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GlobalData has announced the latest Financial and Legal Adviser League Tables, in terms of the total value and volume of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals they advised on in Q1 2025. See the rankings and findings below.
Financial Advisers
JP Morgan and Houlihan Lokey top M&A financial advisers by value and volume in Q1 2025, finds GlobalData
JP Morgan and Houlihan Lokey have emerged as the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) financial advisers by value and volume for Q1 2025 in the latest Financial Advisers League Table by GlobalData, which ranks financial advisers by the value and volume of M&A deals on which they advised.
Based on its Deals Database, the leading data and analytics company has revealed that JP Morgan achieved its leading position in the deal value rankings by advising on $133.6 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, Houlihan Lokey led in terms of volume by advising on a total of 69 deals.
Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “It is interesting to note that both JP Morgan and Houlihan Lokey were also the top advisers by value and volume in Q1 2024. And despite registering a year-on-year decline in value and volume, respectively, they were still ahead of peers and managed to retain their leadership positions by these metrics in Q1 2025 as well.
“Houlihan Lokey experienced a very margin drop and the number of deals advised by it mostly remained at the same level in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024. Meanwhile, around half of the deals advised by JP Morgan during Q1 2025 were billion-dollar deals*. Moreover, these also included four mega deals valued more than $10 billion, which played a pivotal role for JP Morgan is leading the pack by value. It also occupied the second position by volume.”
An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that JP Morgan occupied the second position in terms of volume by advising on 56 deals followed by Goldman Sachs with 52 deals, PwC with 38 deals and Morgan Stanley with 36 deals.
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $130.4 billion worth of deals followed by Morgan Stanley with $96.7 billion, Citi with $83.2 billion and Barclays with $74.7 billion.
*Deals valued more than or equal to $1 billion
Legal Advisers
Kirkland & Ellis was the top M&A legal adviser in Q1 2025, finds GlobalData
Kirkland & Ellis has emerged as the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal adviser in Q1 2025 in terms of both value and volume on 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 Deals Database, the leading data and analytics company has revealed that Kirkland & Ellis achieved the leading position by advising on 108 deals worth $107 billion.
Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Kirkland & Ellis outpaced its peers by a significant margin during Q1 2025 and was the clear winner by deal volume as well as value. It was the only firm with triple-digit deal volume during the review period. Moreover, it was also the only adviser with total deal value surpassing $100 billion.
“Kirkland & Ellis registered double-digit jump in total value of deals advised by it during Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024. Resultantly, it went ahead from occupying the fourth position by value in Q1 2024 to top the chart by this metric in Q1 2025. Kirkland & Ellis advised on 21 billion-dollar deals*, which also included two mega deals valued more than $10 billion. Involvement in these big-ticket deals helped Kirkland & Ellis to register improvement in terms of value as well as the ranking by this metric.”
An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that Davis Polk & Wardwell occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $77 billion worth of deals followed by Cravath Swaine & Moore with $60.3 billion, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom with $57.4 billion and Ropes & Gray with $56.3 billion.
Meanwhile, Latham & Watkins occupied the second position in terms of volume by advising on 67 deals followed by CMS with 51 deals, White & Case with 50 deals, and Ropes & Gray with 49 deals.
*Deals valued more than or equal to $1 billion
