GlobalData has revealed the latest mergers and acquisitions (M&A) league table of the top ten legal advisers in North America by value and volume for the coronavirus-hit Q1 2020, which witnessed decline in overall deal activity in the region.

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom leads by value

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has dominated the M&A legal advisers league table based on deal value in the first quarter of 2020, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The US-based law firm advised on 23 deals worth US$42.3bn in Q1 2020.

GlobalData, which tracks all M&A, private equity/venture capital and asset transaction activity around the world to compile the league tables, confirmed that Kirkland & Ellis occupied the second position with 91 transactions worth US$39.8 bn.

Ravi Tokala, Financial Deals Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Despite advising on relatively lesser number of deals compared to its peers, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom emerged as the top legal adviser in Q1 2020. This could be credited to the firm’s involvement in some high value transactions such as Morgan Stanley’s acquisition of E*TRADE and Intuit’s acquisition of Credit Karma”

“Kirkland & Ellis, despite leading by deal volume, lost the top position to Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, due to its involvement low-value transactions.”

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, which topped the league table of M&A legal advisers in North America, also took the top spot in GlobalData’s recently released global league table of top 20 M&A legal advisers by value.

Kirkland & Ellis tops by volume

Kirkland & Ellis has secured number one position in the latest global M&A legal advisers league table based on deal volume in Q1 2020. The law firm advised on 91 deals worth US$39.8bn.

GlobalData revealed that Jones Day occupied the second position with 62 transactions worth US$20.4bn.

Kirkland & Ellis, which topped the league table of M&A legal advisers in North America, also took the top spot in GlobalData’s recently released global league table of top 20 M&A legal advisers by volume .

North America deals market in Q1 2020

The deal volume in North America saw a decrease by 19.67% from 7,255 to 5,828 deals in the first quarter of 2020. Deal value also declined by 47.11% from US$477.7bn in the first quarter of 2019 to US$252.7bn in Q1 2020.