Ropes & Gray Advises on Sale of Thomas International to Palamon

Global law firm Ropes & Gray has advised the founders of Thomas International, a leading international provider of psychometric assessment solutions, on the sale of a majority stake in the company to Palamon Capital Partners, a pan-European growth investor. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Thomas International is a leading provider of online psychometric assessments, consulting, and related products and services with a focus on the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market. Founded in 1981 by the Reed family, the company has been at the forefront of assessment innovation for more than 37 years, helping SMEs to recruit, develop, and retain talent. Headquartered in the UK, the company has 81 offices globally with over 75% of sales originating from international markets. More than 2 million Thomas International assessments are completed each year across over 60 countries and in 56 languages. 

The acquisition of Thomas International stems from Palamon’s investment thesis in the substantial growth opportunity that exists for data, analytics and software solutions that enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness of SMEs. Thomas International, one of the leading platforms in the $3 billion global psychometric testing market, presents an attractive opportunity to rapidly scale a digital platform offering reliable, lower-cost, easy-to-use software and solution tools.

The Ropes & Gray team was led by private equity partner Helen Croke, assisted by private equity associates Laura Kayani, both based in London.