Roper buys legal software provider for $675 million

BRADENTON — Lakewood Ranch-based Roper Technologies Inc. plans to acquire a leading legal industry software provider for $675 million, a move that will further diversify the company and is expected to boost earnings next year.

Aderant Holdings Inc. is expected to generate roughly $125 million in revenue in 2016, according to a Roper announcement this week.

The Atlanta-based firm has more than 3,000 clients in 30 countries, and works with neatly 80% of the world's top law firms. It will continue to operate as Aderant and market products under that brand name, and its management team is expected to remain in place after the sale is completed sometime next month, the publicly traded Roper says.

“Aderant is the technology leader in its niche market with a broad suite of software solutions for law firms and a history of delivering value and high customer satisfaction,” Roper chairman, CEO and president Brian Jellison says, in a statement.

Jellison added Roper hopes to expand Aderant's client base and offer new products and services through it.

The sale is subject to regulatory approval, Roper noted.

The Aderant deal marks the second major purchase for Roper this year. In February, it announced plans to buy a pair of medical software companies for $450 million. Data Innovations LLC and SoftWriters Inc., together with Strata Decision Technology, a late 2014 acquisition, are slated to generate more than $100 million in annual revenue for Roper.

Data Innovations, of Vermont, maintains “the world's largest library of proprietary interfaces and drivers that support over 1,000 different lab instruments,” Roper noted in a press release announcing the purchase. Data Innovations' client base totaled 4,500, in 80 countries, at the time of the purchase.

Pittsburgh-based SoftWriters provides software to pharmacies that specialize in long-term care accounts for nursing homes and assisted living communities for seniors.

“Both Data Innovations and SoftWriters have market-leading technology and terrific leadership teams,” Jellison said.

Roper shares jumped 71 cents, or 0.41%, to $174.68 per share on the New York Stock Exchange in late morning trading on news of the Aderant acquisition.