Bowmark Capital has sold Law Business Research (LBR), a provider of research, news, data and insight on international business law and legal markets, to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP).
Established in 1996, LBR creates essential and unique content spanning 120 jurisdictions across its brands, serving a client base that comprises major corporations, government agencies and the global legal industry. It is a leading information provider in fields such as competition law, arbitration law, cross-border investigations and Latin American corporate law.
Since Bowmark acquired the company in 2013, LBR has more than doubled its sales and profits. It has added new territories and products, including two new titles, ’Global Investigations Review’ and ’Global Restructuring Review’, as well as a new workflow application, ’Arbitrator Research Tool’. It has also significantly enhanced its technology platform and opened offices overseas. During this period, employee numbers grew by 80 per cent.
Paul Howarth, LBR’s chief executive, says: “With Bowmark’s support, we have made excellent progress in recent years, continuing our record of 21 years of consecutive double-digit growth. As demand continues to grow for increasingly sophisticated and timely information by the legal profession, we look forward to capitalising on the many opportunities ahead with the support of our new partner.”
Julian Masters, Bowmark senior partner, adds: “The fact that 96 per cent of the world’s top law firms work with LBR is a tribute to the quality of the business and its management team. The company is well-positioned to continue its strong record of success under its new owner.”
Bowmark Capital was advised by DC Advisory and LBR’s management were advised by Livingstone Partners.
