Sullivan & Cromwell and Alston & Bird led H1 2026 financial M&A legal adviser rankings

GlobalData's latest league array placed Sullivan & Cromwell archetypal by woody worth and Alston & Bird archetypal by woody number among ineligible advisers connected fiscal services mergers and acquisitions (M&A) successful the archetypal fractional of 2026.

Using information from its Financial Deals Database, GlobalData reported that Sullivan & Cromwell worked connected transactions worthy $24.9bn, the highest full by value. Alston & Bird recorded the highest fig of mandates, with 23 deals.

In the worth ranking, White & Case was successful 2nd spot with $18.6bn, followed by Clifford Chance connected $18.2bn, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison connected $16.9bn, and Latham & Watkins connected $16.7bn.

In the measurement table, Kirkland & Ellis ranked 2nd with 22 deals. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett followed with 21, portion Latham & Watkins advised connected 20 deals.

GlobalData pb expert Aurojyoti Bose commented: "Alston & Bird was the apical advisor by measurement successful H1 2025 and retained its enactment presumption by this metric successful H1 2026, contempt a year-on-year diminution successful the full fig of deals advised by it.

"Similarly, determination was a diminution successful the full worth of deals advised by Sullivan & Cromwell successful H1 2026 compared to H1 2025. However, it remained good up of its peers successful presumption of value. Sullivan & Cromwell besides occupied the 5th presumption by measurement with 16 deals."

GlobalData's league tables are based connected the real-time tracking of thousands of institution websites, advisory firm websites and different reliable sources disposable connected the secondary domain. A dedicated squad of analysts monitors all these sources to stitchery in-depth details for each deal, including advisor names.  

To guarantee further robustness to the data, the institution also seeks submissions of deals from starring advisers. 

"Sullivan & Cromwell and Alston & Bird led H1 2026 fiscal M&A ineligible advisor rankings " was primitively created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand.