Ropes & Gray Advises GHO Capital Portfolio Company Velocity Clinical Research in Acquiring Meridian Clinical Research

Ropes & Gray represented GHO Capital portfolio company Velocity Clinical Research in the acquisition of Meridian Clinical Research. The deal makes Velocity the largest dedicated research site organization in the world with approximately 80 sites in the U.S. and Europe, including a technology hub in Hyderabad, India. The transaction was announced on December 15. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Meridian is a multi-specialty site organization for Phase 1—4 clinical trials. With the acquisition, Velocity will have sites in 25 states, employing more than 1,500 clinical research professions. The acquisition helps broaden Velocity’s therapeutic base and expand geographically.

The Ropes & Gray team was led by private equity partner Tim Castelli, finance partner Alex Robb and private equity associate Raxit Shah and included tax partner Elaine Murphy, finance partner Greg Bauer, employment & benefits partner Jen Cormier, health care partner Devin Cohen, litigation & enforcement partners Chong Park and Brendan Hanifin, tax counsel Denise Sohn, IP transactions counsel Tom Burke, life sciences regulatory & compliance counsel Sarah Sharp Blankstein, private equity counsel Ana Biloglav and litigation & enforcement counsel Steve Kaye.