PE firm Uplift adds Arkansas injury practice to law platform

Private equity firm Uplift Investors has broadened its scope in the legal industry by establishing a management services organization (MSO) partnership with Arkansas-based personal injury law firm Rainwater, Holt & Sexton. The Connecticut-based investor disclosed that this collaboration marks its sixth venture involving external capital and operational assistance to a law firm via an MSO framework.

Under the terms of the agreement, Uplift’s Orion Legal MSO will furnish Rainwater, Holt & Sexton with an array of non-legal services, encompassing administration, finance, marketing, and technology. It is important to note that the law firm will maintain its ownership by its attorneys. This transaction underscores the increasing reliance of private equity investors on MSOs to gain exposure to the legal services industry while adhering to regulations on non-lawyer ownership of US law firms.

As part of the partnership, Rainwater, Holt & Sexton's partners, Mike Rainwater and Bob Sexton, have been appointed to Orion Legal’s national advisory board. Orion Legal was initiated by Uplift in January as part of the firm's strategic expansion into the legal sector. The platform is currently backing personal injury practices in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas.