Kirkland & Ellis has won the most mandates on the largest European private equity buyouts and exit deals of the year so far, slightly ahead of U.K. rival Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Kirkland advised on six of the largest deals across the continent, while Freshfields advised on five, according to data from intelligence company Mergermarket.

The top 10 buyouts had a combined value of €51.2 billion ($56.2 billion). Kirkland – which in recent years hired Freshfields rainmakers David Higgins and Adrian Maguire in London – won mandates on four of the largest buyouts. The U.S. firm also took roles on two of the biggest private equity sales, worth a combined €5.3 billion ($5.8 billion). The top 10 private equity sales had a total value of €27 billion (29.7 billion).

Freshfields won mandates on deals worth €27.6 billion ($30.3 billion) of that amount. Weil Gotshal & Manges had four mandates, while Latham & Watkins had three.

Freshfields and Kirkland worked together on the largest buyout deal of the year, advising a consortium led by EQT and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund on its €9 billion ($9.9 billion) purchase of Nestlé's skin health unit. Weil also picked up a mandate on the deal, as did Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Linklaters.

Of the top 10 buyouts, seven of the bidding companies were U.S.-headquartered, while five of the target companies were based in the U.K. and four in Germany.