Global alternative legal services provider UnitedLex is to be acquired from private equity giant CVC by eDiscovery provider Repario Data, according to our sources at the company. Repario is backed by private equity house JLL, which is based in New York and specialises in acquiring middle-market companies. The transaction is expected to be announced today (27 September).
UnitedLex has been undergoing a sale process for some months, giving CVC an exit from its 2018 acquisition, reported at the time to be a driver of massive expansion for UnitedLex and said at the time to “represent one of the largest transactions to date with any legal services provider.” Recent developments include bolstering its European presence and launching AI Advisory Solutions, however UnitedLex was rocked a couple of years ago by the sudden departure of CEO James Schellhase, who was replaced by general counsel Renee Meisel. Its UK revenue is down from £30.5m in the year ending December 2022 to £9.4m in the year ending December 2024. However, it’s overall revenue is generated globally across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
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UnitedLex, alongside UBS, was named a 2025 Value Champion by the Association of Corporate Counsel. It has an estimated 2,000 employees and represents a growth opportunity for Repario, given that it focuses not only on eDiscovery and litigation support but also contract review, IP, cyber security and legal operations management more broadly. Interestingly, in 2024, Repario hired former UnitedLex vice president and corporate counsel Eric Kelly as its general counsel.
We have reached out to both UnitedLex and Repario for comment and further information.
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