www.acquisition-international.com • Issue 10 2023 Intelligent Storage at the Edge Since the emergence of Cloud Computing, there has been an undeniable rise in the risk of data loss. Whether this is a result of a loss of control over how data is managed, or due to potential security breaches that could have detrimental effects on customer data, it’s a present issue that has, until now, had very few solutions. Enter Cachengo, an Edge Computing company that’s completely revolutionised data management. Join us as we explore how Cachengo came to earn the title of Best High-Tech Computer Hardware Manufacturer 2023 – USA, and how its computing clusters have served to reshape the sector as we know it.
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Contents 4 News 6 Cachengo: Intelligent Storage at the Edge 10 Corner Stone & Partners: Jeffrey Liu: Leading Intellectual Property Protection Lawyer- China 10 6 11 VEDRA Pensions GmbH: A Pioneering Pensions Partner in the German De-Risking Market 12 Black Book Market Research LLC: Most Innovative Market Research Services Firm 2023 - USA 13 Van Olmen & Wynant: Koen Hoornaert: Belgium’s Leading Corporate Law Lawyer 14 Healthcare Consultancy Group: Healthcare Consultancy Group: Reimagining Medical Communications 16 Rafael Gonçalves: Rafael Gonçalves: Leading Family and Succession Lawyer 17 AlleTrust: Influencing a Culture of Caring 18 Fiducial Legal by Lamy: Excellence in Intellectual Property 19 PT. DCI Indonesia, Tbk: DCI Indonesia Awarded The Most Innovative Data Center Provider 2023 - Southeast Asia 20 Radar Brokers:Innovative Financial Technology Secures Financial Futures 23 Dunton Environmental: Enriching and Empowering Communities 24 Chauveau Mulon & Associes: Expert, Efficient, and Ethical Family Law Advice 25 Bagla Law Firm: Queen of Business Law 26 KPMG AG: A Distinguished Leader in Financial Restructuring 28 Life After Hate: Life After Hate 29 Capstone Corporate Services: Create and Grow 30 The Jaklitsch Law Group: Big Dogs, Small Firm 31 T4Trade: A Trusted Gateway to Global Online Trading Excellence 32 Incap Electronics UK Ltd: Flexible Manufacturing Services 34 PT AXA Insurance Indonesia: Customer-First, Integrity, Courage 35 Operscient Pte Ltd: Best AI-Powered Retail / Logistics Data Science Solutions Provider 2023 - South East Asia 36 Newland Chase: Bridging the Gap Between People, Culture, Business, and the World 37 Demotech, Inc.: Innovative Solutions for Financial Ratings 38 Ice.Blue.Sky: Blue Skies for Budding Businesses 39 Just Lite Productions: Light Up Your Life 40 Leisure Guard Security Ltd.: Flexible Security Solutions For You 41 Engleharts Solicitors: Your Legal Partners For Life 43 MM411 dba Medical Marijuana 411: Medical Marijuana 411: Global Leader for Cannabis Education 44 The Lynch Law Firm: Jeffrey S. Lynch: Leading Business and Commercial Litigator 45 Woodside Quality LLC: Woodside Quality: Keen Insight, Sound Decisions, Exceptional Results 23
NEWS 91% of Brits think that government regulations are a necessary measure to hold businesses accountable for how they use GenAI according to new research from global technology consultancy Thoughtworks (NASDAQ: TWKS). The global study - which surveyed 10,000 consumers from 10 countries - reveals that the majority of Brits (77%) are feeling nervous about GenAI adoption in business and a third (35%) think that businesses should stop the rapid development of GenAI until effective government regulations are developed. The findings - collected as the UK prepares to host the first AI Safety Summit in November - also suggest GenAI has the potential to shake up consumer loyalty. The majority (82%) of those surveyed favor businesses that proactively communicate how they are evaluating the ethical risks and social implications of GenAI. When asked their biggest ethical concerns with GenAI, respondents cited ‘data use without consent’ (75%), ‘misinformation’ (73%), ‘harmful content’ (57%) and ‘societal biases’ (53%). Holding businesses accountable Survey responses indicate that consumers expect the government to ensure UK businesses adopt GenAI safely. According to the data, 91% of Brits argue that government regulations are a necessary measure to hold businesses accountable for how they use GenAI. A further three quarters (75%) agree that government regulation will help ensure the responsible and safe use of the technology. When asked what improvements the government needs to make towards GenAI regulation in business, respondents cited ‘disclosure on how GenAI follows data-privacy laws’ (68%), ‘improved user education’ (56%) and ‘the inclusion of penalties if [rules] not followed’ (51%) as key factors. However, Brits are sceptical about what an increase of regulation means for them. Nearly a third (30%) don’t think that increased AI regulation is actually for their benefit. It’s not all doom and gloom for UK businesses. The data shows that if applied correctly, GenAI regulation will put consumer concern at ease, as 61% agree that they consider ‘abiding by regulation’ very important when buying a product or service. Speaking on the report’s findings, Mike Mason, chief AI officer, Thoughtworks, said, “In a world where trust is paramount, businesses must understand that gaining the public’s confidence through ethical AI is not just a regulatory obligation, it’s a strategic advantage. For decades, Thoughtworks has advised our clients on how to tap into the full potential of the latest emerging technology. While also ensuring that they build responsible governance into business processes to protect customers’ trust. GenAI offers endless possibilities. We’re helping our clients to prove out new capabilities that survey respondents are excited about, such as idea generation for more innovative products, faster support and more personalized experiences and then productionizing those experiments as enterprise-grade software.” Vanson Bourne’s principal research manager, Lauren Woodley said, “Thoughtworks took a unique perspective to the fast-paced topic of GenAI, exploring how consumers feel when interacting with businesses that use it. The findings are alarming, with UK consumers stating many concerns surrounding how businesses use their GenAI-related data. This emphasizes the social responsibility businesses have in building trust and reassuring consumers. If businesses are able to tackle the concerns through being proactive and transparent, the future of GenAI looks positive, but the overshadowing cloud of fear must be lifted first.” British Businesses Must Build Trust to Operate GenAI, Finds New Survey
NEWS “The UKRN’s strategic objective of promoting better outcomes for consumers and the economy resonates with the LSB’s mission. By fostering competition, investment, innovation, and high standards in the banking and lending industry, the LSB contributes to a fair and transparent financial landscape that benefits consumers and SMEs and supports economic growth.” The LSB’s participation in the UKRN aligns with its commitment to complement the work of industry regulators, such as the FCA, PSR, and HM Treasury, among others. Through effective collaboration and cooperation, the LSB aims to ensure that financial service providers meet the highest standards of protection and deliver fair outcomes to personal and business customers. Lending Standards Board joins UK Regulators’ Network to foster collaboration and consumer protection The Lending Standards Board (LSB), the primary self-regulatory body for the banking and lending industry, is pleased to announce its membership of the UK Regulators’ Network (UKRN). This partnership will further enhance collaboration among regulators from various sectors, promoting better outcomes for consumers, SMEs, and the economy. The UKRN brings together regulators from the financial, utility, transport, and housing sectors to facilitate cooperation, share knowledge and innovation, and build better ways of working. Established in 2014, the network has fostered strong relationships and a culture of collaboration and learning among its members. Members of the UKRN include many of the key regulators in the financial services industry and associated sectors including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Payments Systems Regulator (PSR), the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the Pensions Regulator (TPR), Ofcom, and Ofgem. The LSB will benefit from and contribute to the collective expertise and insights of other regulators, enabling them to address common issues and challenges in the financial services sector more effectively. This collaboration will further support the LSB’s mission of driving fair outcomes for personal and business customers within financial services through independent oversight of standards and codes. Emma Lovell, Chief Executive Officer of the LSB, comments: “We have long advocated the benefits of cross-sector collaboration, so joining the UKRN is a natural next step. By working together with other regulators, we can leverage collective intelligence to address crossindustry challenges and drive positive change.
6 | Acquisition International, Issue 10 2023 Intelligent Storage at the Edge achengo is an Edge Computing company that truly believes in the cohesive management, protection, and handling of data. Typically, Edge Computing follows a traditional format – moving computer storage and processing to the edge of a network, bringing it closer to sources of data in the process. This differs from Cloud Computing, through which data is often left susceptible to a loss of control. Through Cloud Computing, data can be sold or compromised, leaving customers at a detriment that may sometimes be irreversible. However, it was viewed as more convenient than Edge Computing, and started to become the most widely used form of data management due to the absence of a more streamlined alternative. In response, Cachengo came to be, and its inception represented an incredible determination to shift individuals away from the pitfalls of 3rd party Cloud Computing. By creating an affordable, palm-sized computing cluster, with capabilities akin to Amazon Web Services, Cachengo managed to provide customers with an alternative that they could both own and manage from their own premises. Cachengo signifies a step in the right direction for computer hardware, and its ambition is what truly makes it such a unique entity. Its overarching dedication to giving choice, flexibility, value, and trust back to the everyday person is what spearheads its journey towards greatness, and it’s what has enabled it to consistently guarantee data privacy above all else. Data deserves to be treated as it is – something that’s critically important, and in need of protecting. Cachengo is the embodiment of this notion, and it has gone above and beyond to forge the perfect way to deliver on its promise of security. Not only has it demonstrated an intrinsic brilliance time and time again, but it’s created a completely new, revolutionary class of computer that has convenience and utility at its core. From their ideal size, to their easy installation, Cachengo’s products find themselves in a position to assist anyone with their data processing needs. Already present in trains and buses alike, Cachengo accomplishes something that no Cloud Computing service has been able to achieve – it grants clients the opportunity to analyse and process data in real-time. Combine this with its money and time saving capabilities, and you’ve got an all-encompassing piece of computing genius right at your fingertips. Cachengo’s products are designed to act upon data in real-time, be it throughout schools, shopping malls, the law enforcement sector, or public transport. By storing data in clusters first and foremost, and having been designed with long-term protection in mind, Cachengo guarantees savings, without ever needing to sacrifice quality. Every aspect of Cachengo’s products, from their expansive memory to their robust CPUs and TPUs, serves to accomplish the same goal – to protect and process data in realtime, all whilst saving time, power, and infrastructure costs. It’s no secret that Cloud Computing struggles to process data in real-time due to the sheer amount of data transmission that needs sustaining. Despite this fact, it’s often advertised as real-time threat detection when, in reality, it simply can’t keep up with the demand. This was another driving factor that urged Cachengo to pursue Edge Computing structures that allowed for fluid, on-the-go threat detection. Not only does it make full use of AI in order to protect data and keep it on the premises, as opposed to sending it to a cloud to be processed, but it has specifically designed its products for easy installation and usage. The result is what we see today – a carefully curated class of computer that eliminates any potential data difficulties that clients may face. But just how does Cachengo manage such a feat? Well, it all begins with how drastically Cachengo differs from the norm within the analytics field. Where most standard servers have GPUs or TPUs included in their makeup to handle parallel processing, Cachengo produces purpose-built hardware and software that’s wholly designed to optimise each process. By enhancing neural nets and convolutional neural networks, it’s able to obtain massive parallelism, low power drain, high performance, and tight security, all whilst remaining reasonable in its pricing. Cachengo is focused on local Computer Vision and Large Language Model workflows, meaning that, instead of requiring a cloud data centre to process analytic workloads, clients only need Cachengo. However, to truly understand how revolutionary Cachengo’s products are, we must first explore just what said products have to offer. Cachengo is utterly unique in its approach to data processing, and, as such, crafted a whole new ultra-smart drive named Symbiote. Inspired by run-of-the-mill, industry standard 2.5” and 3.5” form factor hard drives, Symbiote was built with Edge Computing in mind. It’s an entity unlike anything currently on the market – it’s able to eliminate the issue of bottlenecking thanks to each drive adopting the qualities of a standalone, computational server. Each drive is individually addressable over a given network, and can also act as an object storage device. Symbiotes pose a stark contrast to conventional network storage architecture. They grant individuals complete control over capacity, as well as whether or not they wish to mix and match flash with hard drive technology. In addition, Cachengo’s Symbiotes give clients the chance to select what types of software they wish to run, presenting a plethora of choices that truly captures its one-of-a-kind nature. This, combined with an embedded GPU that’s able to perform sophisticated neural network functions in a local setting, establishes Symbiotes as a means to ingest the data where it will permanently reside, all whilst operating at the lowest CAPEX and OPEX possible. Overall, Symbiotes are a cheaper, faster, and smarter means to reduce network backhaul. In order to maximise the usage of Symbiotes, Cachengo developed its widely used, renowned Bento hardware. Able to hold up to eight Symbiotes, despite resembling the size of a book, Bento has every facility to act as a standalone Since the emergence of Cloud Computing, there has been an undeniable rise in the risk of data loss. Whether this is a result of a loss of control over how data is managed, or due to potential security breaches that could have detrimental effects on customer data, it’s a present issue that has, until now, had very few solutions. Enter Cachengo, an Edge Computing company that’s completely revolutionised data management. Join us as we explore how Cachengo came to earn the title of Best High-Tech Computer Hardware Manufacturer 2023 – USA, and how its computing clusters have served to reshape the sector as we know it. C Aug23126
Intelligent Storage at the Edge
8 | Acquisition International, Issue 10 2023 solution for small, form-factor deployments. It was specifically designed with Edge deployment in mind, and is comprised of the capabilities and computing power of a data centre. Despite its astounding abilities, however, Bento manages to eliminate the challenges of space constraints and power budgets. As an eight node, high performance computer and storage cluster housed in a compact casing, Bento seamlessly deploys and manages workloads similar to Cloud-based offerings. And yet, clients needn’t move data when using Bento, increasing security twofold. However, Bento isn’t the only genius piece of tech to emerge from Cachengo. For those looking to build their own cloud, as opposed to opting for a third party cloud system, Pizza is the perfect pick. Capable of holding a whopping 32 Symbiotes, and operating on a sub 10 watts motherboard, Pizza’s ultralow power demand and sleek design makes for a fantastic piece of kit. In addition, Pizza isn’t deterred by component failures, and will be able to tolerate such an instance without needing to terminate any of its services. By creating their own cloud, customers can massively scale storage and analytic needs as the business grows via Pizza, and it’s this impressive array of facilities that make limited choices a thing of the past. Cachengo has already come leaps and bounds in redefining excellence within the industry. Its products have had a major impact on a variety of sectors, and it’s all thanks to a continuous devotion to what’s most important – keeping data safe, secure, and easy to manage. Cachengo presents individuals with an Edge AI system that has been carefully formed around the notion of taking advantage of the data outside of the data centre to deliver improved operations, deeper insights, and a more responsive capability. Thanks to its products, clients have been granted the power to process data at the source, without having to concern themselves with limitations. Bento and Pizza can be deployed anywhere, making it a no-brainer for anyone seeking a transformation in their data management processes. Cachengo has amassed an impressive array of partnerships and collaborators, and has touched a variety of industries. From schools in Texas now utilising its systems, to being frequently featured on major US news outlets such as CBS News and AMC’s NewsWatch, Cachengo has definitely made its mark throughout the nation. In addition, it’s collaborated with some of the largest names within AI, spanning from Stability AI and Supermicro to Ampere Computing and BeMotion. This long list of accomplishments demonstrates the effectiveness of Cachengo’s innovation, and how its products are starting to shape the world on a monumental scale. Through both Bento and Pizza, Cachengo has managed to mark a huge shift in the way data is handled. By working within video intelligence and transportation, it has accomplished feats that no other computer companies have been able to achieve. From real-time weapon detection to camera control and safety monitoring, Cachengo provides a means for clients to keep sensitive video data on the premises, all whilst enhancing streaming potential throughout its system’s solutions. As such, it demonstrates a huge improvement in response latency, granting customers access to immediate information, should the need arise. All of this culminates in a combination of products that truly have the power to set a new standard in the data sector. Cachengo is an Edge Computing company unlike any other. Its eye for innovation and acute awareness of the needs of a variety of industries sets it apart as an entity that’s exhibited how capable it is. Its products are nothing short of revolutionary, each lending to the success of a plethora of sectors. Data management has always been imperative, no matter a company’s size, and Cachengo has given everything to secure a means to protect data, all whilst promoting streamlined, effective services that outmatch the competition. Cachengo stands as an example of what can be accomplished, should the desire be great enough, and it’s for this reason that it has managed to rise to such staggering heights. We’re incredibly proud to present Cachengo with the title of Best HighTech Computer Hardware Manufacturer 2023 – USA. Its products have already made an undeniable difference in the way data is managed via Edge Computing, and with its versatility and affordability, there’s no doubt in our minds that it will continue to do so as we advance towards the future of technology. Cachengo understands how to leverage all of the latest technology in order to make something great, and make something great it has. Contact: Ash Young Company: Cachengo Web Address: https://cachengo.com/
Intelligent Storage at the Edge
10 | Acquisition International, Issue 10 2023 Jeffrey Liu: Leading Intellectual Property Protection Lawyer- China Based in Beijing, Corner Stone & Partners is a boutique law firm that specialises in matters related to intellectual property, offering a range of high-quality services. Behind the firm is a team of exceptional Partners, including Senior Partners like Jeffrey Liu. For his work, Jeffrey has been awarded the title of Leading Intellectual Property Protection Lawyer of the Year, China, in the Leading Adviser Awards 2023. Contact: Will Chen Company: Corner Stone & Partners Web Address: http://www.cornerstoneip.com.cn/en/ Serving a client base that primarily consists of well-known domestic, international, and multinational enterprises, law firms, and property agencies, Corner Stone & Partners provides services related to prosecution and enforcement of trademarks, patents, and copyrights. The firm also offers assistance with domain name registration and enforcement, customs related matters, and unfair competition claims. Since its establishment in 2010, its clients have included companies like Nestle, L’Oréal, Nespresso, Bosch, Estée Lauder, and more. The excellent team at Corner Stone & Partners consists of experienced professionals who are dedicated to delivering an unparalleled standard of service. They work hard to provide clients with high-quality solutions that effectively address their intellectual property needs. Over the years, Corner Stone & Partners has received a number of awards in recognition of its outstanding services. For example, in the 2018 to 2019 period, the firm was named Elite Law Firm For Trademark Administrative Litigation in China. Later, for its work in 2020 to 2021, it placed in the Top 10 Firms on IP Litigation. Moreover, between 2022 and 2023, it was recognised in the Top 10 Cases list by QBPC (Quality Brands Protection Committee of China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment). Additionally, in 2023, Corner Stone & Partners went on to place in China’s Top 10 Trademark Firms and win a China Business Law Award. Lastly, it has been recognised in the Top 10 Law Firms in Fighting against Infringement and Counterfeits in China. Furthermore, Corner Stone & Partners is a proud member of INTA (International Trademark Association), ECTA (European Community Trademark Association), MARQUES (Association of European Trade Mark Owners), AIPPI (Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle), CTA (China Trademark Association), ACLA (All China Lawyers Association), and BLA (Beijing Lawyers Association). The success of Corner Stone & Partners is driven by its team of legal experts, consisting of Senior Partners, Partners, and Attorneys. One of the firm’s Senior Partners is Jeffrey Liu, an established trademark attorney who has two master’s degrees, one in law from Renmin University of China and one in management from Massey University. For over 20 years, Jeffrey has worked in the field of Intellectual Property, gaining extensive experience across trademark prosecution, investigations involving infringement and counterfeiting, as well as administrative and criminal enforcement. With extensive domestic and international business and legal experience, Jeffrey is the international ambassador of Corner Stone & Partners as well as its key strategist for complex international cases. Through this, along with his focus on exceptional client care, he lays the groundwork for the firm’s global footprint. As a result of his continued excellence, Jeffrey Liu has been awarded Leading Intellectual Property Protection Lawyer of the Year, China, in the Leading Adviser Awards 2023. We are delighted to congratulate him on this exceptional achievement and wish him the best of luck in the years to come. Aug23451
Issue 10 2023, Acquisition International | 11 A Pioneering Pensions Partner in the German De-Risking Market ension buyouts work by separating pension liabilities from an existing operating company, and its balance sheet, to instead transfer the risks to a so-called pensioner company. It helps operating companies to curtail typical pension risk, which was often not properly analysed in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Pension buyouts have a long-standing heritage in the Western world as a risk management concept and well-known British and German companies have used it in the context of their UK-liabilities. German companies are increasingly becoming aware of the advantages associated with such a de-risking solution. As such, VEDRA Pensions has established a key market in Germany and been a key player on the market since 2016. VEDRA’s approach is based on a long-term view on core risks, transparency of decision making, and a strong emphasize on cash-flow principles. VEDRA’s dependability lies at the very heart of its ethos, and serves as the major factor when it comes to customers trusting VEDRA with their pensioners. Its innovative power comes from its careful approach to structuring successful pension buyouts, characterised by an extraordinary degree of adaptability, innovation, and receptiveness to the wishes and needs of its valued clients whilst at the same time minimizing shortfall risks within the pension operations. This is a spirit that’s ever-present in VEDRA’s dedication to aiding clients in the complete de-risking of pensions liabilities, facilitating the reduction of financial and market risks, and providing a release from administrative burdens. Whether it’s through its day-to-day tasks, operations, or vigilant overseeing of its platform partners, it constantly upholds this standard. Finally, transparency is a value that is central to the core of VEDRA’s business, and something it sees it as being the very foundation stone of trust. To ensure transparency, it remains resolute in its commitment to fostering open and honest communication in every interaction it has, with each and every stakeholder. In 2016, VEDRA introduced the concept of pension buyouts to the German market. It has since established itself as the market leader in this segment, with notable milestones that include orchestrating the inaugural acquisition of pension liabilities through the carve-out of a publicly listed enterprise, and pioneering the acquisition of pension liabilities within a private equity M&A framework. It closely collaborates with a meticulously curated team of experts in administration, legal and actuarial services, and asset management to ensure clients and pension beneficiaries are provided with optimal outcomes. It deeply values any opportunity to generate interest in the buyout concept, which still has something of a nascent nature in Germany. Even so, this is an era where many enterprises are becoming aware of the risks posed by their pension obligations, which means that it is an opportune moment for proactive measures to be introduced. VEDRA Pensions can undertake the management and administration of existing and forthcoming pension payments through prudent, long-term capital investments. Its long-standing experience in overseeing liquidity management, strategic asset allocation, and the curation of investment cooperations is extremely beneficial, with its valued clients standing to gain profoundly from its wealth of pertinent knowledge and experience. It also boasts agile structure, streamlining its business framework, and allowing it to initiate action proactively rather than merely responding to circumstances as and when they happen. Its primary objective always remains as being to secure the long-term fulfilment of pension commitments. This, combined with its entrepreneurial spirit, allows the de-risking solutions provided by VEDRA Pensions the capacity to mitigate primary risks and liabilities, and encompass longevity, fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, and notably, asset performance for solutions that yield enduring and direct enhancements to a company’s balance sheet. Company: VEDRA Pensions GmbH Web Address: www.vedra-group.com 4.358 Zeichen Since 2016 VEDRA Pensions has been a trailblazer within the pension buyout de-risking solutions market in Germany. It has recently been announced as the Most Pioneering Pension Buyout Market Specialists 2023 – Germany, in the Acquisition International Global Excellence Awards, in light of which, we took the opportunity to find out a little more about what the company does. P Aug23028
Aug22499 12 | Acquisition International, Issue 10 2023 Aug23256 Most Innovative Market Research Services Firm 2023 - USA lack Book Market Research has been recognised as a Top 25 international market research niche firm. It offers unbiased crowd-sourced surveying to technology, healthcare, pharmaceutical, higher education, finance, and business services sectors. The company’s comprehensive comparison data is sourced from the industry’s primary solutions vendors. Black Book Market Research is the largest user opinion poll of its kind in healthcare IT, collecting over two million viewpoints on information technology and vendor performance annually. Founder of Black Book Market Research, Doug Brown previously held roles as a hospital administrator, an executive for a managed-care organisation, a leading sales-and-marketing executive and a corporate officer with a healthcare IT vendor. Doug found commercial success in 2009 when he sold his first company, global outsourcing and offshoring industry research firm Brown Wilson Group. A global leader in technology and services marketing, Doug Brown’s expertise extends to many sectors including healthcare, business development, market share growth, customer satisfaction surveys, loyalty assessment, and qualitative market research. Under Doug’s talented leadership, Black Book Market Research has gained acclaim as an Inc 5000 company for being one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. for four consecutive years. The research company has experienced exponential growth over the past decade. Black Book Market Research prides itself on its integrity, transparency, and ability to meet clients with a commercial model tailored to meet the needs of buyers, investors, analysts, and vendors. Its industrious, dedicated team consistently aims to exceed expectations through delivering exceptional customer service for its valued clientele. Its new, innovative data platform with AI capabilities now offers buyers of competitive research a coherent purchasing technology, currently unrivalled in the healthcare industry. The platform is able to generate product acquisition evidence, ensuring a maximum return on clients’ data investments. It allows customers to make accurate purchasing decisions and capture user insights in real-time. The business is unique in its use of AI real-time insights to offer a data-on-demand service for clients. Black Book Market Research has been working with Google to launch its market research revolutionising product. The data platform looks to keep up with the pace and scale of healthcare data analytics using AI and machine learning technology. AI is currently transforming the landscape of qualitative research, increasing accuracy and efficiency to change the way that researchers conduct their studies. Black Book Market Research is currently the only healthcare market research firm infiltrating AI technology into its business, streamlining the future of healthcare. Algorithms are able to predict future trends and consumer behaviour to influence product development, software needs, marketing strategies, and cost decisions. Its predictable analytics models impact how clinicians, start-ups, suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and care professionals conduct their daily practices and improve the quality of patient care. With innovative AI technology offering unmatched report-writing capabilities, data visualisation, and brand tracking, Black Book Market Research is an internationally recognised leader in the fields of market and public opinion research. The company is set to further impact the industry, offering a state-of-the-art subscriber model data platform launching at the beginning of 2024. The accomplishments of Black Book Market Research cannot be overstated. The company looks forward to further growth and success as it continues to revolutionise the healthcare industry. Contact: Doug Brown Company: Black Book Market Research LLC Web Address: www.blackbookmarketresearch.com Polling the client experience for over two million healthcare software and service users, Black Book Market Research is a healthcarecentric market research and public opinion research company. The business has earnt a respected reputation as a premier provider of competitive intelligence and have now served over 12,000 clients including the nation’s top financial institutions, largest hospitals, and leading technology firms. B
Issue 10 2023, Acquisition International | 13 his commitment to delivering practical yet legally robust solutions. In his work, he strives to strike a balance between adhering to legal principles and providing clients with actionable strategies that align with their business goals and objectives. Koen understands that each client he serves and each case he takes on is unique. He believes in gaining a thorough and comprehensive overview of the situation by considering all relevant legal aspects, industry-specific nuances, and the specific needs and preferences of the client. With this holistic perspective, he can craft tailored strategies that not only comply with the law but also align with the client’s broader objectives. Furthermore, Koen leverages his extensive experience and depth of knowledge to foresee potential challenges and proactively address them, minimising risks and maximising opportunities for his clients. He maintains a strong belief in clear and open communication, so he strives to keep them informed at every stage of the process by ensuring they have a clear understanding of the options, risks, and potential outcomes. This fosters trust with clients and empowers them to make informed decisions. As a result of his continued excellence over the years, Koen Hoornaert has been awarded Leading Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year, Belgium, in the Leading Adviser Awards 2023. We sincerely congratulate him on this achievement and wish him the best of luck in the years to come. Company: Van Olmen & Wynant Contact: Koen Hoornaert Email: koen.hoornaert@vow.be Web Address: www.vow.be/en Koen Hoornaert: Belgium’s Leading Corporate Law Lawyer Established in 1993, Van Olmen & Wynant is equipped with distinctive expertise in the areas of private equity and venture capital, as well as civil servants law. The firm aims to serve with empathy and trust, combining unrivalled professionalism with a personal and pragmatic approach. Through this, it forms long-term, personal relationships with its clients. As well as this, thanks to its location in Brussels, the firm benefits from a superb network of international contacts and close working relationships with high quality law firms across the globe. Since its inception, Van Olmen & Wynant has maintained a “double niche approach”, with its two main fields of practice being employment law and corporate law. This strategy firstly enables the firm to specialise deeply in its chosen areas of focus to provide clients with highly tailored and expert advice. Secondly, it allows for agility and flexibility, meaning the firm can adapt and craft personalised solutions that suit the unique needs of its clients. It can also remain up to date with developments in each area to provide the best and most relevant solutions. Van Olmen & Wynant primarily offers a comprehensive range of services within the fields of corporate law, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial litigation. Its team of 16 enthusiastic and highly skilled corporate lawyers work hard to provide top-tier legal solutions to a diverse client base, including entrepreneurial start-ups, family businesses, medium and large corporations, as well as funds, financial institutions, and investment banks. This team of legal experts is led by Founder Luc Wynant alongside Koen Hoornaert, a leading corporate lawyer who currently serves as a Partner at Van Olmen & Wynant. Koen comments, “Every individual within our team possesses a unique set of skills and a profound work ethic. Our team’s collective knowledge and proficiency are invaluable assets. These professionals collaborate seamlessly to deliver comprehensive legal services that transcend individual capabilities. Their ability to work cohesively and synergistically ensures that we provide clients with holistic, multifaceted solutions to complex legal challenges.” In 2011, Koen began his legal career by gaining admission to both the Brussels bar and the New York State bar. Since then, he is proud to have accumulated extensive experience across various aspects of corporate law, with a strong emphasis on Belgian and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, as well as private equity matters. Over the years, Koen has advised a wide spectrum of clients, guiding them through intricate legal matters such as share and asset acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, corporate reorganisations, corporate governance, and general corporate law inquiries. He has also developed a particular focus on assisting family businesses, along with their shareholders and directors, which has added a unique dimension to his legal practice. Today, at Van Olmen & Wynant, Koen continues to assist clients in all aspects of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital. When representing a case or dealing with an issue, his philosophy is rooted in Based in Brussels, Van Olmen & Wynant is an independent law firm that offers quality services with a personal touch, primarily assisting business clients in employment and corporate law. The firm’s team consists of numerous experienced, multilingual professionals, including Partner Koen Hoornaert, who has been awarded Leading Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year, Belgium, in the Leading Adviser Awards 2023. Aug23617
14 | Acquisition International, Issue 10 2023 Healthcare Consultancy Group: Reimagining Medical Communications This latest award complements HCG’s two recent and impressive awards – “Medical Affairs Agency of the Year” at the 2023 Communique Awards and “Medical Communications, Education or Affairs Agency of the Year” at the 2023 Medical Marketing & Media Awards – the two most prestigious awards in the medical communications sector. Medical communications are designed to stimulate awareness and discussion about new medical devices, drugs, and treatments. By nature, medical communications are centred around transformation, driving change through science, data, and technology. Today, their role is undergoing significant transformation as they take the position at the front and centre of the pharmaceutical industry’s strategic mission. Primarily, HCG’s goal is to reimagine medical communications. To this end, it works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology medical affairs, commercial, publications, and regulatory teams, from early development stages to postlaunch. “We like to think of this reimagination as taking medical science on a three-part journey,” comments Matt D’Auria, Global CEO of HCG. “Shape – Engage – Reach.” At HCG, this journey begins with shaping the science. Powered by the expertise of more than 1,000 staff members, HCG works to shape complex data into impactful stories and innovative narratives with messages that resonate. Secondly, HCG strives to foster the engagement of healthcare professionals with scientifically relevant visualisations and meaningful creative emotion and expression. It brings together focused visual stories and credible data to produce content that sparks curiosity and holds attention, with steadfast humancentric and audience-focused narratives. Lastly, HCG reaches its audience through the latest technologies, ensuring that they get the right message at the right time via the channel they prefer. With intelligent design systems, HCG reaches healthcare professionals at all stages of their journey. With more than 100 strong partnerships with clients, HCG is driven by four key pillars: people, vision, collaboration, and innovation. Whilst the medical communications industry is continually evolving, the agency’s values and vision have remained constant since its establishment. It maintains an unwavering focus on the end patient, working to serve as a people-centric organisation with a steadfast vision of bringing clients’ useful medicines closer to the patients who need them. As part of the Omnicom Health Group, HCG brings to its clients the power of a network of diverse, healthcare-focused companies, consisting of more than 4,500 experts across the globe with the unique ability to create distinct local and international activations. The organisation is equipped with an incredible army of more than 350 PhDs, MDs, and PharmDs, who collaborate seamlessly with the HCG Engagement group, a digital and creative powerhouse of over 150 digital and creative experts, to engage healthcare professionals. Powered by a fusion of science, digitalisation, and creativity, the work HCG does is underpinned by a culture of curiosity and innovation, which is spearheaded by 100 catalysts within its Innovation Group. This pioneering group drives the changes needed to meet the ever-evolving needs of the healthcare professional audience. In the last 12 months alone, they have gained 2 new innovations per week for clients and delivered 10 innovation client workshops. Furthermore, with innovation at its core, HCG is driven to adopt the latest technologies and Healthcare Consultancy Group (HCG) is a medical communications agency made up of seven agencies united by one common goal: to bring clients’ medicines closer to the patients who need them by accelerating product understanding and acceptance. For its outstanding work, HCG has been awarded Best Medical Communications Agency, New York, in the Global Excellence Awards 2023. T Aug23563 innovative approaches from across industries to facilitate transformation across medical communications. The organisation sees AI as an essential path to digital transformation, so it strives to pioneer the way by investing in cuttingedge technology and partnerships. While its client partners are adopting AI-powered content automation to aid their efficient creation and dissemination of key data across channels, HCG’s strategy and focus is far greater. The agency is bringing the power of Omnicom to align the integration of AI into businesses in the short, medium, and long term in order to increase efficiencies for its clients, enhance their capabilities, and drive the broader transformation of industry approaches. HCG is enthused by the possibilities presented by the integration of AI and believes that there is boundless potential for clients and patients to benefit from its use. By defining its strategies and investments today, the organisation will be prepared for the rise in prevalence of AI across the industry. Furthermore, HCG is equipped with an AI Task Force, which is dedicated to highlighting the impact of AI within both scientific and medical communications. The team works to leverage opportunities to integrate AI into the agency’s operations and client offerings. This ensures that HCG continues to lead medical communications professionals across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with transformational examples of future thinking, innovation, and communication excellence. Alongside AI, HCG is also focused on leveraging the latest technologies in order to reach its audiences. It harnesses the unique power of KOLs and DOLs, which bolster the authority and credibility of the pharmaceutical industry’s scientific data across channels. The organisation actively creates
content with DOLs, utilising its network across social channels to ensure that information reaches healthcare professionals effectively. As a result of its commitment to the transformation of the medical communications industry, Healthcare Consultancy Group (HCG) has been awarded Best Medical Communications Agency, New York, in the Global Excellence Awards 2023. In the years to come, HCG plans to continue exploring new and better ways in which it can craft evidence-based stories that define the role of new medicines. HCG continually keeps its eye to the future and its strategy people-centric. One such example is how HCG is currently working to equip numerous employees who have one to three years of existing agency experience with innovation expertise through its new Innovation Rookie Club. Overall, HCG does not passively await industry trends, but rather lives in a homeostatic state of transformation. The organisation’s research, thought development, and innovation is driven by HCG FUTURUM, a global future-focused think-tank initiative, as well as its expert task forces that span across key areas like Health Disparities & Inequities, Artificial Intelligence, Metaverse, Omnichannel, Genetic Medicine, and Generational Engagement. With ambitious plans, there is no doubt that HCG looks towards a bright future. We congratulate the agency on its impressive success in this year’s Global Excellence Awards and wish it the best of luck in all its endeavours. Contact: Matt D’Auria Company: Healthcare Consultancy Group Email: info@hcg-int.com
16 | Acquisition International, Issue 10 2023 Rafael Gonçalves: Leading Family and Succession Lawyer Rafael Gonçalves Law Office is a law firm that provides consultation and legal advice related to the areas of family rights, succession law, business law, and more. The company was established by CEO Rafael Gonçalves, an experienced legal professional, who has been awarded Leading Family & Succession Lawyer of the Year, Brazil, in the Leading Adviser Awards 2023. Contact: Rafael Gonçalves Law Office Company: Rafael Gonçalves Web Address: www.rafaelgoncalvesadvocacia.com.br As a highly qualified lawyer, Rafael Gonçalves obtained his degree in law at the Universitário da Fundação Educacional Guaxupé (UNIFEG) in Minas Gerais. Following this, he went on to obtain a postgraduate degree in civil procedural law, estate and succession planning, and advocacy for women, mastering in mediation and alternative conflict resolution. Today, Rafael practices law in the areas of family and succession, domestic violence, business law with a focus on family holding, public law, and extrajudicial advocacy. He also specialises in legal psychology with an emphasis on behaviours. Impressively, Rafael is proud to have been appointed vice president of the Family Law Commission, specifically the 41st subsection of the OAB/MG, both in 2019/2021 and 2021/2023. Today, he remains an effective member of IBDFAM and the OAB/MG Family Law Commission. As well as this, Rafael has written several articles in the area of family law and currently serves as professor of both the Legal Marketing course and the Extraordinary Lawyer (EAD) course at IDS América Latina. At Rafael Gonçalves Law Office, Rafael works alongside a specialised team who deliver differentiated services to their clients. The team have nine particular areas of expertise, including family rights, civil rights, succession law, business law, international rights, and social security law. As a result of their unrivalled standard of work, Rafael is proud that the Rafael Gonçalves Law Office team have received a number of prestigious accolades. For example, in 2019, they were elected by ANCEC to receive a National Reference in the advocacy and justice category. A year later, the firm also obtained the Gold Seal in the advocacy category. In addition to these accomplishments, Rafael Gonçalves Law Office was awarded the “Latin American Quality” recognition for excellence in service, innovation, and social action, as well as the method it utilises in order to resolve family conflicts. Moreover, as a result of his excellent services and provision of legal education, Rafael himself has received a multitude of praise over the years. For example, Andressa Rangel comments, “Best lawyer I’ve ever met. In addition to his receptivity, he has confidence and responsibility in what he does, leaving us completely at peace with his work and dedication. Not to mention that he helps countless mothers who are lost without knowing what to do through social media for free.” In light of this exceptional feedback, it is no surprise that Rafael Gonçalves has been recognised with yet another prestigious accolade. In the Leading Adviser Awards 2023, he has been named Brazil’s Leading Family & Succession Lawyer of the Year. We congratulate Rafael on this commendable accomplishment. With a track record of success behind him, there is no doubt that he will go on to accomplish great things throughout the rest of his career, and we look forward to seeing what his future holds. Aug23410
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