Litigation Support Industry: eDiscovery Business News and Information Blog

Catalyst Receives $32 Million Equity Investment

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:54:00 +0000

DENVER—April 10, 2012—Catalyst Repository Systems, a pioneer in providing cloud-based document repositories for e-discovery and other complex legal matters, today announced that FTV Capital, a multi-stage growth equity firm that invests in innovative, high-growth companies, acquired a significant stake in the company, investing a total of $32 million.

Catalyst has been a leading provider of e-discovery software and services for more than a decade. Based in Denver, the company has over 140 experienced litigation and technology professionals located around the world. It provides proprietary grid-based document repositories and case-collaboration systems designed to cost-effectively handle the world’s largest legal matters, from multi-language e-discovery to multi-party litigation and regulatory matters.

Catalyst’s revenue grew 31% in 2011 and is projected to grow another 34% this year. In 2010, the company launched an Asia division to better serve its clients there backed by a full-featured, state-of-the-art data center in Japan to meet the needs of clients throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Over the past decade, the company has repeatedly been named as one of the fastest growing private companies by such organizations as Inc. 5000 and the Deloitte Fast 500.

“We are highly enthusiastic about partnering with Catalyst, given the significant achievements and momentum of this company, “said Eric Byunn, FTV partner and new Catalyst board member. “Catalyst’s long-tenured, proven management team has built a differentiated, proprietary technology offering that has attracted an impressive client base of blue chip companies and large law firms. Global demand for e-discovery is huge and growing rapidly, and Catalyst is well-positioned to capitalize on this multi-billion dollar market.”

“FTV’s new investment represents a powerful endorsement of Catalyst’s accomplishments and strong outlook, bolstered by the continued support from our initial investors, who have retained a stake in the company,” said John Tredennick, CEO of Catalyst. “FTV brings domain expertise and a strong network of industry contacts which will help contribute to Catalyst’s continued strong growth, especially as we expand into new markets.”

“We have worked with this management team since our initial investment in 2005 and are proud of the growth Catalyst has achieved,” said Tyler Newton, a partner at Catalyst Investors and former Catalyst board member. “Management’s vision and the company’s capabilities will enable it to continue to attract enterprises and law firms worldwide who are looking for an e-discovery solution with speed, scalability and features that attack complex legal issues.” Catalyst Investors is selling the majority of its ownership in Catalyst in conjunction with this transaction.

Moelis & Company acted as exclusive financial advisor to Catalyst and its shareholders.

TransPerfect Acquires Counselor Resource Group

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:11:00 +0000

NEW YORK & WASHINGTON, DC, April 6, 2012 – TransPerfect Legal Solutions (TLS), a leading global provider of legal support services, today announced the acquisition of Washington DC-based Counselor Resource Group, LLC (CRG).

Founded in 2003, CRG is an industry leader in litigation support and electronic discovery with a core focus on proactive and reactive e-discovery consulting and service-based solutions, including digital forensics, data processing, document hosting, and project management for law firms, corporations, and government agencies.

CRG will become a division of TransPerfect Legal Solutions, and managing partner Jeff Tapp will assume the role of division president and join TransPerfect’s senior management team along with CRG co-founders and managing partners Greg Evans and Kevin Reed.

“We’re very happy to be joining the TransPerfect team,” said Jeff Tapp of CRG. “We feel that our services and core competencies complement TransPerfect’s existing suite of services nicely and that our clients will benefit from the expanded resources and global reach TransPerfect offers.”

According to TransPerfect Co-CEO Liz Elting, “CRG is a fantastic addition to the TransPerfect family. They are experts in the e-discovery field and have a sterling reputation within the legal support industry.”

eDiscovery Industry Investor Review by VRA Partners, LLC

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:03:00 +0000

VRA Partners, LLC published its electronic discovery industry investor review last week. The report provides details about the topics & trends in the eDiscovery industry: M&A, Private Equity and Public Markets; along with a list of relevant M&A transactions in the sector (listing target and acquiring companies). Below are a few excerpts.

Introduction
The electronic data discovery (“EDD”) market, a subset of the larger litigation support and legal sector markets, has seen dramatic change over the past 10 years and even more dramatic change within the last 5 years. The market, which was not in existence all that long ago, is estimated by some experts to be over $3 billion and is expected to grow considerably over the next few years with some estimates at over 30% annually.

Among EDD vendors, evolution has been rapid. The dominant names and players of the mid 2000s are in many cases gone, seriously wounded or now part of larger entities as a result of acquisition or merger. New market entries have consistently emerged, with some having subsequently disappeared, over this time frame. Most of the prevalent software companies in recent years were not even in existence in the early 2000s.

Most service providers today don’t own the technology they use to provide service. For the majority of EDD service providers, the emphasis has shifted from developing or accessing proprietary technology to building workflows, developing middleware and providing technology and litigation expertise in order to utilize today’s commercially available technology in an efficient and seamless process.

Buyers of EDD services and technologies are becoming more sophisticated and knowledgeable both at the corporate and law firm level and therefore simply gaining access to technology is no longer the primary factor in the buying decision.

The net effect of this considerable change in the EDD sector is a more stable, predictable and sophisticated overall market. It is a more attractive market for investment and consolidation than it was a few years ago with efficiencies of scale likely to gain increased importance over time.

Continue reading the 2012 report here: eDiscovery Industry Report.

Also worth noting:
eDiscovery Daily Blog posted a nice overview of the study, summarizing some interesting facts about the eDiscovery market size and industry growth.

Follow this link for an overview VRA's 2009 report titled Legal Support Industry - Investor Report.

RVM Acquires e-Discovery Consulting Firm EDiscover-E

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:54:00 +0000

New York, NY — March 28, 2012 RVM, a leading provider of litigation support and corporate solutions, announces its acquisition of litigation consulting firm, EDiscover-E. This acquisition will enhance RVM’s growing suite of electronic discovery services, adding a best practice section concentrating on corporate litigation readiness, e-Discovery response process, and individual case management.

EDiscover-e, an electronic discovery consulting firm based in Columbus, Ohio concentrates on in-depth analysis of corporate and law firm e-Discovery current processes and procedures. EDiscover-e specializes in understanding the corporate culture and creating defensible, repeatable internal processes geared toward minimizing the risk and reducing the cost associated with electronic discovery.

“We are excited about the combined talent of RVM and EDiscover-e Inc. within the professional services offering,” states Vinnie Brunetti, President and CEO. RVM has increased the level of expertise in an area that our clients find the most challenging. There is a demand for seasoned professionals to help corporations address the daunting tasks of scoping for litigation hold, preservation and collection caused by the ever increasing amount of data sources as technology continues to evolve.

We understand the demands made on General Counsel and IT to get costs under control. However, with the voluminous amounts of data on devices, these types of tasks outpace the allocated or internal resources that many corporations have available to tackle these projects. “With the combination of RVM and EDiscover-e’s e-Discovery professionals, we excel in assisting corporations through all phases of these processes,” states Vinnie Brunetti.

Now, with the infusion of EDiscover-e, RVM has augmented both its expertise, and the scope of its Mid-West presence, specifically in Columbus, OH, Cincinnati, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, and Indianapolis, IN.

“The combination of RVM’s forensic collection and processing expertise, best of breed analytical and review tools with the experienced consultants of EDiscover-e will enable RVM to deliver services customized at the client matter level. This combination will allow solutions, tailored to the dynamics of a specific organization, its people, processes and technologies. Our process involves analyzing those internal factors and how to leverage them for mitigating risks, improving efficiencies and reducing e-Discovery costs,” added David Porter, Senior e-Discovery Consultant for RVM, formerly Managing Partner, EDiscover-e.

As best-in-class providers RVM and EDiscover-e continually strive to enhance their offerings to meet the dynamic needs of their clients. By joining forces, two best-in-class providers just got better.

D4 Acquires Detroit Legal Imaging

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:57:00 +0000

ROCHESTER, NY and DETROIT, MI – March 15, 2012 – D4, LLC, a national leader in litigation support and e-discovery services to law firms and corporate law departments, today announced its further expansion in Michigan with the acquisition of Detroit Legal Imaging in Detroit. D4 will serve law firms and corporate clients in the Detroit Metro area and throughout Michigan from its office in Grand Rapids and this new office in Detroit.

“We have experienced a tremendous need for D4’s unique e-discovery and litigation capabilities throughout the U.S.,” said John Holland, CEO and founder, D4. “The addition of one of Michigan’s flagship companies, Detroit Legal Imaging, known for its consultative approach and long-standing relationships in its market, will enhance our presence in the region and enable us to deliver on our vision of providing a comprehensive suite of litigation support solutions to clients everywhere.”

With this acquisition, D4 is expanding its offerings in Michigan, while investing in and growing the practice that Troy Richard and his team have created. Detroit Legal Imaging is well regarded for delivering customized litigation support, e-discovery and document management solutions that utilize expert resources and forward-thinking technology. Becoming a part of the D4 family strengthens the company’s ability to better serve law firm and corporate clients in Michigan, while expanding D4’s national footprint to support local and national sales and service delivery efforts.

“For over 20 years, Detroit Legal Imaging has served Detroit and the region and we are excited to grow with D4,” said Troy Richard, managing director, D4 Detroit. “We believe our clients will immediately benefit from having direct access to the resources and expertise of a larger, national company.” Richard will continue to lead initiatives to support and advise customers in the region from the Detroit office.

Detroit Legal Imaging specializes in document imaging, electronic discovery, photocopying and litigation presentation materials and has consistently adapted its offerings based on the evolving needs of the Detroit legal community, while maintaining a strong presence in the state’s legal community.

Ivize and Modus Announce Merger

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:36:00 +0000

Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA -- March 07, 2012

Modus, LLC, an industry-leading provider of electronic discovery services and Ivize Services, Inc., a national litigation support organization recognized for excellent service, announce the companies have merged. By combining Modus’ electronic discovery expertise and Ivize’s national presence, the merged company will provide world-class, end-to-end litigation support across the country. Modus and Ivize are positioned to effectively manage the evolving litigation support needs of corporate legal departments and law firms worldwide.

Abtin Buergari, the founder and CEO of Modus, will become CEO of the combined organization. Under the leadership of Rick Hutchinson as COO, Mark Marmon as CFO, and Evan Craghead as CTO, Modus and Ivize are poised for rapid growth.

“By combining operations and discovery solutions, Ivize and Modus will become stronger in both client-facing and delivery capabilities, becoming more valuable to all of our existing and new clients,” says Abtin Buergari. “Together we can now offer clients the most comprehensive and technologically advanced solutions in the litigation support industry.”

According to Mark Marmon, “The merger will create a platform of services focused on cost-efficient processes through cutting-edge technology and unsurpassed service.”

Modus and Ivize will employ 200 litigation support professionals in 13 markets around the U.S. Both companies will retain their original names.

About Modus, LLC

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Modus provides law firms, corporations, and government entities industry-leading technology solutions encompassing all phases of the litigation lifecycle. Founded in 2008, Modus is a client-focused, results-driven team of consultants, project managers, data engineers and developers whose combined knowledge of the legal industry and information systems provide an incomparable ability to design solutions tailored to meet the uniqueness of every case.

About Ivize Services, Inc.

Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Ivize is a national litigation support and discovery management company. Founded in 1995, Ivize currently operates 10 locations throughout the Midwest and Southeast including a national data center in Kansas City, MO. It services law firms, corporations, and government entities to prepare for and respond to their most critical discovery and litigation needs while committing to the highest defensibility, quality, and cost-efficiency standards.

Guidance Software to Acquire CaseCentral

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:04:00 +0000

PASADENA, California. – Feb 7, 2012 – Guidance Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: GUID) today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held CaseCentral, Inc., a leader in the electronic discovery (e-discovery) market for Cloud-based review and production software.

“The acquisition of CaseCentral will bring together the industry leaders for both on-premise and Cloud-based e-discovery software. We will deliver the best of both worlds to customers by offering the most complete, integrated and innovative software in the e-discovery market,” said Victor Limongelli, president and chief executive officer of Guidance Software. “The combined organization will be the largest pure-play e-discovery software company, with nearly 500 total employees, and thousands of users.”

This acquisition will extend Guidance Software’s market leadership by delivering a complete e-discovery platform addressing the e-discovery needs of corporations and government agencies. The combined product portfolio will deliver to customers increased efficiency and automation, as well as lower risk for e-discovery activities. The integrated solution will span from legal hold to identification, collection, preservation, processing, first pass review, and, now with CaseCentral’s market leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering, best-in-class early case assessment (ECA), review and production capabilities.

The combined offering deploys software intelligently, with EnCase eDiscovery delivering the legal hold, identification, collection, preservation, and processing functions on-premise, at the customer site – close to the sources of data and the data custodians – and CaseCentral delivering the ECA, review and production functions as SaaS in the Cloud, so that geographically dispersed inside and outside counsel can efficiently review collected documents without needing any special equipment or software other than a web browser and internet connectivity.

The integration of EnCase eDiscovery with CaseCentral will quickly provide additional value to customers, scaling from support for single-case requirements to multi-case, multi-party requirements. Further, the unique EnCase eDiscovery Collected Data Reuse capabilities, coupled with the unique CaseCentral centralized, multi-matter legal repository provide immediate benefit to customers by automating searches, reducing over-collection of ESI, lowering spoliation risk, re-using attorney work product where appropriate, and avoiding inadvertent production of confidential or privileged client data. See http://www.encase.com/only-with-encase.htm for more information on Collected Data Reuse and http://www.casecentral.com/enterprise.php for more information on multi-matter capabilities. These capabilities, among others, help customers to standardize e-discovery processes and drive down the risk, time and cost of e-discovery.

“CaseCentral has pioneered many significant e-discovery industry developments, including the delivery of e-discovery software via the Cloud and a centralized legal repository with multi-matter, multi-party and re-use capability,” said Chris Kruse, founder, president and chief executive officer of CaseCentral. “We are excited about joining forces with Guidance Software, as we will be well positioned to capitalize on the market’s tremendous potential and define the next generation of e-discovery solutions, benefitting both Guidance and CaseCentral customers, partners and employees.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Guidance Software will acquire CaseCentral for upfront consideration of approximately $17.1 million, consisting of $8.3 million in cash, $8.3 million in Guidance Software common stock, and the assumption of $0.5 million of debt, net of cash. Depending on CaseCentral’s SaaS revenue growth, Guidance Software may pay up to an additional $33 million in cash over the next three years. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the first quarter of 2012. Guidance Software expects the transaction to add approximately $10 million in SaaS revenue in 2012, and to be slightly dilutive to slightly accretive to 2012 non-GAAP EPS and accretive to 2013 non-GAAP EPS.

Atlas Technology Group acted as financial advisor to Guidance Software in this transaction.

HSSK Forensics Announces the Closing of the Sale to Ricoh Americas, Inc.

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Houston, TX -- February 02, 2012

Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller LLC, a leading professional services firm devoted to Business Valuation and Litigation Consulting, announced on Monday that a definitive agreement has been signed to sell HSSK Forensics, Inc., a state-of-the-art computer forensics and electronic discovery provider to Ricoh Americas, Inc. Ricoh will gain HSSK Forensics’ RemloxTM Remote Acquisition technology and the HSSK Forensics lab in Houston, TX, the first private computer forensics lab accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB).

“As a part of HSSK LLC, HSSK Forensics, Inc. developed and commercialized the Remlox remote acquisition technology as well as other technologies to improve the speed and efficiency of acquiring and processing electronically stored information," said Mike Hill, Sr., President of HSSK LLC. Computer forensics grew from HSSK LLC's regular financial forensics practice and eventually became an affiliated entity known as HSSK Forensics, Inc. HSSK, LLC continues to practice financial forensics today, and HSSK LLC has always valued the added advantage of technology in order to deliver better valuation, litigation, and financial forensics services.

Ricoh will integrate Remlox and the HSSK Forensics lab as part of Ricoh’s eDiscovery suite of services, expanding its technology and service offering in computer forensics and eDiscovery for corporate counsel and supporting law firms, providing a complete solution for the identification, collection, verification, logging and analysis of electronic data. The agreement also brings the experience of HSSK Forensic’s management team and employees to Ricoh, including years of testifying experience. David Greetham, HSSK Forensics’ Managing Director of the Computer Forensics & E-Discovery Group, will become National Director of Forensic Services.

As with HSSK Forensics, HSSK employs some of the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in business valuation. Its management team includes two of only fourteen business valuation Fellows of the American Society of Appraisers. Its bankruptcy and financial forensics practices are led by two individuals with over fifty years of combined courtroom experience. HSSK assists clients in quantifying and articulating value for financial reporting, taxation, transaction, and corporate planning purposes. It also works with clients involved in filed and pending litigation and disputes by providing valuation services, financial forensics, financial damage determination, and bankruptcy related services, including serving as financial advisors to parties, as trustees and as examiners.

HSSK LLC continues to offer industry-leading services in business valuation, litigation consulting, and financial forensics to the corporate, legal, and professional communities. The sale of HSSK Forensics, Inc. as a valuable technological asset is an example of the ingenuity and innovation used throughout all of HSSK's services and offerings in order to deliver best-in-class solutions to its distinguished portfolio of Fortune 500 clients.

Document Solutions Inc. Merges with Knoxville Document Pros

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:20:00 +0000

Consolidation in the document management industry continues as two businesses with operations in Knoxville have announced a merger.

Document Solutions Inc., headquartered in Nashville with offices in Knoxville and Cincinnati, is merging with Knoxville Document Pros.

The companies will operate under the Document Solutions banner. Terms of the merger were not disclosed.

Document Solutions has carved out a niche in providing electronic discovery, digital forensics, data recovery and traditional document services for the legal industry. The company was founded in Nashville in 1999 and opened its Knoxville office in September 2007.

Document Solutions' announcement follows the launch last year of several initiatives, including the Smart Sampling Process, Intake Program, ESI Managed Services and the DSI Remote Discovery Platform.

Knoxville Document Pros began in 1998 and is owned by Eric Rose. It began with most of its clients being law firms. It has specialized in scanning, copying and imaging services. The company has grown by following the burgeoning e-discovery field.

Document Solutions said under the auspices of a single umbrella the company expects to leverage the two companies' capabilities to continue growing and adapting to the evolving document management market.

Document Solutions' Knoxville partner and co-owner Jeff Stoneking cited Document Pros' strong reputation and customer base as compelling reasons for the merger.

"It's great news for DSi's East Tennessee clients that one of our outstanding competitors has become an outstanding partner," Stoneking said, "Eric has been in the litigation support industry for over 20 years, he's run multiple businesses, from photocopying to e-discovery, and he's had a lot of success with it. Most importantly, he shares DSi's commitment to uncompromised customer service."

Document Solutions' co-founder and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Tyner said the merger is part of his company's larger commitment to expanding its reach and scope in the e-discovery industry.

"Our Knoxville location has been a critical part of our success in East Tennessee and the greater Southeast, and the established track record of top-quality services that Eric and Knoxville Document Pros bring to DSi will make our company even stronger there," Tyner said in a statement.

Rose said East Tennessee corporations, small businesses, engineering firms and law firms will have access to advanced proprietary technology with the merger.

"Our clients will benefit immediately from DSi's incredibly innovative, cutting-edge services in e-discovery and digital forensics," Rose said.

After the merger, DSi Knoxville will have 12 employees and five owners. Rose and three former Knoxville Document Pros employees vacated their former office on Gay Street to move into the DSi space in First Tennessee Plaza, 800 S. Gay St.

Cinven takes out Intermediate Capital Group to Acquire CPA Global

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:04:00 +0000

On February 08, 2010 we reported that Intermediate Capital Group had acquired a significant stake in CPA Global. Now the European private equity firm Cinven, which is headquartered in London, has purchased intellectual property (IP) management business CPA Global.   

While financial details for the deal are undisclosed the transaction comes two years after Intermediate Capital Group acquired a minority stake in the company for £400 million.    

As part of the 2010 deal ICG took a 47 per cent stake while the management team, led by chief executive Peter Sewell, retained a 22 per cent share.   

CPA Global provides clients in sectors such as telecoms and pharmaceuticals with IP management services and software to help protect rights and maintain value.   

Stuart McAlpine, partner at Cinven, comments: 'CPA Global is an exciting primary opportunity to invest in a global leader in a market with defensive qualities and attractive growth prospects. 

'The business has achieved an exceptional financial performance and is highly cash generative.'   

McAlpine says that the acquired business fits with Cinven's strategy of investing in companies where it can accelerate its global presence using Cinven's sector expertise and Asian portfolio capacity. 

According to Cinven, the volume of patents granted worldwide has increased by 5 per cent annually and has significant growth projected in China and other Asian economies. 

Data from Thomson Reuters shows that China surpassed both the US and Japan for the total number of patents filed in 2011. 

Sewell adds: 'Companies around the world are increasingly recognising the value of IP. 

'In recent years, we have seen how the patent renewal market and protection of clients' IP remain business critical throughout the economic cycle.'

Litigation Support Market 2012 Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:41:00 +0000

Greater Competition, Technology-based Offerings and Regulatory Amendments seen as factors altering the 2012 Litigation Support Outsourcing Market, reports legal management consultancy Fronterion LLC

As reported on the CPA Global website "LSO’s expansion into new legal disciplines next year will take place against the backdrop of a tougher contest for clients’ hearts and minds, says forecast"

Changes will sweep through the legal services outsourcing (LSO) sector in 2012 as competition for potential clients heats up, according to legal management consultancy Fronterion LLC. In its annual overview of LSO (also known as legal process outsourcing, or LPO) the organisation highlights a move towards technology-based offerings; an evolution beyond litigation support; and forthcoming regulatory amendments as factors that will alter the sector’s landscape. Meanwhile, clients will seek to work around law firms and work directly with providers, even as those law firms attempt to integrate providers straight into their services: two trends that will make for a more vibrantly competitive industry.

In its 10 for 2012 paper, which follows up on forecasts published for 2010 and 2011, Fronterion also suggests that multishoring – previously covered on NewLegal Review – will continue to define the shape of LSO, as clients seek to allocate legal tasks between onshore and offshore models in ways that would produce the maximum savings and efficiency.

That trend, in Fronterion’s view, is likely to govern the overall direction of LSO in the next 12 months.

A technological future

As the multishore approach becomes more prevalent there will be a noticeable passing of the old order, which will see litigation-support functions that formed the bedrock of LSO in its earlier days giving way to newer and more technical services. The paper provides several reasons for this outlook. In the main, it says, a sector-wide dependency on litigation support is unsustainable at a time when commoditisation of the legal tasks involved has begun to stagnate. Furthermore, the business of executing of those tasks could be leaving the remit of flesh-and-blood employees entirely: in the long term, Fronterion says, ‘certain manual LSO services may become automated or eliminated altogether by computer programs that cost less than even the cheapest worker’.

With that in mind, the paper predicts, bundled LSO services and technology offerings ‘will be an essential differentiator for outsourcers in 2012’. Applications that providers may wish to offer include contract-management repositories; review platforms; and legal research tools that can trawl through thousands of documents for key themes and phrases. At the same time, providers will diversify their legal services into areas such as due diligence on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), as they aim to build from the traditional area of litigation support. ‘Expanding service adoption in 2012 will be an uphill battle,’ the paper stresses, ‘but worth the effort.’ The key focus for providers must be to set out a ‘progressive value proposition’ for clients.

‘Supreme validation’

LSO’s growing profile in the wider legal sector has captured the imaginations of law firms – to the extent that, next year, imitation is likely to be the sincerest form of flattery. In Fronterion’s forecast, LSO-style approaches to legal business are going to be replicated by traditional firms, who will implement detailed process management, regular reporting and scalable, transparent services in order to win over clients. This will be the strongest sign yet from law firms that they recognise how outsourcing providers have changed delivery expectations among corporate legal departments and redefined perceptions of value – a watershed that the paper calls ‘a supreme validation of the LSO approach.’

Other law firms, says the forecast, will choose to include workflow from LSO companies on key tasks in their initial pitches to prospective clients – a pre-emptive measure that, again, acknowledges that LSO techniques will naturally be sought after by in-house lawyers from the word ‘Go’. As Fronterion notes, ‘this represents a major milestone for the industry and expands opportunities for growth.’

However, the development could just as easily become a wellspring for intensified competition: law firms pushing for early integration of LSO companies will jostle for position with clients opting to make direct contact. In this climate, success will be determined by which provider will win which chunk of legal work from which corporate client – ideal preconditions for a hotly contested market, in which the relationship between providers, law firms and clients will be transformed.

Appropriately, then, it will fall to regulators in the US and UK to determine how that relationship should be managed. The American Bar Association is already scheduled to publish recommendations for reworked LSO professional guidelines in August. Fronterion also considers it likely that, in the UK, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will be called upon to offer similar ideas as the full implementation of the 2007 Legal Services Act continues to unroll – a subject that NewLegal Review has covered in detail very recently.

In the forecast’s vision for 2012, LSO’s high profile in the legal sector will continue – along with its facility for sparking debate on how legal services should be offered even further into the future.

Fronterion’s predictions for 2012

1. A profitability squeeze for LSO
Shrinkage in the wages gap between developed and developing economies will take a toll on profit margins in the sector.

2. A growth beyond litigation support
Contract management, due diligence and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) functions will become more prominent in the LSO sector as it strives to be more sustainable.

3. Technology to combine with LSO
Innovative software offerings to assist clients’ legal-management capabilities will become an essential market differentiator for service providers.

4. Wider adoption of LSO techniques
Law firms and legal professionals of all kinds will increasingly use LSO-style project-management methods in their approaches to process and reporting

5. Law firm insurers to target LSO
Perceived risks stemming from an increased usage of legal outsourcing services will be cited in marketing campaigns by insurance firms.

6. Changes in the executive ranks
A focus on more operationally minded leadership, in which executives will focus on efficiency and profitability, will cause a shift from the entrepreneurial ethic that has so far dominated the helms of major LSO providers.

7. LSO to face stiffer competition
Law firms will pre-emptively include LSO providers in their offerings to meet growing client expectations for lower-cost services, leading to a proliferation of LSO usage. As such, competition will be busier, and more varied.

8. A ‘winner-takes-all’ sector
The economic climate likely to prevail in 2012 will make it harder for new, stand-alone LSO vendors to attract the capital necessary to compete with the sector’s largest players. This will benefit the established hierarchy.

9. Changing professional guidelines
Forthcoming results of LSO studies conducted by US and UK regulatory authorities will clarify dos and don’ts for the sector’s practitioners.

10. Evolution of the law firm-client relationship
Whereas the typical triumvirate relationship has seen law firms engage LSO providers on behalf of in-house legal departments, 2012 will increasingly see those departments hiring LSO providers directly.

Symantec Buys LiveOffice for $115M

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:26:00 +0000

Symantec has acquired email archiving specialist LiveOffice for $115 million, and intends to use that software to put e-discovery applications in the cloud, officials said today.

The pairing had long been rumored, as the companies have a history together. Symantec began reselling LiveOffice's technology in 2010, later rebranding it as Enterprise Vault.cloud, while LiveOffice CEO Nick Mehta and Vice President of Sales and Business Development Jim O'Hara both previously worked at Symantec.

Symantec bought another email specialist, MessageLabs, for $695 million in 2008. But that deal was more focused on security products. The current deal is unique because of LiveOffice's focus on e-discovery, which can be used with Symantec's Clearwell Systems subsidiary acquired for $390 million last year.

"Over time it will be a platform for a hosted Clearwell, which will be really interesting," said Symantec's Brian Dye, vice president, information intelligence group, in Mountain View, Calif. However, "Whether we can get it done this year is not clear," he acknowledged.

Many e-discovery service providers already sell the eponymous Clearwell E-Discovery Platform on a hosted basis, but Symantec's integration would be deeper because of proprietary technology that shares data between the applications, Dye said. The software will share metadata about a file's access and history, and will allow users to eliminate irrelevant data, rather than simply acting as a bit mover, he noted.

That plan, for what's known as connector software, is similar to what Symantec previously offered through a partnership with Austin, Texas-based StoredIQ. That partnership ended when the Clearwell deal happened because the companies compete. Meanwhile, Symantec will continue selling its own connector product, Discovery Accelerator, to other e-discovery companies, Dye added.

Siris Capital Buys Applied Discovery (ADI)

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:58:00 +0000

LexisNexis has sold its Applied Discovery division to equity firm Siris Capital, the companies said Friday, clearing the way for Lexis' Concordance Evolution to be a flagship e-discovery product.

Lexis acquired Applied, one of the early leaders in e-discovery, for a reported $95 million in 2003. But there were clashing corporate cultures over the years, including as recently as last year, when Lexis and Applied chose competing partners for predictive coding technology. Lexis also invested in Concordance until the review software had features overlapping Applied's Discovery Leverage, contributing to Applied becoming expendable, sources said.

Terms of the sale to Siris, in New York, were not disclosed, and Siris did not comment by press time. The deal is Siris' second in three months, having acquired cellular equipment specialist Tekelec in November for $780 million.

However, "Siris [has] a proven record in stabilizing and growing their acquisitions with infusions of talent, vision and capital -- for organic growth as well as for growth via acquisitions," Lexis and Applied said in a joint statement. "[C]urrent work plans remain in place. The organization will also move forward to offer customers more flexibility, third party tools and an increased focus on managed review services."

Bellevue, Wash.-based Applied also has a new CEO -- Ramana Venkata, who replaced Ira Herman, company spokeswoman Lindsay Perrault said. Venkata founded e-discovery company Stratify in 1999 and remained through its $158 million acquisiton by Iron Mountain in 2007. He left in 2010, and the Stratify unit was later sold to Autonomy for $380 million.

eDiscovery Company Epiq Systems Acquires De Novo Legal

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:56:00 +0000

Kansas City, KS (December 28, 2011) – Epiq Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:EPIQ), a leading global provider of technology solutions for the legal profession, today announced the acquisition of De Novo Legal LLC, a significant U.S. e-discovery provider with particular prominence in managed review services. Epiq paid closing consideration of approximately $68 million which was funded from the company’s credit facility. The transaction also includes a deferred cash component and an opportunity for contingent consideration based on future revenue growth.

With this transaction, Epiq further strengthens its leading global e-discovery franchise, providing corporate legal departments and law firms with full-service capabilities to manage electronic information for discovery, investigations, regulatory issues, compliance, and related legal matters.

De Novo augments Epiq’s capacity for managed review services and broadens Epiq’s e-discovery customer base. De Novo has document review centers in key strategic locations in the United States and is among the largest providers of managed review and staffing services. De Novo also offers clients e-discovery processing and hosted review platforms. For 2011 on a pro forma basis, De Novo represents an approximate 30% to 40% revenue increase to Epiq’s projected standalone e-discovery segment.

Epiq originally introduced an organically developed service extension for managed review in 2009, which has grown consistently since its inception. This acquisition positions Epiq to offer unrivaled throughput and responsiveness to customers from multiple domestic and overseas locations.

Significant subject matter expertise combined with scale, reach and capacity are important attributes of Epiq’s worldwide e-discovery business and constitute key competitive differentiations. Whether for individual complex engagements or for continuing relationships with multinational corporations or global law firms, the availability of end-to-end services and choice of multiple technologies positions Epiq in the top bracket of market participants. The company has full-service e-discovery operations in New York and Phoenix domestically, and London and Hong Kong internationally.

Kenyon Group, Inc. acted as financial advisor to De Novo Legal and arranged the transaction.

Document Technologies Inc Recapitalized by Harvest Partners

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:48:00 +0000

New York-based buyout shop Harvest Partners has recapped of Document Technologies, providing a “successful liquidity event” for Quad-C Partners VII, L.P., the firm announced Friday. No terms of the deal were disclosed. Atlanta-based Doument Technologies is a provider of outsourced litigation support services, including facilities management services and electronic and paper discovery.

PRESS RELEASE
Harvest Partners, LP (“Harvest”), a New York-based private equity firm, and the management team of Document Technologies, Inc. (“DTI” or the “Company”) announced today that they have completed a recapitalization of the Company resulting in a successful liquidity event for Quad-C Partners VII, L.P. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1998 and based in Atlanta, Georgia, DTI is one of the largest independent providers of outsourced litigation support services, including facilities management services and electronic and paper discovery solutions. DTI services top law firms, Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of small and mid-size corporations and law firms nationwide. DTI operates 27 facilities and has a presence in more than 70 markets across the U.S.

DTI’s management team, including Founder, President and CEO, John Davenport, Jr., will continue to lead the Company.

“DTI is in a great position to continue its strong growth both organically and through tuck-in acquisitions,” said Ira D. Kleinman, Senior Managing Director at Harvest Partners. “We are looking forward to partnering with John and his team to provide additional financial and strategic resources to continue to build on DTI’s success.”

“DTI has invested heavily in its service delivery platform over the past several years, building a leading, national provider of facilities management and discovery solutions,” said John Davenport, Jr., DTI’s Founder, President and CEO. “The Company is winning new business from existing and new customers due to our first-class capabilities and customer service, and the management team is excited to partner with Harvest.”

“DTI provides differentiated facilities management and discovery services due to the company’s highest quality employee base. We are hiring and expanding our team of experienced project managers, discovery consultants, attorneys and certified forensic examiners,” said Andrew M. Schoenthal, Managing Director at Harvest.

Senior debt was arranged by GE Capital and Golub Capital and mezzanine debt by Carlyle Mezzanine Partners. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Alvarez & Marsal advised Harvest. Robert W. Baird & Co., VRA Partners LLC, Bryan Cave LLP and White & Case LLP advised the Company and Quad-C Partners VII, L.P. Ira D. Kleinman and Andrew M. Schoenthal of Harvest will be joining DTI’s Board of Directors.

WestView Capital Partners Leads Recapitalization of LDiscovery

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:46:00 +0000

Mclean, VA -- LDiscovery, LLC (“LDiscovery” or “the Company”) announced that its current management team, led by CEO Chris Weiler, has partnered with WestView Capital Partners to recapitalize the Company. Headquartered in Mclean, Virginia, LDiscovery is a leader in ‘end to end’ e-Discovery Management Solutions - from data collection and forensic investigations, Early Case Assessment, ESI processing, web based document review and hosting through trial support. As a Relativity Premium Partner, the Company has implemented an industry leading hosting and review infrastructure, while also integrating advanced searching methodologies to provide more relevant and comprehensive datasets to legal professionals in a timely and cost effective manner. LDiscovery’s services meet the highest of standards for support - true “24/7/365″. The Company provides a full range of e-Discovery services to law firms, corporations and virtually all of the major prime contractors in the government market.

“WestView’s experience with growth-oriented, tech-enabled business services companies and software companies will allow LDiscovery to meet the increasing demand for our first-class solutions, while continuing to provide the level of service our clients have come to expect,” said Chris Weiler, CEO and Co-Founder of LDiscovery. “Furthermore, WestView’s strong capital base and transaction expertise will help LDiscovery stay ahead in the evolving world of e-discovery by giving us the flexibility to make significant investments in our technology and infrastructure as well as execute strategic acquisitions.”

“LDiscovery is a leader in providing integrated “end to end” e-discovery solutions from capturing and processing data to hosting it in a secure and robust platform that sets the new bar,” said Rick Williams, Managing Partner of WestView Capital. “The company’s experienced management team led by Chris has a track record of strong financial performance and technological expertise, making LDiscovery an excellent fit for WestView Capital.”

iControl ESI Acquires Firefly Dataworks

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 16:37:00 +0000

Dallas, TX -- September 25, 2011

iControl ESI, a national provider of e-Discovery services, reported on September 8, 2011 it has acquired Silicon Valley-based Firefly Dataworks LLC, a leading provider of electronic discovery services to law firms and corporate legal departments throughout the region. The acquisition allows iControl ESI to further increase its visibility and expand its proprietary hosted review software, Recenseo™ to Firefly Datawork's large customer base.

Firefly Dataworks President and Co-founder Christopher A. Lorenz has been named Vice-President, Sales. Mr. Lorenz will assume responsibility for leading the iControl ESI's national sales function, and increasing the company's brand recognition and reputation as a first-rate, knowledge-driven service provider.

"This acquisition makes sense on several fronts," said Michael J. Conner, President of iControl ESI. "First and foremost, we are acquiring a growing company with terrific customer-centered sales leadership, so culturally it is a great fit. Secondly, we now have access to a larger customer base that has been looking for a superior review platform, and feel strongly that Recenseo™ will fill that need. This is very important in today's rapidly-evolving litigation support marketplace."

Alexander Gallo Holdings Files for Bankruptcy in New York

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:53:00 +0000

As reported on the Bloomberg.com website...

Alexander Gallo Holdings LLC, a provider of court reporting and litigation services, filed for bankruptcy protection.

The company today listed debt in the range of $100 million to $500 million and assets of less than $100 million in Chapter 11 documents in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.

The company and its units’ 30 largest creditors without collateral backing their claims are owed about $189 million, according to court documents. Gallo Holdings LLC, listed as the note holder representative, is the biggest, with a claim of $147.9 million, according to court papers.

Peachtree Holdings Inc. holds 100 percent of the equity interest in the Atlanta-based company. Ten affiliates, including Esquire Solutions and Esquire Litigation Solutions, also sought protection.

The case is In re Alexander Gallo Holdings LLC, 11-14220, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

It was reported on Reuters.com that the firm would be sold through bankruptcy to HIG Capital.

A couple days earlier the company announced an agreement to sell the assets from its Esquire Litigation Solutions (ELS) Business Unit to Document Technologies, Inc. (DTI).

DTI Acquires Esquire Litigation Solutions' Assets

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:46:00 +0000

ATLANTA, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Esquire Solutions, an Alexander Gallo Holdings company, today announced an agreement to sell the assets from its Esquire Litigation Solutions (ELS) Business Unit to Document Technologies, Inc. (DTI) as part of its ongoing effort to focus resources on its core business of providing court reporting, deposition support, and trial services and software.

In addition, Esquire Solutions has entered into a national agreement with DTI whereby ELS services will be sold and delivered through the DTI brand. ELS provides clients with Electronically Stored Information (ESI) management, electronic discovery, forensics, hosted review, project management and document management services. The agreement will allow clients direct access to the best-of-breed offerings from both Esquire and DTI.

"We are very pleased to announce a transaction that allows us to realize the tremendous value we've built in ELS and use the proceeds to support our core businesses for the benefit of our clients. We're also pleased that the talented and committed employees of ELS will be joining an established company with an excellent reputation," said Alexander Gallo, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Esquire Solutions is the nationwide leader in litigation support solutions anchored in the major litigation centers of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Atlanta, delivering end-to-end litigation solutions in court reporting, legal video, hosted review, electronic discovery, trial software and trial consultation. The Company's professionals support AmLaw 100 law firms and global corporations and their outside counsel with the convenience and efficiency of a single source for comprehensive litigation solutions. For more information, visit www.esquiresolutions.com.

Advanced Discovery and CP Document Technologies Announce Merger

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:50:00 +0000

Los Angeles, California (September 1, 2011) - Advanced Discovery, LLC and CP Document Technologies, LLC announced today that each has entered into an agreement to merge.

Operating under the Advanced Discovery™ brand, the combined companies are poised to advance their existing experience in effectively managing the ever-shifting needs of corporate legal departments and law firms. Each company is already an established, premier provider, of professional services in electronic discovery; including forensic data collection, early data assessment, electronic data processing, hosted document review and managed contract review/coding services.

David Vandygriff, the current CEO of Advanced Discovery, will share a cooperative Chief Executive Officer role with Michael Driver, the current CEO of CP Document Technologies. Jeremy Lindahl, the current COO of CP Document Technologies, will become an Executive Vice President of Advanced Discovery. Thadd Hale will continue in his role as the COO of Advanced Discovery.

“This merger of two electronic discovery marketplace anchors will leverage seasoned professionals and collective technical strength for the benefit of corporations and law firms nation-wide,” said David Vandygriff, “CP Document Technologies has an excellent team and both organizations are eager to realize the greater breadth of opportunities that will be brought through the expansion and growth that this merger provides.”

“Combining forces with Advanced Discovery stood-out as an opportunity that offers both outstanding benefits in service to our clients and additional resources to our dedicated team members. We are all energized and looking forward to leveraging the strength of our newly combined resources,” stated Michael Driver.

HP Acquires Autonomy for $10B

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:52:00 +0000

The Associated Press, August 18, 2011 -- Hewlett-Packard Co. is buying Autonomy Corp. to expand its line-up of business software products as it lowers its profile in consumer electronics.

The acquisition, announced Thursday, comes amid a flurry of other dramatic moves that will reshape HP, the world's largest technology company by revenue. The shake-up will sharpen HP's focus on selling products and services to businesses and government agencies, instead of making gadgets for consumers.

Buying Autonomy will give HP another lure in the business market, where its chief rivals are IBM Corp., Oracle Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc.

Among other things, Autonomy makes search engines that help companies find vital information stored across computer networks.

HP CEO Leo Apotheker is paying a steep price to acquire Autonomy, which is based in Cambridge, England. It translates to $42.11 per share (GBP25.50). That's 64 percent higher than Autonomy's previous closing price. The $10 billion price tag is also 11 times greater than Autonomy's annual revenue of $870 million and represents about one-sixth of HP's current market value.

Autonomy's location outside the U.S. enabled HP to dip into its offshore stash of cash to pay for the deal. That's an appealing option for U.S. companies because they have to pay higher taxes on the money they transfer home. Microsoft Corp. is also using its offshore cash to buy Internet phone and video service Skype for $8.5 billion.

HP ended July with $13 billion in cash. The company didn't break down how much of that money was held offshore.

In a Thursday conference call, Sanford Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi questioned Apotheker about whether he was taking too big of a risk on Autonomy at a time when HP's stock is slumping badly. Even before they plunged in Thursday's extended trading, HP's shares were down by 30 percent since Apotheker became CEO last November. The stock ended the regular trading session at $29.51.

Apotheker defended the acquisition as a smart move and echoed some of the remarks he had made in a prepared statement. "Some acquisitions require heavy lifting, but bringing Autonomy into the HP world will be seamless and highly complementary," Apotheker said in that statement.

With 2,700 employees, Autonomy will continue to be run by its CEO, Mike Lynch, after the deal closes. That's expected to happen by the end of this year.

HP, which is based in Palo Alto, Calif., will be hoping the Autonomy deal works out better than its $1.8 billion acquisition of device maker Palm 13 months ago.

In a surprise move, HP disclosed plans to stop making smartphones and tablet computers running on Palm's software. HP also is looking to jettison its personal computer business in a sale or spinoff.

DiscoverReady Acquires ACT Litigation Services

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:48:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS, Jul 25, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Dolan Company announced today that its DiscoverReady subsidiary had completed a significant strategic expansion in the electronic discovery sector with the acquisition of the assets of ACT Litigation Services, based in Valencia, CA.

The purchase price was $65 million with additional future payments possible depending upon performance. The transaction closed July 25.

ACT is one of the country's oldest and most successful complex litigation automation firms and specializes in providing technology and process solutions to clients with electronic discovery needs. The company delivers the most efficient available processes to complete e-discovery projects faster, better and more economically. It also provides hosting and review services.

DiscoverReady provides first-pass document review, managed services and data processing and hosting to the e-discovery sector. The company was a pioneer in fixed-fee document review and automated review. In 2009 it was acquired by The Dolan Company. Like ACT, DiscoverReady services the legal needs of large corporations and their legal counsel.

"Combining ACT and DiscoverReady solidifies our position in the top echelon of e-discovery providers, not just in talent, client base and capacity, but also in terms of quality and innovative solutions," said James P. Dolan, president and chief executive of The Dolan Company. He said the acquisition combines industry leaders in review and in technology and process development.

Dolan said ACT's trailing 12-month revenues were approximately $30 million. The transaction will be immediately accretive to cash earnings per share. He said the transaction reduces the company's revenue concentration by spreading its business across many more clients. For example, upon closing the transaction, on a pro-forma basis, only one DiscoverReady client accounts for more than 10% of DiscoverReady's revenues.

"We have known the team at ACT for more than decade. During that time, we have admired their strong market reputation and business philosophy," said DiscoverReady chief executive officer Jim Wagner, adding, "We both are 'process first' organizations and ACT's client-centric quality-focused culture complements our own."

Navigant Acquires Ignited Discovery

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:19:00 +0000

CHICAGO – July 19, 2011 – Navigant (NYSE: NCI) announced today that it has acquired Ignited Discovery, a leading electronic evidence and discovery services provider. The Ignited Discovery team brings technology-focused expertise in collections, processing and hosting services that, combined with Navigant’s existing Technology Services practice, creates a significantly enhanced discovery services offering for clients dealing with anti-trust matters, SEC investigations, class actions and other data intensive high risk situations. The team complements Navigant’s strong New York and Washington DC presence.

“Seismic changes are occurring in the litigation support and eDiscovery marketplace. Corporate and law firm clients are demanding not only end-to-end, cost effective and predictable e-discovery capabilities, but also highly flexible custom applications,” said Jeff Green, Vice President, Navigant Dispute & Investigative Services. “With the Ignited Discovery team, we have strengthened our data collections, processing and hosting capabilities in order to support clients in managing petabytes of increasingly diverse and disperse data. The enhanced practice will strengthen our ability to manage the largest data sets across the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) spectrum.”

Ignited Discovery (www.igniteddiscovery.com), founded in 2003 by Russ Kaulback and Guggan Datta, is a provider of e-Discovery services specializing in integrated collections, processing, hosting and productions. The company is known for delivering consistent, cost-effective and timely work product, using proprietary intellectual property to process data more efficiently and to manage projects more effectively.

“Having partnered with Navigant on numerous client engagements, we know that they share our view of the discovery services market,” commented Kaulback. “Technology is the enabler, and we provide clients with the most up-to-date proven solutions, and deliver quality and value through efficiency and rigor in our operations. Navigant will be a great place for us to expand our reach and continue to develop the proprietary solutions our clients have come to expect.”

UnitedLex BPO Receives Investment

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:37:00 +0000

Investment groups Helion, Canaan and Sequoia acquire shares in UnitedLex and co-founder Ajay Agrawal sells his entire stake in the company.

Helion Venture Fund I and Canaan Advisors Pvt Ltd have raised their holding in an existing portfolio firm UnitedLex, a Gurgaon-based legal process outsourcing firm. Sequoia also joined in buying part of the stake that was sold by co-founder Ajay Agrawal.

Although UnitedLex did not disclose details of the transaction, the three investors have acquired 18.1 per cent stake in UnitedLex BPO Pvt Ltd for a total consideration of $16.68 million (75.3 crore), according to a report in ET.

Two of the three venture capital firms are existing shareholders of UnitedLex. Helion originally invested in January 2007 and followed it up with a further investment in July 2008 when Canaan also joined in.

UnitedLex BPO, a legal process outsourcing company, offers intellectual property, contract management, litigation support and immigration support services. The firm also focuses on offshore solutions including process mapping, performance baselining and process re-engineering services.

Agrawal who served as a securities law expert in various firms during 1994-2006, struck out as an entrepreneur in October 2006 and co-founded UnitedLex in the legal process outsourcing and strategic legal technology space.

He was part of the leadership team that led the UnitedLex through a period of rapid growth and geographical expansion by developing a new range of technology-powered solutions in the domains of contracts management, patent analytics and trademark solutions and has several pending patents as an innovator.

For the year ended March, 2010, UnitedLex BPO had a total income of Rs 29 crore, with net loss of Rs 68 lakh, according to VCCedge, the financial research platform of VCCircle.

Xerox Planning Acquisitions in E-Discovery Segment

noreply@blogger.com (Brad Jenkins) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:34:00 +0000

Interesting article on LAW.com website: Xerox Seeks Expansion in and Beyond E-Discovery

Xerox Litigation Services wants to grow its e-discovery catalog -- and grow beyond its parent company's stodgy image.

The historic company's legal technology division, which began as a startup called Amici in 2002 and was acquired by Xerox for $174 million in 2006, plans to buy its way into the information management side of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model.

Xerox's primary e-discovery product is OmniX, used for data collection, hosting, and processing, complemented by the CategoriX predictive coding tool. Both are sold as hosted applications. Now the product catalog needs additional e-mail archiving and document review software, division general manager and vice president Randy Burrows said.

"That's a big part of my job right now, and that's what I'm looking at," Burrows said. "My number one goal here is to do no harm, so I don't want to go out and make a bad acquisition."

Burrows said that Xerox management expects him to make a move but there are no set parameters or timelines. "They're very acquisition-minded and the pressure's more on me. Xerox has got a lot of cash. There is no budget. We'll continue to grow organically and make the right strategic add-ons as we go on," he added.

Forrester analyst Brian Hill, who covers the e-discovery field, said he is not surprised by the plan. "I think it's important. One of the biggest challenges that enterprises have right now, as they go through the e-discovery process, is that they effectively pay a transition tax in working with multiple vendors."

Information management, on the left side of the EDRM workflow, is traditionally a mainstream information technology task. "Xerox has quite a bit of legal talent and expertise, we'll see how effectively they might be able to incorporate an e-discovery tool that has a much stronger IT focus," Hill noted, in Cambridge, Mass.

Burrows declined to say which companies his department, in Albany, N.Y., might buy. Digest-able companies in the hosted archiving space include Global Relay, LiveOffice, Mimecast, Perimeter E-Security, Proofpoint, Sonian, and Smarsh, along with more comprehensive e-discovery firms, from Autonomy to ZL Technologies.