Epiq deal for Birketts and Case Pilots

New York giant Epiq, which steers a worldwide legal and compliance services platform, has acquired Braintree and London-based Case Pilots, one of the UK’s leading claims administration companies. Birketts, which has major offices across the East of England, advised Case Pilots' shareholders on the sale. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Epiq is the world’s leading class actions and claims administrator and the largest in North America. The firm’s stellar reputation is evidenced through the successful management and distribution of some of the largest settlements in history. 

With over 30 years’ experience, clients rely on the deep bench of Epiq experts for guidance in driving cases forward and helping to deliver positive outcomes in the highest-profile and most-complex collective actions in the world.

Epiq has been supporting Class Representatives and law firms bringing collective actions in the UK since the Consumer Rights Act was passed in 2015. As well as building on the expertise and technology solutions delivered to clients, this acquisition expands Epiq’s offering in the market to include the administration of group litigation, reinforcing its position as a global leader in the space.

Case Pilots employees have joined Epiq, including Co-founder and CEO Clare Ducksbury, who will now serve as Senior Vice President, Epiq Class Action Solutions Europe, and Co-founder and Chief Information Officer Clinton Smith, who will join Epiq’s product development team in a leadership role. 

The Case Pilots team has a solid track record of providing strategic consulting advice to law firms tackling the challenges posed by collective actions in the UK and Continental Europe.

The cross-office Birketts team acting on the deal was led by Rachel Astill, Legal Director (Corporate). The team comprised James Austin Partner (Corporate), Macauley Alsford-White, Associate (Corporate), Chloe Page, Trainee Solicitor (Corporate), Georgia Hunt, Solicitor (Employment), Stacy Aspden, Legal Director (Commercial Real Estate), Maria Peyman, Partner, (Intellectual Property) and Robbie Watson, Senior Associate (Corporate Tax).

Astill said: “We were privileged to have the opportunity to guide the shareholders of Case Pilots through this deal and were grateful to them for their responsiveness and collaboration throughout the process.  

“ Over the course of her career Clare has been instrumental in the administration of various high-profile and significant collective actions and we are very proud to have been able to deliver this transaction to timetable for her and her team.  I’m sure that the next chapter for Case Pilots under the Epiq stewardship will be the success it deserves to be.”

Epiq Class Action and Claims Solutions operates globally including in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Europe. Epiq has administered most of the largest US class actions settlements exceeding a total of $35 billion in value.

Leveraging advanced technology and rigorous data security protocols, Epiq works with the Courts, settling parties and class members to efficiently and securely manage and distribute class action and mass tort settlements.