery is an award-winning and technology-focused global eDiscovery and risk management company, partnering with law firms and corporations since 2002. Under Trivest’s ownership, Advanced Discovery has scaled internationally and evolved into a proactive and end-to-end partner to clients in the Governance, Risk and Compliance (“GRC”) ecosystem.

The Company employs leading professionals in the industry, applies defensible workflows and provides patented and industry-proven technology across all phases of the eDiscovery and risk management lifecycle. This devotion to excellence has earned Advanced Discovery inclusion in the Inc. 5000 Hall of Fame for being named to the fastest-growing companies list for six successive years and recognition as the highest-level Best in Service Relativity solutions partner for five consecutive years. For more information, please visit http://www.advanceddiscovery.com.

Jim Burke, CEO of AD, commented: “BlackArch got me and my team comfortable that they knew our business inside and out and always put us in a position to be successful. BlackArch was able to generate a series of options, strategic and financial, and tailored their message for each. Most cookie cutter processes don’t allow for this, but the senior level focus and overall attention to detail from the whole deal team was second to none.”

“In just 3 years, we were able to quadruple Advanced Discovery in size through substantial investments in key personnel, international expansion and the successful acquisition and integration of six companies,” stated Forest Wester, Partner at Trivest. “With this success, Advanced Discovery became one of Trivest’s signature portfolio companies, and we turned to BlackArch as a trusted advisor to maximize the outcome for Trivest and our investors. From pitch to closing, the BlackArch team was exemplary. BlackArch’s thoughtful and high-touch marketing process, focused senior attention and deep market/buyer insight, make the firm the preeminent sell-side advisor for great middle-market companies. We are proud to count BlackArch as a key partner and appreciate all of their hard work to make the Advanced Discovery transaction a success.”

BlackArch was retained by Advanced Discovery’s management team and financial sponsor, Trivest, to serve as exclusive financial advisor on the transaction. The Advanced Discovery transaction builds upon BlackArch’s significant momentum with market-leading and high-growth platform companies in the middle market, and leverages deep expertise in tech-enabled business services, outsourced legal services and GRC.

Transaction Highlights
GI Partners has acquired Advanced Discovery from Trivest Partners
Advanced Discovery is a leading global provider of technology-enabled eDiscovery and risk management solutions to law firms and corporations

Advanced Discovery will be combined with Consilio, a global eDiscovery, document review and legal consulting services provider that GI will acquire concurrently with AD

The combined company will operate as an unparalleled global technology-enabled service platform and the #2 global leader in eDiscovery

BlackArch leveraged its deep knowledge and experience in tech-enabled business services, outsourced legal services and GRC to achieve a superior outcome for management and the shareholders

About Trivest Partners
Trivest Partners is a private investment firm that focuses on partnering with founder/family-owned businesses in the United States and Canada. Since its founding in 1981, Trivest has completed more than 250 transactions, totaling almost $6 billion in value. For additional information, please visit http://www.trivest.com.

About GI Partners
GI Partners is a private investment firm based in San Francisco. The firm has raised $16 billion in capital from leading institutional investors across the globe. GI Partners’ private equity team focuses on investments in the IT Infrastructure, Healthcare, Software, and Services sectors. For more information on GI Partners and its entire portfolio, please visit http://www.gipartners.com.

About BlackArch Partners
BlackArch Partners is a leading middle-market investment bank offering merger and acquisition, strategic advisory and private capital solutions to financial sponsors, private companies and diversified corporations. Please visit http://www.blackarchpartners.com for more details.