Quantum Discovery LLC, a digital-data firm based in New London that helps lawyers identify key documents, announced today the acquisition of Indianapolis-based Preferred Imaging, a litigation-support provider that serves legal departments in the Midwest.

Matt McCormack, chief executive of Quantum Discovery, said Preferred Imaging, which has fewer than 10 employees but some major clients in areas such as Chicago and Indianapolis, was a good fit with his 2-year-old firm.

“The company has longstanding client relationships, a respected name in the Indianapolis marketplace and significant (electronic-document) discovery experience and bench strength,” McCormack said in a statement.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

McCormack said his company is currently adding two employees to its New London office, bringing the total staff there to 15.

“We’re hiring to support our growing customer base,” McCormack said.

Quantum Discovery, which specializes in services for corporate legal departments, helps lawyers for major multinational corporations sift through the thousands of pages of documents required to try a case. Using licensed “predictive-coding” software, the company can identify documents most likely to turn up information that is important to a specific case.

Brett Crist, president of the 14-year-old Preferred Imaging, said Quantum Discovery’s platform for culling through documents, called Viewpoint, will help his company increase the level of services for its clients.

“With Viewpoint, clients can simplify the collection, processing, analysis, review and management of data across complex information sources, including social media, servers, email and desktops,” Crist said in a statement.

McCormack added that Viewpoint can process data up to five times faster than similar types of software, allowing clients to analyze important data quickly.

Preferred Imaging and its staff will remain intact in Indianapolis.

McCormack said that he may continue to make strategic acquisitions in the future, but wants to make sure to retain the culture of a boutique operation. He said a satellite office on the West Coast wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility in the next year or so.

“You have to do it strategically,” McCormack said.

l.howard@theday.com