European IP services provider Murgitroyd acquires Hanna Moore + Curley

Sovereign Capital Partners, the UK private equity Buy & Build specialist, is delighted to announce that portfolio company Murgitroyd, a leading European provider of IP services, has acquired Hanna Moore + Curley (HMC) the Irish patent and trade mark attorney firm.

Sovereign backed Murgitroyd in a public to private transaction in December 2019, to grow and scale the business’s global presence and further develop its service offering and tech-enabled capabilities through a strategy of Buy & Build.

Founded in 2003 and with a team of 23 attorney and paralegal support staff, HMC is a Dublin-based IP attorney practice specialising in obtaining IP protection for technology-led companies. The acquisition strengthens Murgitroyd’s pan-European presence, complementing the range of services offered through its offices in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland and Finland. It also expands Murgitroyd’s global reach through HMC’s representative office in China, broadens support for its US corporate clients and expands its blue-chip client base. Today the Group employs over 300 people.

Gordon Stark, CEO, Murgitroyd, said: "HMC is a highly regarded business which increases the scale and depth of our technical knowledge and expertise and further expands our international footprint. The demand from businesses to support their IP strategy continues to rise, and with HMC we are well positioned to further develop our international offering and bring a new dimension to our business development in Asia."

Jonathan Thorne, Partner, Sovereign Capital Partners, said: "Murgitroyd offers a rare proposition in the IP market by providing an integrated attorney-led offering and associated IP support services. The acquisition of HMC reflects Murgitroyd’s international expansion strategy and we look forward to working with Gordon and the team to further support Murgitroyd’s Buy & Build ambitions."