Rödl & Partner advises PharmaLex on its merger with U.S.-based Arbour Group

Atlanta, Georgia, February 12, 2020: Rödl & Partner advised PharmaLex in its merger with Arbour Group, a provider of regulatory compliance products and services for the life sciences industry (headquartered in Chicago, IL). Rödl & Partner's U.S. transaction services-team, led by Frank Breitenfeldt, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to the PharmaLex Group. Key service areas included buy-side financial and tax due diligence and deal advisory during negotiations and purchase contract drafting assistance.
The transaction was completed on Jan 24, 2020.

According to Pharmalex, this merger strengthens their foothold in the U.S. while providing opportunities to expand its global reach by taking advantage of the off-shoring capabilities afforded by the Dubai and Manila operations of the Arbour Group. The addition of the Arbour Group to PharmaLex further reinforces the existing quality management and compliance portfolio of the Group with expertise in the field of IT Systems Validation and Compliance. The transaction also supports a key focus of PharmaLex in delivering Connected Health solutions to help customers address industry advances in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Applications and GDPR.

Dr. Thomas Dobmeyer, CEO of PharmaLex adds "Arbour Group is a well-recognized service provider with an excellent reputation in the regulatory compliance market. Their specialist expertise will enable us to drive business in the U.S. whilst allowing us to expand our quality management and compliance service line worldwide."

About PharmaLex

PharmaLex is a leading provider of specialized services for the pharma, biotech and medical device industries. They guide from early strategic planning activities and non-clinical requirements through clinical development, regulatory submission processes and post-approval / maintenance post-launch activities. Their experts use technology-enabled solutions to support services throughout the entire product lifecycle - going above and beyond the standard to deliver tailor-made solutions worldwide.

The PharmaLex Group now has over 1000 employees, with 33 offices in 21 countries and more than 600 satisfied clients worldwide.

About Arbour Group

Arbour Group, with its facilities in Chicago, IL, USA, as well as Dubai, UAE and Manila, Philippines, offers regulatory compliance products and services for the life sciences industry, such as audits and software validation and testing.

Advisors to PharmaLex

Rödl & Partner USA (Rödl Langford de Kock LP)

Frank Breitenfeldt, Partner (Transaction Services), Atlanta, project lead – Financial
Dennis Wieckert, Senior Principal (M&A Tax), Atlanta – Tax
Christian Haverney, Associate Partner (Transaction Services), Atlanta – Financial & Tax
Olivier Toubon, Senior Associate (Transaction Services), Atlanta – Financial