Pinheiro Neto Advogados was the top legal adviser for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in South & Central America for H1 2021 by both value and volume, having advised on seven deals worth US$11bn, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga occupied the second position by both deal value and volume with seven deals worth US$10.6bn.

According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Global and South & Central America M&A Report Legal Adviser League Tables H1 2021’, deal value for the region increased by 270% from US$20bn in H1 2020 to US$74bn in H1 2021.

Ravi Tokala, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “In the legal adviser category, there was tough competition between Pinheiro Neto Advogados and Mattos Filho Veiga Filho Marrey Jr e Quiroga for the top spot, as both advised on seven deals, however, the former took the lead by a mere ~US$0.3bn.

“The billion-dollar merger of Hapvida Health System with Notre Dame Intermedica was instrumental in influencing the rankings by value. Interestingly, the top five advisers by value and three advisers by volume, were involved in this deal.”

Lefosse Advogados occupied the third position in terms of value with four deals worth US$9.6bn, followed by Madrona Advogados with three deals worth US$9.3bn, and Souza Mello e Torres Advogados with two deals worth US$9.2bn.

Machado Meyer Sendacz e Opice occupied the third position in terms of volume with seven deals worth US$2.6bn, followed by Demarest Advogados with seven deals worth US$138m, and Barros & Errazuriz Abogados with six deals worth US$1.5bn.