Charles Russell Speechlys has advised the Civica Group (an investee company of OMERS Private Equity) on its latest acquisition of Abritas Ltd (Abritas), a software and website development company specialising in the social housing sector.

Based in Reading, Abritas provides web-based application software and related services for the UK social housing sector. Its software-as-a-service solutions are used by more than 170 local authorities and housing associations to provide social housing needs, options and lettings services for tenants, including an online mutual exchange tool to help tenants swap homes.

The acquisition brings new specialist capability, strengthening the Civica Group’s ability to support improved and more efficient tenant services and help address homelessness.

The Charles Russell Speechlys core team comprised Corporate Partner and Head of Private Equity Malcolm MacDougall, Corporate Associates Lucy Scott and Hannah Dawson, Corporate Tax Senior Associate Robert Birchall, and members of the firm’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Intellectual Property teams.