Kirkland & Ellis and White & Case dominated Europe’s mergers and acquisitions legal market through the first nine months of 2026, according to GlobalData’s latest rankings. Kirkland & Ellis led by deal value, advising on transactions totaling $98.3 billion, while White & Case topped the volume chart with 132 deals. Their positions highlight a major realignment in the sector, as Kirkland & Ellis moved from sixth place in 2025 to first by value, driven largely by two transactions each worth over $10 billion.
Latham & Watkins placed second in value rankings with $96.8 billion in advised deals, followed by Paul, Weiss at $84.4 billion and Freshfields with $77.7 billion. On the volume front, DLA Piper secured second place with 117 deals, ahead of Cuatrecasas (102) and CMS (97). Latham & Watkins rounded out the top five by volume with 89 transactions.
White & Case’s volume ranking improved from second to first despite an overall decline in deal numbers year-over-year. Kirkland & Ellis’s value performance saw more than triple the amount from 2025, cementing its leadership. Both firms also featured in the top 10 for the opposing metric—Kirkland at 10th by volume and White & Case at 10th by value.
The findings stem from GlobalData’s ongoing monitoring of company websites and adviser platforms, reinforced by direct data submissions from leading law firms. A specialized team cross-checks each deal’s details, including adviser assignments, to maintain precision.