Legal Services Acquisitions in Illinois

Purpose Legal has acquired Hire Counsel, a 30+-year managed review and flexible legal staffing provider, to create an integrated managed review, staffing and legal technology platform. The deal—supported by Purpose Legal’s majority investor Blue Sage Capital and with Hire Counsel previously held by Long Point Capital—combines Hire Counsel’s talent network and delivery capabilities with Purpose Legal’s eDiscovery, digital forensics and AI-enabled review services; financial terms were not disclosed.

Counsel Press Inc., a technology-enabled litigation support platform, has acquired Firefly Legal, a Mokena, Illinois-based provider of service of process, skip tracing, and court e-filing services. The acquisition expands Counsel Press's service-of-process footprint and enhances its nationwide litigation support capabilities.

Epiq has acquired Mainspring Consulting Group, a specialist in contract lifecycle management (CLM) strategy, implementation, and contract migrations, to expand its Contracts Solutions offering. The deal adds CLM system integration and implementation expertise — including vendor partnerships with Agiloft, Conga, Ironclad, ContractPodAI, and Malbek — to Epiq’s Legal Service Management capabilities.

Array, a nationwide litigation support firm, has acquired Acorn Legal Solutions to enhance Array's eDiscovery capabilities and expand its geographic footprint (including increased presence in Michigan, Chicago and Texas). The acquisition brings Acorn's eDiscovery expertise and client relationships into Array's platform; Kenyon Group served as exclusive financial advisor to Acorn.

Los Angeles-based law firm Raines Feldman has added Chicago-based Sugar Felsenthal Grais & Helsinger (SFGH), expanding Raines Feldman’s national footprint and establishing a Chicago office. The transaction brings SFGH’s estate planning, tax, litigation, real estate, affordable housing and other practices into Raines Feldman’s platform to broaden capabilities for middle-market and high-net-worth clients.

Smith Gambrell & Russell, LLP and Freeborn & Peters LLP have combined, with the merged firm operating under the Smith Gambrell Russell name effective March 1, 2023. The combination creates a nearly 400-attorney global firm (AmLaw ~132) and is intended to expand geographic footprint and complementary practice capabilities—particularly bolstering corporate and litigation platforms and adding strength in insurance/reinsurance and international arbitration.

Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle LLC (MPS Law) acquired Chicago-based Kaplan Saunders Valente & Beninati LLP (KSVB), effective January 1, 2023. Five KSVB attorneys joined MPS, bolstering MPS's commercial real estate, lending and M&A practices while adding ADA litigation, employment law and equipment leasing capabilities.

Lexitas, a portfolio company of funds advised by Apax, has acquired Grove & Associates, a Wheaton, Illinois-based court reporting and legal videography firm founded in 1999 by Kathie Grove. The deal expands Lexitas' presence west of Chicago and adds Grove's experienced team of reporters and videographers to Lexitas' nationwide litigation support platform.

JLL Partners has signed a definitive agreement to sell Xact Data Discovery (Xact), a provider of eDiscovery, data management and managed review services, to an investment fund managed by Aquiline Capital Partners. Aquiline and investment funds managed by Stone Point intend to combine Xact with Consilio following close; closing was expected in May 2021 and is subject to customary conditions.