News

04/27/2021

Dickinson Williams advises on the sale of Dunn Regulatory Associates

Dickinson Williams & Company served as the exclusive financial advisor to Dunn Regulatory Associates LLC (“DRA”) in its sale to Acacium Group, a portfolio company of Onex.

DRA is a U.S.-based life sciences and regulatory affairs consulting company that provides regulatory strategy and related consulting services for the development of pharmaceuticals, biologics, and medical devices.

Strategically, this acquisition strengthens Acacium Group’s international life sciences division while enabling DRA to benefit from Acacium Group’s global resources.

Mike Barnard, Acacium Group’s CEO, stated, “I am delighted that Dunn Regulatory Associates has joined Acacium Group.  We share common values where our focus on people first underpins everything we do, whether deploying workforce or delivering services for clients.  Together, we will use our access to brilliant talent in the life science sector to support Dunn Regulatory Associates to continue to grow its reputation for delivering outstanding regulatory strategies for clients.  I look forward to the future and what our combined international reach and access to expertise will mean for our clients.”

DRA’s Founder, Dana Dunn, stated, “We are thrilled to have joined Acacium Group and are looking forward to working collaboratively with them going forward.  We are excited about the international reach and access to expertise that the combination of our two groups will create.”

Dana Dunn added, “I am grateful for Dickinson Williams’ professionalism, hard work, and support throughout the sale process.  They introduced us to an impressive group of potential partners, and our team is thrilled to join Acacium Group.  This outcome would not have been possible without Dickinson Williams.”

“Dickinson Williams has been impressed by DRA’s continued success and regulatory expertise, including the importance of their work in several COVID-19 therapy and vaccine programs.  This is our second cross-border transaction in the past six months, and we are pleased to have helped DRA find the right partner,” said James Gilmore, Managing Director of Dickinson Williams.

Hirschler Fleischer served as legal counsel to DRA.

About Dunn Regulatory Associates:

Dunn Regulatory Associates is a U.S. based life sciences and regulatory affairs consulting company.  The company’s comprehensive regulatory services include regulatory strategy, medical writing, regulatory publishing, and U.S. Agent services.  DRA serves a diverse, global client base of pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies.  Using an experience-based approach that integrates scientific expertise, business acumen, and regulatory strategy, DRA streamlines product development from discovery to market.  DRA’s expert consultants are U.S. and EU strategists, who have a proven track record of resolving even the most complex regulatory situations.

About Acacium Group:

Acacium Group, previously known as ICS, comprises specialist brands combining workforce services, deep clinical expertise, technology, and analytics to deliver better outcomes for clients and patients across life sciences, healthcare, and social care.  Acacium Group is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

About Onex:

Founded in 1984, Onex manages and invests capital on behalf of its shareholders, institutional investors and high net worth clients from around the world.  Onex’ platforms include: Onex Partners, private equity funds focused on mid- to large-cap opportunities in North America and Western Europe; ONCAP, private equity funds focused on middle market and smaller opportunities in North America; Onex Credit, which manages primarily non-investment grade debt through tradeable, private and opportunistic credit strategies; and Gluskin Sheff’s wealth management services including its actively managed public equity and public credit funds.  In total, as of December 31, 2020, Onex has approximately $44 billion of assets under management, of which approximately $6.8 billion is its own investing capital.  With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey, Boston and London, Onex and its experienced management teams are collectively the largest investors across Onex’ platforms.  The Onex Partners and ONCAP businesses have assets of $40 billion, generate annual revenues of $22 billion and employ approximately 147,000 people worldwide.  Onex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the stock symbol ONEX.

About Dickinson Williams & Company:

Dickinson Williams & Company is an independent investment banking firm led by industry veterans with over 80 years of combined investment banking, financing, and operating experience.  The firm provides objective, experience-based advisory services to lower middle market companies with enterprise values typically up to $150 million.  The firm provides sell-side, buy-side, private placement, recapitalization, and strategic advisory services to family and closely held businesses, corporations, and private equity groups, and has a broad cross-section of transaction and industry experience in the industrials, business services, distribution, healthcare, and consumer sectors.

John C. Dickinson
Managing Director
jdickinson@dickinsonwilliams.com
804.588.3412

James A. Gilmore
Managing Director
jgilmore@dickinsonwilliams.com
804.588.3414

Harold J. Williams III
Managing Director
hwilliams@dickinsonwilliams.com
804.588.3413