Global M&A Sees Modest Growth in Early 2025, Kirkland & Ellis Leads Legal Advisory

Global M&A activity has shown a modest increase of 1% year-over-year, despite a sluggish start in the early months of 2025. According to Dealogic data, the total deal value reached approximately $986 billion in the first quarter of 2025. In the legal sector, Kirkland & Ellis emerged as the leading global principal adviser, handling $138 billion across 157 deals, which accounts for 18.1% of the global market share. This places them at nearly double the market share of their nearest competitors. Other prominent firms such as Davis Polk and Latham & Watkins also performed robustly during this period.