Harris Williams & Co. Advises Business and Legal Resources (BLR) in its Recapitalization

Harris Williams & Co., a preeminent middle market investment bank focused on the advisory needs of clients worldwide, announces that Business and Legal Resources (BLR), a portfolio company of Prairie Capital, L.P. (Prairie), has been recapitalized. Harris Williams & Co. acted as the exclusive advisor to BLR.  The transaction closed on June 14, 2013 and was led by John Arendale and John Klim along with Garin Arevian and Priyanka Naithani from the firm’s Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) Group.

“The BLR management team has successfully transitioned the company from a print to digital strategy while maintaining the top market position in state-specific human resources, safety and environmental compliance,” said John Arendale, a managing director at Harris Williams & Co. “The increasing regulatory compliance environment is leading to a greater demand for the company’s comprehensive online solutions as businesses look for lower cost, SaaS-enabled solutions that provide critical timely content and information.”

For more than 35 years, BLR (www.blr.com) has helped US businesses simplify compliance with state and federal legal requirements by offering authoritative content and practical, easy-to-use tools. Through in-house editors and an exclusive attorney network, BLR provides comprehensive, reliable and state-specific information in all 50 states.  BLR’s information products, which include training programs, events, web portals, reports and subscription services, give businesses of all sizes and industries the best tools available.

Prairie Capital (www.prairie-capital.com) is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on facilitating ownership transitions for lower-middle market companies and corporate carve-outs. Prairie Capital is typically the first institutional investor in these entrepreneurial companies, with an aim toward growing and professionalizing the businesses. Prairie Capital was founded in 1997 and is currently investing out of its $300 million fifth fund.