Mergermarket has released its Global M&A roundup for last year, including its league tables for legal advisors, and there has been a significant reshuffling at the top. Despite a geopolitically tumultuous 2016, the U.S. M&A market had a robust year, with about $1.5 trillion in deals, the second-highest value since Mergermarket starting keeping track in 2001.
White & Case vaulted to the No. 1 position in the 2016 league tables in deal value, moving up from ninth place in 2015. Sullivan & Cromwell moved from fifth place to second place, and Davis Polk & Wardwell made a big jump from tenth to third place.
Check out the full report here.
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(Note that the Mergermarket rankings do not distinguish between advising a principal versus participating in some other, much smaller role, such as advising a bank on some minor part of the transaction. This has been the subject of complaints within the M&A bar.)
Brian Dalton is the director of research for Breaking Media. Feel free to email him with any questions or comments.