Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Kirkland & Ellis were the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal advisers in the construction sector during 2024 by value and volume, respectively 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 Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison achieved its leading position in terms of value by advising on $22.3 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, Kirkland & Ellis led in terms of volume by advising on a total of 41 deals.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Kirkland & Ellis was the top adviser by both value and volume in 2023. Although it managed to retain its leadership position by volume in 2024, it lost the top spot by value to Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Kirkland & Ellis held the second position by value in 2024.

“Meanwhile, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison registered a 35.4% growth in the total value of deals advised by it in 2024 compared to the previous year due to involvement in some billion-dollar deals*. Resultantly, it went ahead from occupying the seventh position by value in 2023 to top the chart by this metric in 2024. Half of the number of deals advised by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison during the year were billion-dollars, which also included one mega deal valued more than $10 billion.”

Kirkland & Ellis occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $21.6 billion worth of deals, followed by Linklaters with $19.2 billion, Davis Polk & Wardwell with $18.9 billion, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett with $13.2 billion.

Meanwhile, CMS occupied the second position in terms of volume with 34 deals, followed by Latham & Watkins with 18 deals, White & Case with 14 deals, and Cuatrecasas with 14 deals.

*Valued more than or equal to $1 billion