MCR leaves AT&T

In a transaction flowing opposite the course taken by most acquisitions, managers of a small company have broken out of AT&T in order to accelerate their own growth.

Buyout firm Lau Technologies financed the acquisition of Management Consulting & Research LLC under undisclosed terms. MCR's current management will be half owners of the business with Lau, and will continue to run the company

MCR, a consulting firm, specializes in integrated program management support for the Defense Department and other federal agencies.

"Although we have had a successful association with AT&T, this acquisition will permit us to be more flexible and responsive to our customers' demands, in an industry comprised primarily of small, privately-held consulting firms," said Neil Albert, president and chief executive officer of MCR, in a statement.

The infusion of capital from Lau will enable MCR to expand its market into other agencies, he added.

MCR, founded in 1977, has been a wholly owned AT&T subsidiary since 2000.