Wolters Kluwer breaks acquisition streak with sale of two Aspen titles to Wicks Business Info.

Aspen Law & Business parent company Wolters Kluwer North America continues its vigorous shuffling buying and selling of newsletter properties.

In February Wolters Kluwer acquired National Media Technologies Inc. and made it part of its CCH Incorporated, Rivers-wood, Illinois (NL/NL 3/15/02). In April it acquired Compliance Tools Inc. and added it to CCH (NL/NL 4/15/02).

In May the company announced the purchase of a series of financial management titles from Prentice Hall Direct, which became part of Aspen Law & Business--as well as the purchase of Intercounty Clearance Corporation, which it added to CCH Legal Information Services (NL/NL 5/17/02).

Also in May, Wolters Kluwer acquired Charles D. Spencer & Associates (NL/NL 5/31/02).

In June it transferred 16 of Aspen's health newsletters to a sister Wolters Kluwer company, Lippencott, Williams & Wilkens, and reportedly has the remaining Aspen health properties on the block (NL/NL 6/15/02).

In its latest move, Wolters Kluwer has sold two of Aspen Law & Business's newsletters to Wicks Business Information LLC (WBI). Essential Assistant and Leadership for the Front Lines will become part of WBI's Briefings Publishing Group's Management Information Division.

Michelle Cox, president of MID and group publisher of BPG, says, "Each newsletter closely aligns with our market focus and enjoys an excellent reputation with its readership. We're looking forward to adding these publications to our portfolio and expanding the resourcefulness of our product line--up".

(Perhaps facilitating the sale is the fact that Aspen and Briefings both have offices in the same building at 1101 King Street in Alexandria, Virginia.)

Aspen, 125 Eugene O'Neill Dr., #103, New London, CT 06320, 860-442-4365

BPG., 1101 King St., #110, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-518-2312, www.briefings.com