NEW YORK, Dec. 4 -- Bowne & Co., Inc., a global leader in delivering high-value document management solutions, announced today that its outsourcing division, Bowne Business Solutions (BBS), has acquired DecisionQuest, a major provider of litigation resources, from trial research to strategic communications and strategic marketing. The transaction launches a new business model for the delivery of litigation resources by creating one of the largest and most comprehensive providers of services spanning the entire "litigation lifecycle," from inception of the case through trial. With the continuing growth in the volume and complexity of litigation, law firms and corporate counsel have had to purchase a broad range of services such as litigation software, trial consulting, document imaging and coding, and electronic document discovery processing by contracting with multiple firms on an individual basis. DecisionQuest, which will now be known as Bowne DecisionQuest to capitalize on both well-known brands in the legal arena, was purchased for approximately $31 million in cash and a provision for additional payments based on future performance. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "Bowne Business Solutions, with this acquisition, will now provide what is clearly among the broadest and deepest array of outsourced services found anywhere in the legal industry," said Bowne & Co. Chairman and CEO Robert M. Johnson. "When law firms look for the professional resources they need to help them win cases, they now have even more reason to turn first to BBS for the complete range of solutions. BBS' ability to capitalize on opportunities in a litigation services market exceeding $1 billion is a key part of Bowne's diversification strategy and consistent with our objective of achieving, maintaining and expanding industry leadership for each of our four business units." BBS, already the leading provider of outsourced services to law firms and investment banks, offers a wide range of litigation support services, including ongoing case and project management; electronic data discovery processing; litigation software through JFS Litigator's Notebook; and document imaging and coding. This is in addition to the host of BBS' other document management services for law firms, corporations and other organizations, including presentations and creative services, document processing, and office document and information technology services. Beyond trial research and strategic communications and marketing, Bowne DecisionQuest also specializes in trial consulting, demonstrative exhibits, jury selection, courtroom technology and the well-known, award-winning litigation software, CaseMap(TM) and TimeMap(TM), that is sold and serviced through its CaseSoft(TM) division. "This transaction is an important strategic move that will accelerate the growth of DecisionQuest's business by integrating our litigation services with the complementary litigation support offered by Bowne's outsourcing group and its global capability," said DecisionQuest CEO Dr. Phillip Anthony, who will lead the Bowne DecisonQuest management team as a senior executive of BBS, reporting to David Shea, its President. "BBS, with this new model, has changed the playing field for delivery of comprehensive resources to meet increasing demand due to the rising tide of litigation," said Shea. "At the same time, our business model addresses the new efficiencies and standards of quality that law firms require in the 21st century. "Both BBS and DecisionQuest possess a highly complementary range of litigation and multimedia services and clients," Shea noted, "and DecisionQuest's litigation research, graphics and communications services are an excellent complement to our current portfolio of services. As a result of the transaction, BBS now serves nearly 90% of the top 200 global law firms. Looking ahead, we will use this acquisition to expand and strengthen relationships with current law firm clients, and extend our reach to an even broader base of new corporate clients." BBS, with over 3,000 employees in the United States and through its joint ventures with Williams Lea in Europe and Asia, can provide law firms with outsourced services in virtually any location around the world. Bowne & Co.'s global reach extends to more than 100 offices in North and South America, Europe and Asia, a network of affiliates in nearly 50 additional major cities worldwide, and access to comprehensive globalization, localization and translation services covering all of these markets.