Pinsent Masons has advised UDG Healthcare plc, a leading provider of clinical, commercial, communication and packaging services to the healthcare industry, on its acquisition of STEM Marketing Limited for a total consideration of up to £84 million.

The acquisition is in line with UDG’s global growth strategy of expanding its market leading positions providing services to the pharmaceutical sector and significantly expands the service offering and capabilities of its Ashfield Commercial and Medical division and complements UDG’s Ashfield Healthcare Communications division’s global offering.

FTSE 250, Dublin-based UDG has 7,000 employees at operations across 20 countries including the US, UK, Ireland and Germany. STEM Marketing is the leading global provider of commercial, marketing and medical audits to pharmaceutical companies across 35 countries.

The Pinsent Masons team was led by corporate partner Helen Ridge supported by Alasdair Weir and Rob Cunningham, Jon Robinson and Louise Fullwood.

Manchester office head at Pinsent Masons, Helen Ridge, said: “We are delighted to have worked with long standing client UDG Healthcare on yet another acquisition. As this sector of the pharmaceuticals industry continues to develop at rapid pace, companies such as UDG are at the forefront of market leading innovation.”

Robert O’Beirn, Corporate Development Director at UDG, commented: “We are grateful to Pinsent Masons for their support on this strategic acquisition. Helen and her team have worked with us on a number of M&A transactions in the past including on the transformational disposal of our supply chain services business which completed earlier this year having received regulatory approvals.

"They have built up a strong understanding of our business model and been with us over a number of years as our strategic direction has been to become a focused international healthcare services business. This understanding, together with their drive and focus to get deals done, and their expertise in the healthcare services sector, makes them trusted advisers.”