Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Kirkland & Ellis were the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal advisers for H1 2021 by value and volume, respectively, according to GlobalData’s Financial Deals Database. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett advised on 134 deals worth US$371.2bn, which was the highest value among all the advisers. Meanwhile, Kirkland & Ellis led in volume terms having advised on 434 deals worth US$266.2bn.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Kirkland & Ellis was the only firm to advise on more than 400 deals. However, the firm had to settle for fifth position in terms of value as it advised on relatively fewer big-ticket deals.

“Meanwhile, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, despite advising on around one-third of the number of deals advised by Kirkland & Ellis, occupied the top position by value due to its involvement in a higher number of big-ticket deals. While Simpson Thacher & Bartlett managed to advise on nine mega deals (valued greater than or equal to US$10bn), Kirkland & Ellis advised on three such deals. Similarly, the average transaction of deals advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett stood at US$2.8bn, while it was just US$613.3m for Kirkland & Ellis.”

Sullivan & Cromwell occupied the second position by value, with 85 deals worth US$297.8bn, followed by Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, with 58 deals worth US$296.6bn and Cravath Swaine & Moore with 44 deals worth US$269.9bn

Latham & Watkins occupied the second position by volume with 275 deals worth US$237.4bn, followed by Jones Day with 202 deals worth US$51.3bn, and CMS with 199 deals worth US$19bn.