Kirkland & Ellis Leads Global M&A Advising
In 2024, leading U.S. and international law firms capitalized on a surge in M&A mega-deals. Kirkland & Ellis, the world’s largest law firm by revenue, dominated the global mergers and acquisitions landscape, advising on transactions with the highest combined value. According to the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the total value of global announced M&A deals reached $3.2 trillion, marking a 10% increase from the previous year. This represents the strongest annual period for deal-making since 2022.
Kirkland & Ellis secured its position as the top principal adviser in LSEG’s rankings, handling 776 global announced deals worth $413 billion. The firm also led in advising on global announced deals by value, including transactions that were withdrawn or called off.
Goodwin Procter and Latham & Watkins Also Shine
Goodwin Procter, based in Boston, clinched the top spot as the principal adviser by the number of deals, working on 893 transactions valued at $115 billion. Meanwhile, Latham & Watkins enhanced its performance, advising on 657 global announced deals valued at $391 billion. This placed Latham second in deal value and fourth in the number of transactions.
Mark Bekheit, global vice chair of Latham’s M&A practice, expressed optimism about future deal-making activity. He anticipates a significant uptick in 2025, aligning with the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to adopt a pro-business stance.
Anticipated Policy Shifts Under Trump Administration
Trump’s upcoming presidency is likely to ease regulations on large corporate mergers. He recently appointed Andrew Ferguson to replace Lina Khan as the chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Bekheit predicts that the FTC, under Trump’s leadership, will reduce litigation and revert to traditional antitrust theories of harm. This policy shift is expected to spur a dramatic increase in deal volume.
Financial analysts and bankers project that global deal volumes could surpass $4 trillion in 2025, reaching their highest level in four years. As the M&A landscape continues to evolve, law firms remain poised to navigate the anticipated wave of transactions under Trump’s second administration.
