NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, May 12, 2014: Varsity Healthcare Partners, a healthcare services-focused private equity investment firm, announced today that in partnership with management, it has acquired Katzen Eye Group, one of the nation’s largest vertically integrated ophthalmologic and optometric services practices, and together will form EyeCare Services Partners Holdings LLC (ESP). ESP will consolidate locally dominant, clinically differentiated vision care services practices and affiliated surgical centers in selected geographies, leveraging the technology platform, managerial infrastructure, and clinical processes of Katzen Eye Group. VHP is making the ESP investment from its Varsity Healthcare Partners I vehicle. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Morgan Lewis represented Varsity Healthcare Partners in the acquisitions by its affiliates of a majority interest in Katzen. The Morgan Lewis team was led by Business and Finance Practice partner Jonathan Morris and Healthcare Practice partner Joyce Cowan. Also assisting on the transaction were Business and Finance associates James Fang, Andrew Milano, Jessica Berkey and Nicholas Mueller, and Healthcare associates Anthony Choe, Heather Deixler, Jacob Harper, and Tamara Senikidze, Tax partner Richard Zarin, Intellectual Property Practice partner Karen Butcher; Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation of counsel Randall McGeorge, Real Estate partner Tracy Steele, and Business and Finance partner Patricia Brennan.
For further information, please see Varsity Healthcare’s press release.