Sheshunoff Information sold to Thompson Publishing Group.

Thompson Publishing Group (Washington, D.C.), a publisher of regulatory compliance newsletters and reports for the business, government, legal and academic sectors, has acquired Sheshunoff Information Services (SIS; Austin, TX) from company founders Gabrielle Sheshunoff, other management and investment firm Austin Ventures (Austin, TX). No terms of the deal were given.

The sellers had reacquired SIS from Thomson Media (Stamford, CT) in May 2004 after selling the company they established in 1972 to Thomson in 1988. SIS provides financial information for professionals in the banking and thrift industries as well as training courses and electronic products and solutions for financial institutions. The assets of A.S. Pratt (Arlington, VA) were acquired by Thomson Media and added to SIS in 1995.

SIS offers performance data and regulatory reporting software to banks, credit unions, thrifts, corporations, and accounting, investment and related firms through a variety of formats, including newsletters, books, loose-leaf services, online resources and CDs. The company's subscription newsletters include such titles as "Bank Fraud & IT Security Report," "Bank Regulatory Compliance Alert," "CRA/Fair Lending Bulletin" and "Financial Privacy Alert." Pratt publications target attorneys in commercial and banking practices, financial institution in-house counsel, mortgage banking professionals, corporate treasurers and financial advisors. SIS has about 140 employees.

Sheshunoff and Thompson will operate as separate, independent units. The headquarters of Sheshunoff will remain in Austin. Gabrielle Sheshunoff said ownership was not looking to sell the company but that Thompson made an offer that SIS "couldn't refuse."

"For the employees of SIS, there are some synergies between the two companies. They [TPG] fully intend to leave SIS intact and take advantage of some of the resources SIS has built in marketing and production," says Tom Smith, a board member of Sheshunoff Information Services and president of Sheshunoff Management Services, Inc. (SMS). SMS, which provides consulting and risk management services for banks, wasn't part of the Thompson deal and is separate from Sheshunoff Information Services.

Thompson produces materials to help professionals in tracking and complying with regulatory mandates in such areas as human resources, pensions and benefits, education, grants, the FDA, energy, the environment, health care and government.