GlobalData has announced the latest Financial and Legal Adviser League Tables, which rank advisers by the total value and volume of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals they advised on in North America during Q1-Q3 2026.
Financial Advisers
Goldman Sachs and Houlihan Lokey top M&A financial advisers in North America during Q1-Q3 2026
Goldman Sachs and Houlihan Lokey were the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) financial advisers in the North America region during the first three quarters (Q1-Q3) of 2026 by value and volume, respectively, according to the latest financial advisers league table by GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.
An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that Goldman Sachs achieved the leading position in terms of value by advising on $510.5 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, Houlihan Lokey led in terms of volume by advising on a total of 161 deals.
Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Houlihan Lokey was the top adviser by volume during Q1-Q3 2025 and maintained its lead by this metric during Q1-Q3 2026 as well, despite a year-on-year drop in the total number of deals advised by it. It also stayed well ahead of its peers.
“Similarly, Goldman Sachs was also the clear winner by value outpacing its peers by a significant margin. It was the only adviser to surpass $500 billion mark in total deal value during Q1-Q3 202, recording a 42.1% year-on-year jump in value due to its involvement in big-ticket deals. Goldman Sachs advised on 58 billion-dollar deals*, including 17 mega deals valued more than $10 billion. It also held the fourth position by volume during Q1-Q3 2026 and was among the only four advisers to hit triple-digit deal volume during this period.”
JPMorgan occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $359 billion worth of deals, followed by Morgan Stanley with $351.9 billion, Bank of America with $217.6 billion, and Wells Fargo with $215.7 billion.
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley occupied the second position in terms of volume with 119 deals, followed by JPMorgan with 110 deals, Goldman Sachs with 107 deals, and Jefferies with 91 deals.
*Deals valued more than or equal to $1 billion
Legal Advisers
Kirkland & Ellis top M&A legal adviser in North America during Q1-Q3 2026
Kirkland & Ellis was the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal adviser in the North American region by both value and volume during the first three quarters (Q1-Q3) of 2026, according to the latest legal advisers league table by GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.
An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that Kirkland & Ellis achieved the top position by advising on 369 deals worth $456.6 billion.
Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Kirkland & Ellis was the clear winner during Q1-Q3 2026, outpacing its peers by a significant margin in terms of both deal volume and value. It retained the top position by volume that it held during Q1-Q3 2025, while its ranking by value improved from second place to first. During Q1-Q3 2026, Kirkland & Ellis advised on 67 billion-dollar deals* that also included seven mega deals valued more than $10 billion. Involvement in these big-ticket deals helped it top the chart by value.”
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $360.1 billion worth of deals, followed by Sullivan & Cromwell with $321.6 billion, Latham & Watkins with $243 billion, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom with $200.7 billion.
Meanwhile, Latham & Watkins occupied the second position in terms of volume with 252 deals, followed by Fasken Martineau DuMoulin with 133 deals, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher with 132 deals, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison with 124 deals.
*Deals valued more than or equal to $1 billion
