Epiq, Fireman & Co tie-up

Epiq, Fireman & Co tie-up

Epiq has acquired the second big-ticket company in four months with this deal

As part of Epiq's ongoing efforts to broaden its data and knowledge management expertise, the New York-based legal service provider has acquired legal management consultancy Fireman & Co for an undisclosed amount.

Together, the deal adds a significant scale boost to both companies; Epiq gains more than 20 specialized data and knowledge managers, and Fireman gains the opportunity to grow its brand internationally thanks to Epiq's network of more than 80 offices across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the Americas.

More than half of the AmLaw 100 firms are clients of Fireman, a New York-based firm founded in 2012. As a legal analytics company, it develops legal data models that are powered by document management programs, enterprise search, experience management and intranets to improve the digital adoption rate of law firms.

"Our clients have trusted us as their partners for more than a decade and together we have reshaped legal practice, business and society. With Epiq, we can scale and extend our innovative work globally," said Joshua Fireman, the firm's founder and president.

In addition to the deal, Epiq said it will also utilize its legal operations consultancy acquired in 2020, which strengthened its legal document processing, records management, eDiscovery, and information governance technologies.

According to Ziad Mantoura, senior vice president of Epiq's legal and consulting solutions arm, constant change in the legal industry has increased the need for law firms and businesses to gain more value from their data. Knowledge management, in particular is a key driver for firms looking to gain a competitive advantage.

Mantoura emphasized that Epiq would never hesitate to seize opportunities that would allow its clients to achieve their strategic business goals while transforming the delivery of legal services.

Epiq has also acquired several high-profile companies over the years. In 2018, it acquired Garden City Group, Crawford & Co's legal services arm and acquired Garretson Resolution Group, a law firm that provides legal dispute resolution services.

Simplex Services, a Canadian alternative legal services provider (ALSP) was acquired for an undisclosed sum by the company last December. As part of its plan to carve out a niche in the ALSP market in 2021, Epiq Counsel, born from a 2016 merger with Document Technologies, launched its own flexible resourcing offering within the US.

It was announced in Feb 2022 that Cincinnati-based legaltech SurePoint acquired Cole Valley Software, the maker of a CRM platform geared toward legal professionals, in a transaction that would create the first legaltech platform to integrate real-time CRM with practice management and financial data.

Likewise, UK law firm Fieldfisher opened an office in Berlin for its newly formed group litigation unit, Fieldfisher X, which will harness legaltech to develop a position in the booming German mass litigation market.