Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Latham & Watkins were the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal advisers in the retail sector for H1 2021 by value and volume, respectively. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett advised on seven deals worth US$13.5bn, which was the highest value among all the advisers. Meanwhile, Latham & Watkins led in volume terms having advised on ten deals worth US$9.4bn. A total of 972 M&A deals were announced in the sector during H1 2021, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Global and Retail M&A Report Legal Adviser League Tables H1 2021’, deal value for the sector increased by 70.9% from US$55bn in H1 2020 to US$94bn in H1 2021.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Latham & Watkins was the only firm that managed to advise on double-digit deal volume. Moreover, the total value of deals advised by the firm was also close to US$10bn, due to which it was also able to occupy the fourth position by value.

“Meanwhile, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett was among the very few advisors that managed to surpass US$10bn during H1 2020. However, its involvement in five billion-dollar deals (valued more than or equal to US$1bn) offered it an edge and helped it top the list by value.”

Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison occupied the second position in terms of value with eight deals worth US$11.3bn, followed by Ropes & Gray with six deals worth US$10.4bn. Latham & Watkins occupied the fourth position in terms of value, followed by Blake Cassels & Graydon with three deals worth US$5.6bn.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher occupied the second position in terms of volume with nine deals worth US$5.6bn, followed by Kirkland & Ellis with nine deals worth US$1.2bn. Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett occupied the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, in terms of volume.