Kirkland & Ellis and DLA Piper were the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal advisers in the Middle East & African region during 2025 by value and volume, respectively according to the latest legal advisers league table by GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.

An analysis of GlobalData’s Financial Deals Database reveals that Kirkland & Ellis achieved the leading position in terms of value by advising on $95.8 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, DLA Piper led in terms of volume by advising on a total of 21 deals.

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “DLA Piper, apart from occupying the top position by volume, occupied the eighth position by value during 2025. Meanwhile, Kirkland & Ellis, despite advising on much lesser number of deals, led by value. Its involvement in two high-value deals–$55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by a consortium of investors and $40 billion acquisition of Aligned Data Centers from Macquarie Asset Management by a consortium of investors–made all the difference.”

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $57.2 billion worth of deals, followed by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom with $51.5 billion, Latham & Watkins with $31.4 billion and Meitar Law Offices with $27.6 billion.

Meanwhile, White & Case occupied the second position in terms of volume with 20 deals, followed by Latham & Watkins with 16 deals, Dentons with 11 deals and Baker McKenzie with 11 deals.