Wolters Kluwer

Jan-Berend Wolters founded the Schoolbook publishing house in Groningen, Netherlands, in 1836.{{cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/wolters-kluwer-nv-history/|title=Wolters Kluwer History|access-date=April 16, 2015}} In 1858, the Noordhoff publishing house was founded alongside the Schoolbook publishing house. The two publishing houses merged in 1968. Wolters-Noordhoff merged with Information and Communications Union (ICU) in 1972 and took the name ICU. ICU acquired Croner in 1977, ICU changed its name to Wolters-Samsom in 1983. The company began serving foreign law firms and multinational companies in China in 1985.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-31/wolters-kluwer-says-explosive-china-growth-fuels-sales-for-law-firms.html|title=Wolters Kluwer Says 'Explosive' China Legal Growth Fuels Sales|website=Bloomberg News |date=August 30, 2010|access-date=April 16, 2015}} In 1987, Elsevier, the largest publishing house in the Netherlands, announced its intentions to buy up Kluwer's stock. Kluwer merged with Wolters-Samsom to fend off Elsevier's take-over bid and formed Wolters Kluwer.{{cite news|title=Kluwer and Wolters Samsom Groep, the two Dutch publishing groups planning to merge, have announced that their merger intentions pre-dated the Elsevier takeover bid|date=June 18, 1987|publisher=Textline Multiple Source Collection}} The merger made Wolters Kluwer the second-largest publishing house in the Netherlands.

After the merger, Wolters Kluwer began expanding internationally with the purchase of IPSOA Editore, Kieser Verlag, Technipublicaciones and Tele Consulte in 1989.{{cite web|url=http://www.ulib.niu.edu/publishers/kluwer.htm|title=Wolters Kluwer|access-date=April 16, 2015}} By the end of the year, Wolters Kluwer expanded its presence to Spain, West Germany and France. The company also launched LEX, its legal information system, in Poland.{{cite web|url=http://www.paralegalalliance.com/wolters-kluwer-law-and-business-advantages-and-disadvantages/#axzz3Cjwn4H3s|title=Wolters Kluwer Law and Business Advantages and Disadvantages|date=February 5, 2013|access-date=April 16, 2015}} In 1989, 44% of the company's revenue was earned in foreign markets.

The following year, Wolters Kluwer purchased J. B. Lippincott & Co. from HarperCollins. The company acquired Liber, a Swedish educational publishing company, in 1993.{{cite web | url=https://ikpartners.com/investments/liber/ | title=Liber I Private Equity Investment I Mid Cap I IK Partners }} The following year it established its first Eastern European subsidiary, IURA Edition, in Bratislava, Slovakia. The company acquired Jugend & Volk, Dalian, Fateco Fîrlag and Juristfîrlaget, Deutscher Kommunal-Verlag Dr. Naujoks & Behrendt and Colex Data in 1995. Wolters Kluwer was operating in 16 countries and had approximately, 8000 employees by the end of that year.

In 1994, Wolters Kluwer expanded its US legal business by acquiring Prentice Hall Law & Business from Simon & Schuster.{{Cite web| title = S&S sells two peripheral assets| work = Publishers Weekly| access-date = 2019-10-15| date = 1994-11-28| url = http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A15907600/LitRC?sid=googlescholar}}{{Cite news| pages = 3| last = Benjamin| first = Jeff| title = Aspen buys Prentice Hall Journals| work = The Daily Record| location = Baltimore, Md., United States| accessdate = 2021-07-06| date = 1994-11-23| url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/389921776| id = {{ProQuest|389921776}}}} In 1995, Wolters Kluwer acquired CT Corporation. The following year, it purchased CCH Inc., a tax and business materials' publisher, for $1.9 billion. The purchase assisted in expanding the company's business in Asia because of CCH Inc.'s involvement in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. It also purchased Little, Brown and Company's medical and legal division that year. John Wiley & Son's legal division was purchased in 1997.{{Cite news| issn = 1531-2607| pages = –1| last1 = Bean| first1 = Joanna| last2 = GAZETTE| first2 = THE| title = Publisher plans to buy Wiley Law operation/ Deal probably will result in layoffs for most of the 44 employees in Springs division| work = The Gazette; Colorado Springs, Colo.| location = Colorado Springs, Colo., United States, Colorado Springs, Colo.| date = 1997-09-17| id = {{ProQuest|268129585}}}} Waverly, Inc., Ovid Technologies, Inc. and Plenum Publishing Corporation were acquired in 1998 with the intention of developing Wolters Kluwer's medical and scientific publishing industry.

In 2002, Wolters Kluwer sold Kluwer Academic Publishers to the private equity firms Cinven and Candover Investments.{{Cite web| last = Poynder| first = Richard| title = Kluwer Academic Publishers Sold to Venture Capitalists| access-date = 2018-04-25| date = 2002-11-04| url = http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/Kluwer-Academic-Publishers-Sold-to-Venture-Capitalists-17055.asp}} (It is now part of Springer).{{Cite web| last = Poynder| first = Richard| title = BertelsmannSpringer Is Sold to Private Equity Firms| access-date = 2018-04-25| date = 2003-05-27| url = http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/BertelsmannSpringer-Is-Sold-to-Private-Equity-Firms-16696.asp}} The company established its first three-year strategy to deliver sustained value to customers and shareholders in 2003. The New Delhi Wolters Kluwer Health office opened in 2006. In 2007, Wolters Kluwer Education was sold to Bridgepoint Capital.{{Cite web| title = Bridgepoint acquires Wolters Kluwer Education. – Free Online Library| access-date = 2018-04-25| url = https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Bridgepoint+acquires+Wolters+Kluwer+Education.-a0162469771}} In September 2008, Wolters Kluwer acquired UpToDate, an evidence-based electronic clinical information resource.{{cite web|url=http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/wolters-kluwer-health-acquire-uptodate|title=Wolters Kluwer Health to acquire UpToDate|date=September 4, 2008|access-date=April 17, 2015}} The following month, the company received a multi-year contract to provide prescription and patient-level data to the United States Food and Drug Administration.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer gets FDA contract|date=November 5, 2008 |publisher=Pharma Marketletter}} In 2009, Wolters Kluwer was named the "Best Place to Work" in Spain by the Great Place to Work Institute.{{cite web|url=http://resources.greatplacetowork.com/news/pdf/uk's_best_workplaces_09.pdf|title=Who are the Best Workplaces in the UK and Europe|access-date=April 17, 2015}}

Wolters Kluwer acquired FRSGlobal, financial regulatory reporting and risk management firm in September 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.complianceweek.com/blogs/grc-announcements/wolters-kluwer-financial-services-acquires-frsglobal#.VA3X6fldVXY|title=Wolters Kluwer Financial Services Acquires FRSGlobal|date=September 24, 2010|access-date=April 17, 2015}} The acquisition enabled Wolters Kluwer to provide financial organizations comprehensive compliance and risk solutions.{{buzzword inline|date=October 2019}} The company acquired SASGAS, a financial reporting software solutions{{buzzword inline|date=October 2019}} provider, to the foreign and domestic bank market in China in October 2011.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer Financial Services acquires SASGAS|date=October 17, 2011|publisher=Corporate IT Update}} That December, Wolters Kluwer acquired Medknow, an open access publisher.{{cite news|url=http://in.reuters.com/article/wolters-kluwer-health-acquires-medknow-idINDEE7B608T20111207|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307034509/http://in.reuters.com/article/wolters-kluwer-health-acquires-medknow-idINDEE7B608T20111207|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 7, 2016|title=Wolters Kluwer Health acquires Medknow|date=December 7, 2011|access-date=April 17, 2015|newspaper=Reuters}} Also in 2011, Wolters Kluwer sold its pharmaceutical industry-related Marketing and Publishing Service division to Springer Science+Business Media, which led to a workforce reduction at its facility in Ambler, Pennsylvania, eventually leading to the site's closure in 2013.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21214491/medical_publisher_to_close_ambler_office/|title=Medical publisher to close Ambler office, move workers|last=DiStefano|first=Joseph N.|date=September 17, 2013|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|access-date=June 23, 2018|page=A14|via=Newspapers.com (Publisher Extra)}}

In 2012, Wolters Kluwer acquired Acclipse, an accounting software provider, and Finarch, an integrated finance and risk solutions.{{buzzword inline|date=October 2019}} The company's health division tested technology to identify and treat sepsis that December. Wolters Kluwer acquired Health Language, a medical terminology management provider, in January 2013. In May 2013, it acquired Prosoft Tecnologia, a Brazilian provider of tax and accounting software.{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2013/05/20/ma-and-ipos-6/|title=M&A and IPOs|date=May 20, 2013|access-date=April 17, 2015}} The company acquired CitizenHawk, an American online brand protection and global domain recovery specialist, in September 2013.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer unit takes over CitizenHawk|date=September 10, 2013|publisher=M&A Navigator}} That month, Wolters Kluwer acquired Svenson, an Austrian regulatory reporting solutions{{buzzword inline|date=October 2019}} provider.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer Financial Services closes buy of Svenson|date=September 2, 2013|publisher=Internet Business News}} The acquisition enabled both companies to assist Austrian banks and insurance companies in meeting national and international regulatory requirements.

The company became the fifth participant in the AAISalliance, an arrangement of information providers that make their services available for member insurance companies of the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) in April 2014.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer Becomes Fifth Participant in the AAISalliance|date=April 29, 2014|publisher=Insurance Broadcasting}} In May 2014, Wolters Kluwer launched UpToDate, a clinical decision support resource, in the United Kingdom.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer Health Brings Out UpToDate Anywhere in UK|date=May 30, 2014|publisher=Health & Beauty Close-Up}} UpToDate was launched throughout Western Europe a month later.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer Health launches UpToDate Anywhere in Western Europe|date=May 27, 2014|publisher=Worldwide Computer Products News}} Wolters Kluwer acquired Datacert, a Houston, Texas-based enterprise legal management software and services provider in April 2014.{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2014/04/08/deals-of-the-day-questcor-pharma-agrees-to-5-6-billion-deal/|title=Deals of the day: Questcor Pharma agrees to $5.6 billion deal|date=April 8, 2014|access-date=April 17, 2015}}

The company partnered with Anhembi Morumbi University, a private university in São Paulo, Brazil, to provide information and resources to healthcare students and professionals in June 2014.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer Health Taps Universidade Anhembi Morumbi to Introduce Drug Information Resources in Brazil|date=July 19, 2014|publisher=Professional Services Close-Up}} That month, the company's CCH eSign solution{{buzzword inline|date=October 2019}} won the CPA Practice Advisor Magazine's 2014 Tax & Accounting Technology Innovation Award.{{cite news|title=Wolters Kluwer, CCH eSign Solution Wins Prestigious Tax & Accounting Technology Innovation Award|date=June 3, 2014|publisher=India Investment News}} The solution{{buzzword inline|date=October 2019}} won the Software and Information Industry Association's "Best Enterprise Mobile Application" award that year.{{cite web|url=http://www.siia.net/codies/2014/finalists.asp|title=2014 Finalists|access-date=April 17, 2015}} The company partnered with Broadridge Tax Services in August 2014 to facilitate tax reporting and reconciliation.{{cite web|url=http://www.assetservicingtimes.com/assetservicesnews/article.php?article_id=4956#.U-ulafldVyU|title=Wolters Kluwer and Broadridge tackle tax compliance

|date=August 13, 2014|access-date=April 17, 2015}} In September, the company's UpToDate resource was released in Latin America.{{cite web|url=http://www.uptodate.com/home/wolters-kluwer-health-introduces-uptodate-anywhere-latin-america|title=Wolters Kluwer Health Introduces UpToDate Anywhere in Latin America|date=September 2, 2014|access-date=April 17, 2015}} That month the company extended its partnership with the American Internal Revenue Service.{{cite web|url=http://www.accountingtoday.com/accounting-technology/news/wolters-kluwer-chh-continues-irs-tech-partnership71970-1.html|title=Wolters Kluwer, CCH Continues IRS Tech Partnership|date=September 14, 2014|access-date=April 17, 2015}} 2014 marked the 15th year of their collaboration. In May 2016, the company acquired Enablon, a global provider of Environmental, Health, Safety & Sustainability and Operational Risk Management software and SaaS solutions{{buzzword inline|date=October 2019}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.verdantix.com/blog/wolters-kluwer-buys-enablon-another-corporate-giant-enters-into-the-eh-s-market|title=Wolters Kluwer Buys Enablon: Another Corporate Giant Enters into the EH&S Market|date=May 31, 2016}} Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory sold Croner Group to Peninsula Business Services in 2016 and sold Croner-i to Peninsula in 2017{{cite web | url=https://www.consultancy.uk/news/12048/cma-gives-green-light-for-peninsula-acquisition-of-croner-group | title=CMA gives green light for Peninsula acquisition of Croner Group | date=13 May 2016 }}{{cite news |title=Wolters Kluwer sells CCH Information to Peninsula subsidiary Croner-i |first=Sara |last=White |url= https://www.accountancylive.com/wolters-kluwer-sells-cch-information-peninsula-subsidiary-croner-i |newspaper=CCH Daily |date=2017-10-02 |access-date=2018-03-23 }}

In the United States, Wolters Kluwer's Legal & Regulatory Education (the education division of Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.) published casebooks and legal textbooks through its Aspen Publisher's, Inc. marquee.{{cite press release |title=Wolters Kluwer to divest its U.S. legal education business |date=2021-09-27 |publisher=Wolters Kluwer |url=https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-to-divest-its-us-legal-education-business |access-date=2022-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026003556/https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-to-divest-its-us-legal-education-business |archive-date=2021-10-26 |url-status=live}}{{cite book |title=Race, Rights, and Reparation: Law and the Japanese American Internment |first1=Eric K. |last1=Yamamoto |first2=Margaret |last2=Chon |first3=Carol L. |last3=Izumi |author-link3=Frank H. Wu#Personal life |first4=Jerry |last4=Kang |author-link4=Jerry Kang |first5=Frank H. |last5=Wu |author-link5=Frank H. Wu |year=2001 |publisher=Aspen Publishers, Inc. |location=Gaithersburg |isbn=0-7355-2393-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/racerightsrepara00yama/mode/2up |access-date=2022-08-23 |via=Internet Archive |url-access=limited}} In 2021, Transom Capital Group purchased the Education division for US$88 million, renaming the entire operation as the standalone Aspen Publishing.{{cite press release |title=Transom Capital Acquires Wolters Kluwer U.S. Legal Education Business |date=2021-12-02 |publisher=Transom Capital Group |url=https://transomcap.com/news/transom-capital-acquires-wolters-kluwer-u-s-legal-education-businessbusiness-goes-forward-as-aspen-publishing/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410125102/https://transomcap.com/news/transom-capital-acquires-wolters-kluwer-u-s-legal-education-businessbusiness-goes-forward-as-aspen-publishing/ |archive-date=2022-04-10 |url-status=live}}

In June 2022, Wolters Kluwer signed and completed an agreement to acquire Level Programs S.L., a provider of legal practice management software in Spain.{{Cite news |title=Ocumetics Technology Corp (OTC-X) Quote - Press Release |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/markets/stocks/OTC-X/pressreleases/8926128/wolters-kluwer-acquires-level-programs/ |access-date=2022-07-05}}

Wolters Kluwer operates under five divisions as of 2023:{{cite web|url=https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wk-appoints-divisional-ceos-creates-fifth-division-dedicated-to-corporate-performance-and-esg|title=Wolters Kluwer appoints divisional CEOs creates fifth division dedicated to Corporate Performance & ESG}}

• Legal & Regulatory
• Tax & Accounting
• Health
• Financial & Corporate Compliance
• Corporate Performance & ESG

The company is active in over 150 countries. 180 countries. 59% of the company’s total revenues came from Expert Solutions in 2024. {{Cite web |title=Wolters Kluwer releases 2024 Annual Report |url=https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-releases-2024-annual-report |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=www.wolterskluwer.com |language=en}}

Wolters Kluwer is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.{{cite web|url=https://www.euronext.com/en/content/wolters-kluwers-ongoing-commitment-sustainablity-recognized-dow-jones-sustainability-world-a|title=Wolters Kluwer's Ongoing Commitment to Sustainablity Recognized in Dow Jones Sustainability World and Europe Indexes 2010|date=September 9, 2010|access-date=April 17, 2015}} The company received the Bronze Class Sustainability Award 2014 from RobecoSAM.{{cite web|url=http://yearbook.robecosam.com/companies.html|title= RobecoSAM's Corporate Sustainability Assessment Companies|access-date=April 17, 2015}} Wolters Kluwer is recognized as one of the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World" by Corporate Knights.{{cite web|url=http://global100.org/global-100-index/|title=2015 GLOBAL 100|access-date=April 17, 2015}}

In September 2024, Lucina Uddin, a neuroscience professor at UCLA, sued Wolters Kluwer along with five other academic journal publishers in a proposed class-action lawsuit, alleging that the publishers violated antitrust law by agreeing not to compete against each other for manuscripts and by denying scholars payment for peer review services.{{Cite news |last=Scarcella |first=Mike |date=2024-09-13 |title=Academic publishers face class action over 'peer review' pay, other restrictions |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/academic-publishers-face-class-action-over-peer-review-pay-other-restrictions-2024-09-13/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240914212841/https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/academic-publishers-face-class-action-over-peer-review-pay-other-restrictions-2024-09-13/ |archive-date=2024-09-14 |access-date=2024-09-15 |work=Reuters}}{{Cite web |last=Abdur-Rahman |first=Sulaiman |date=2024-09-13 |title='Illegal Conspiracy'?: EDNY Antitrust Class Action Challenges Publishers' Unpaid Peer Review Rule |url=https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2024/09/13/illegal-conspiracy-edny-antitrust-class-action-challenges-publishers-unpaid-peer-review-rule/?slreturn=20240815103952 |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913230833/https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2024/09/13/illegal-conspiracy-edny-antitrust-class-action-challenges-publishers-unpaid-peer-review-rule/ |archive-date=2024-09-13 |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=New York Law Journal |language=en}}

{{Portal|Companies}}

• Books in the Netherlands
• Croner Group (a subsidiary from 1977 to 2015)
• European Business Law Review

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web |title=Wolters Kluwer Timeline |url=http://www.ulib.niu.edu/publishers/index.htm |work=The Academic Publishing Industry: A Story of Merger and Acquisition |author=Mary H. Munroe |year=2004 |via=Northern Illinois University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020153836/http://www.ulib.niu.edu/publishers/Holtzbrinck.htm |archive-date=2014-10-20 }}

{{AEX companies}}

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Category:Academic publishing companies

Category:Book publishing companies of the Netherlands

Category:Publishing companies established in 1836

Category:Legal publishers

Category:Companies listed on Euronext Amsterdam

Category:Companies in the AEX index

Category:Companies in the S&P Europe 350 Dividend Aristocrats

Category:Health information technology companies

Category:1836 establishments in the Netherlands

Category:Organisations based in Alphen aan den Rijn