Corporate experts advise on medical comms firm sale to global network

Rob Rice and the corporate team at Harrison Clark Rickerbys (HCR) in Reading acted for shareholders of Porterhouse Medical Group, specialists in medical communications and insights research, on its sale to imc group.

The deal is evidence of the team’s drive to focus on client needs despite Covid-19 which has helped to take HCR to the top spot in Experian’s rankings for the highest number of deals during the first six months of the year in the South East, overtaking larger firms.

The sale will boost imc group’s ambition to become the leading, independent provider of global strategic healthcare communications and consulting services to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, and extend the combined firm’s expertise across the US and Europe.

Jon Hallows, CEO of Porterhouse Medical, said: “Selling Porterhouse to imc was one of the biggest decisions of my career and the advice and assistance from Rob and his team has been invaluable. The transaction came with its complexities – tidying up subsidiary interests, bringing along a US subsidiary and the extraction of real estate, to name a few.

“Rob and his team were at our side from the very outset of the transaction and through every step of the process. He also took away the stress of ensuring that the US side of the transaction moved at the same pace that we were working at here in the UK. Notwithstanding this was a substantial transaction, Rob and his team delivered for us bang on time and on budget.”

Rob Rice said: “Having worked with Porterhouse over the last few years, I was really pleased for Jon and the team when he told me about the offer from imc and I’m delighted to have helped them with the transaction. I wish the larger group every success going forward.”

With this deal and so many others under their belts in the first half of the year, the team is looking ahead. Rachel Turner, head of corporate team in Reading, said: “This has been a tough period for many of our clients and our focus has been on helping them to keep business moving so that they emerge in the best position possible. That means changes for some and we’re ready to help them make those changes so that they can continue to thrive or move on to fresh challenges.”

Experian ranks deals by volume and by value – all deals included are worth £500,000 or more. You can see the full report here.