Kirkland & Ellis has emerged as the top legal adviser for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by both value and volume in technology, media & telecom (TMT) sector for Q1 2021, having advised on 86 deals worth US$55.6bn. A total of 3,009 M&A deals were announced in the sector during Q1 2021, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Global and Technology, Media & Telecom M&A Report Legal Adviser League Tables Q1 2021’, deal value for the sector increased by 88% from US$175bn in Q1 2020 to US$329bn in Q1 2021.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Kirkland & Ellis, being the only adviser to advise on more than 50 deals and surpass the US$50bn mark, emerged as the clear winner. The firm managed to advise on 10 billion-dollar deals (deals worth greater than or equal to US$1bn), which also included one megadeal valued at US$10bn.”

Latham & Watkins occupied the second position by value with 50 deals worth US$49bn followed by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom with 27 deals worth US$42.1bn and Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison with 25 deals worth US$37.5bn.

Latham & Watkins also occupied the second position by volume followed by Willkie Farr & Gallagher with 35 deals worth US$15.1bn and DLA Piper with 33 deals worth US$5.2bn.