Osborne Clarke advises Research Partnership on its sale to Ashfield Huntsworth

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised the shareholders of The Research Partnership Limited (Research Partnership) on its acquisition by Ashfield Huntsworth for an undisclosed amount.

The transaction is aimed at strengthening Ashfield Huntsworth’s integrated “Molecule” to “Market” platform, by further bolstering Ashfield Huntsworth’s existing offering with complementary market insights and market access solutions, as well as expanding its data capabilities and therapeutic area expertise.

Founded in 1997, Research Partnership is the largest independent market insights platform to Life Sciences with strong, data-driven ad-hoc and syndicated solutions. The Company offers full-service market insights and consultancy solutions covering the entire product lifecyle, with strong expertise in various therapeutic areas and in-depth knowledge of markets and regulations.

Headquartered in the UK, with offices in the US, France and Singapore, Research Partnership employs a global team of 220+ healthcare experts.

Backed by the private investment firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice, Ashfield Huntsworth is an independent end-to-end provider of outsourced medical communications, marketing and advisory services to pharmaceutical and biotech clients.

Mark Jeffery, Research Partnership said: "We were very impressed with Greg and his team.  We found them to be extremely thorough and they took great efforts to guide us through each stage of the sale process. We particularly appreciated their pragmatic approach and understanding of the commercial realities."

Greg Leyshon, Partner and Head of Business Transactions said: "We were delighted to work with Mark, Mary and the wider shareholders and the team at Piper Sandler on this exciting transaction." 

Partners Greg Leyshon and Matthew Edwards, Associate Directors Robert Pook and Jonathan Falconer, Associate Harshna Patel and Trainee Solicitor Mirshad Ahani from the Corporate team advised Research Partnership. Senior Associate Lara Flynn advised on employment matters and  Partners David Nisbet and Mathew Oliver, Associate Director Dan Sharman and Associate Ben Doeh advised on tax matters. 

Osborne Clarke’s Corporate team is considered the go-to practice for many businesses in the life sciences and healthcare sector. The team advises at every stage of company development across all corporate areas, from equity and debt fundraising to M&A, IPOs and JVs.