Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has increased its dominance in top-tier European M&A, finishing well ahead of its rivals in Legal Week's 2006 primary adviser rankings.

Research in association with Mergermarket shows the magic circle firm played a primary role on almost a quarter of Europe's 200 biggest deals last year – advising on 46 deals worth more than £200bn overall.

It is the second year running that the magic circle firm, the winner of Legal Week's 2006 M&A Team of the Year award, has topped the primary adviser league tables, which strip away secondary roles on the year's major deals. The firm's total deal value tally is a 53% increase on its performance for 2005.