Kirkland & Ellis emerged as the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal adviser by both value and volume during the first half (H1) of 2026 in the latest Legal Advisers League Table by GlobalData, which ranks legal advisers by the value and volume of mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals on which they advised.

Based on its Financial Deals Database, the leading intelligence and productivity platform has revealed that Kirkland & Ellis achieved the top position by advising on 267 deals worth $411.8 billion.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Kirkland & Ellis was the clear winner, staying significantly ahead of its peers in terms of value as well as volume in H1 2026. It witnessed an improvement in volume and value of deals it advised on during H1 2026 compared to H1 2025, but the growth was more prominent in terms of value. The total value of deals advised by Kirkland & Ellis almost doubled in H1 2026 compared to H1 2025. Its ranking by volume improved from second to the top position while its ranking by value jumped from third to the top spot.

“During H1 2026, it advised on 50 billion-dollar deals* that also included six mega deals valued more than $10 billion. Involvement in these big-ticket deals helped Kirkland & Ellis register the massive jump in terms of value.”

An analysis of GlobalData’s Financial Deals Database reveals that Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $366.2 billion worth of deals followed by Sullivan & Cromwell with $311.1 billion, Latham & Watkins  with $237.8 billion, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom with $232.6 billion.

Meanwhile, Latham & Watkins occupied the second position in terms of volume by advising on 234 deals followed by White & Case with 122 deals, DLA Piper with 119 deals, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison with 111 deals.

*Deals valued more than or equal to $1 billion