Two recent transactions highlight the return of megadeals in 2024, which are continuing to push up demand for top M&A law firms.

Just in the last week, Verizon announced a $20 billion buy of Frontier Communications, while funds managed by Blackstone, together with the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, agreed to a $16.1 billion purchase of AirTruck. New York firms such as Debevoise & Plimpton; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Cravath Swaine & Moore; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, among others, helped lead those deals.

According to data from the London Stock Exchange Group, megadeals (those over $10 billion) are up 70% year-over-year, with 20 deals in the first half of 2024 accounting for $363.4 billion. That is the strongest first-half opening since 2022.  On the flip side of that, deals under $500 million are down 13% by value and 28% by volume.