Wolters Kluwer Corporate Legal Services (CLS), the leading provider of legal information services and solutions, today announced it has acquired Avantiq, a provider of multi-national trademark research services. This acquisition bolsters CLS’s global portfolio of trademark and brand clearance and protection solutions under the Corsearch brand. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

This deal expands Corsearch’s products and services for trademark and brand professionals —and also extends its European expertise and presence. It combines two top-ranked trademark and brand management companies to offer legal professionals the premier partner for global services. In the 2011 World Trademark Review's annual Global Trademark Survey, trademark professionals worldwide ranked Avantiq #1 in searching while ranking Corsearch #1 in watching and #2 in searching.

“Wolters Kluwer Corporate Legal Services has developed a robust, customer-centric brand management portfolio over the past 15 years. Customer needs are becoming increasingly more global, and we are committed to serving — and staying ahead — of those needs,” said Richard Flynn, Group President & CEO, Wolters Kluwer Corporate Legal Services. “Avantiq’s capabilities, global reach and unique customer approach make them an ideal fit to further expand Corsearch’s presence and better serve our growing customer base.”

Avantiq is widely recognized for offering high-touch, quality service options and seamless global clearance capabilities. The company handles complex naming projects on a global scale, from initial screening work through coordination of legal clearance to ultimate name selection. It is a trusted partner to many of the world’s top brands, leveraging in-house expertise and its global network of trademark professionals to offer insights and solutions wherever a brand may be used. Avantiq extends Corsearch’s reach and expertise within Europe and throughout the world, with experts from Avantiq’s Luxembourg and Australia operations and service offices joining Corsearch’s global team.

“We are excited to welcome Avantiq to Wolters Kluwer CLS. Together, we will provide broader solutions to our global client base, offering another layer of capabilities to help organizations protect their brands,” said Josh Braunstein, General Manager, Corsearch. “We can now offer our customers improved service, combined and expanded global databases, and a broader suite of solutions to meet local, regional and worldwide branding needs.”

Avantiq complements the trademark and brand attorneys’ work by offering the ability to not only perform searches, but to also provide insights in regions around the world where the firms may not have a local presence or intricate knowledge of the local issues, language or culture.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Corsearch. As our partnership developed, it became clear that we could better serve our customer base together,” said Larissa Best, CEO Avantiq (picture) “As part of Wolters Kluwer CLS, we will increase our global scale and be able to leverage broader resources and expertise – while also enabling our customers to benefit from industry-leading global watch and screening services.”

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (www.wolterskluwer.com) is a leading global information services and solutions company. It provides information, software, and services that help legal, tax, finance, and healthcare professionals make their most critical decisions effectively and with confidence. Customers depend on Wolters Kluwer services and solutions to successfully move through the complex layers of data and regulation that define modern business and government.

About Avantiq

Avantiq® specializes in multinational online and offline trademark, domain and company name search services. Founded in 1986, the innovative approach to global trademark searching has earned the company a reputation as an industry leader. The team operates from offices in Luxembourg, United States and Australia, complemented by more than 100 associate attorneys worldwide. For more information about Avantiq please visit: www.avantiq.com