mergers and acquisitions

 

2019 is beginning similarly to 2018 for legal services and e-discovery company Epiq—with M&A activity.

On January 7, Epiq announced it has acquired Garretson Resolution Group (GRG), which specializes in mass tort, class action and other high volume legal dispute resolutions services. Among the proprietary technologies the Cincinnati-based company has developed is its Mass Tort Client Dashboard, an interactive web portal for law firms participating in lien resolution programs.

The two companies will continue to operate under its own respective brands “for a brief time” before integrating operations in early 2019, Epiq said in a release.

“GRG is a foundational brand in mass torts, with a long record of expertise and problem solving,” said Bob Hopen, president of class action and corporate restructuring at Epiq, in the release. “The expertise and market leadership in mass tort that GRG brings to Epiq is unmatched and we're thrilled to be able to expand this solution and the bench of expertise offered to our clients.”

Matt Garretson, GRG's founder, added, “When we considered the next chapter for GRG, we wanted to find a company that would invest in our people and the mass tort industry, and we're pleased to find that partner in Epiq. Their commitment to our clients and our talented employees is incredible, and we are excited to become part of Epiq.”

Epiq has been a major player in the M&A market over the past several years, most notably with DTI's $1 billion purchase of Epiq in 2016 that led to the two companies adopting the Epiq moniker. In 2018, Epiq expanded a variety of business lines with the acquisition of class action and corporate restructuring services provider Garden City Group and the e-discovery business of Solition Systems, focusing on Japanese character processing. Epiq also introduced a new Data Products Group in 2018 to further expand into the data science space.