Incisive Media, the business-to-business publisher, is splitting into two. Apax Partners, its private equity owner, will keep control of the American Lawyer Media business in the US, while banks will take over the struggling UK arm.

The American Lawyer Media stable of magazines, conferences and websites, which include the New York Law Journal, Law.com, Investment Week and Real Estate Forum, was purchased by Incisive for $630m in August 2007.