Kirkland & Ellis Leads European M&A Legal Advisers in Deal Value for H1 2026; White & Case Top by Volume
In the first half of 2026, Kirkland & Ellis emerged as the top legal adviser in Europe based on deal value with $83.9 billion worth of transactions advised. Meanwhile, White & Case led in volume, advising on 75 deals during the same period according to GlobalData's Financial Deals Database. Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison ranked second by value at $74 billion, followed closely by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In terms of deal count, CMS came in second with 68 deals, while DLA Piper advised on 64. Kirkland's success was attributed to its involvement in six high-value transactions, including two mega-deals exceeding $10 billion each. White & Case improved from the second position by volume in H1 2025 to first place this year.
Topics: Europe GlobalData legal advisory M&A