Lovells jumped 38 places to storm into the top three firms by value for UK M&A deals in the first quarter.

Mergermarket rankings for Q1 M&A in the UK show the firm advised on 14 deals over the period worth a total of €148.7bn (£116.9bn), taking it from 41st place at the end of 2007 to third by value and from 20th place to seventh by volume.

The rankings show Linklaters as the firm advising on the highest value of UK deals, with roles on 15 deals worth €164.3bn (£129.7bn), closely followed by Herbert Smith. Sullivan & Cromwell and Slaughter and May make up the rest of the top five by value.

Meanwhile, DLA Piper held on to the top spot by UK volume, working on 22 deals over the period. The firm beat Allen & Overy into second place with 18 deals and Osborne Clarke into third place with 17 deals. Clifford Chance fell from second place to ninth with 12 deals over the quarter.

Commenting on the rankings, Lovells corporate partner Nigel Read told Legal Week: "The result reflects a strong pipeline of work that followed through from the last quarter into the first part of the year. A reasonable amount of credit from the BHP and Rio Tinto deal, when we advised Goldman Sachs, would have helped boost our position."

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