Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom, surpassing Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins, topped the league tables for principal legal adviser in mergers and acquisitions 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.