GHO Capital Acquires DNA Diagnostics Center in First Transaction

In The News
October 13, 2015

Ropes & Gray represented GHO Capital Partners LLP, a European health care specialist investor, in its acquisition of DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC), a leading provider of specialist DNA-based diagnostic services, for €104 million. The acquisition was announced Oct. 13. Further details of the transaction were not disclosed.

DDC's platform technology offers a wide range of products in the fields of biological family relationship testing, veterinary services, forensic services and medical applications for the pharmaceutical industry, including cell-line authentication. The company has European operations based in London and U.S. operations based in Fairfield, Ohio. 

GHO Capital was founded in 2014 as a health care investment advisor based in London and targets fast-growing investment opportunities in Europe. This is the first deal from GHO Capital’s new fund.

The Ropes & Gray team was led by private equity partner Neill Jakobe (Chicago) and included tax partner Elaine Murphy (Boston); health care partner Deborah Gersh (Chicago); life sciences partner Albert Cacozza (Washington, D.C.); finance partner Alexander Zeltser (New York); real estate & environmental partner Peter Alpert (Boston); business and securities litigation partner William Sussman (New York); antitrust counsel Deidre Johnson (Boston) and life sciences counsel Kellie Combs (Washington, D.C.).