A&O Shearman was the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal adviser in the automotive sector during the first half (H1) of 2025 by value, while CMS and Kirkland & Ellis jointly occupied the top position by volume according to the latest legal advisers league table by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database has revealed that A&O Shearman achieved the leading position in terms of value by advising on $2.2 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, CMS and Kirkland & Ellis jointly led in terms of volume with each of them advising on four deals.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Kirkland & Ellis was the top adviser by volume in H1 2024 and retained the top spot by this metric in H1 2025 as well. Meanwhile, CMS registered an improvement in its ranking by volume from the third position in H1 2024 to the top position in H1 2025.

“Meanwhile, A&O Shearman’s ranking by value jumped from eighth position in H1 2024 to the top position in H1 2025 as there was more than a four-fold jump in the total value of deals advised by it during the period. This jump in value was driven by its involvement in $1.4 billion deal for the acquisition of Dowlais by American Axle & Manufacturing. Apart from leading by value, A&O Shearman also held the fifth position by volume in H1 2025.”

Cravath Swaine & Moore, Norton Rose Fulbright and Slaughter and May jointly occupied the second position in terms of value with each of them advising on a deal worth $1.4 billion, followed by Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, which advised on a deal worth $735 million.

Meanwhile, AZB & Partners and Baker McKenzie jointly occupied the third position in terms of volume with three deals, followed by A&O Shearman with two deals.