Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom, surpassing Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins, topped the league tables for principal legal adviser in M&A for the first half of 2024, while Goodwin Procter was the top firm for total deal volume.

The change in rankings came as the U.S. saw a five-year high in M&A dealmaking during the first half of 2024, according to a report published this week from the London Stock Exchange Group. Still, the number of worldwide deals declined 25% compared to year-ago levels, reaching a four-year low, LSEG said.