Kirkland & Ellis advised companies on more than $443 billion worth of mergers and acquisitions transactions last year, surpassing Wall Street’s Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and other law firms as the largest global dealmaker.

Latham & Watkins represented issuers in 93 initial public offerings last year valued at more than $42 billion, topping rivals in the global race to help companies issue shares on public markets.

The SPAC market went to the moon last year, as blank-check companies raised a record of more than $160 billion and reaped windfalls for a long list of Big Law firms.

Sonia Martin has been named CEO of Dentons U.S., and the Bay Area-based litigator is committing to an ambitious growth plan that the firm has said will see it become the “first truly national” U.S. law firm.

An industry that once attributed many of its best qualities to its dedication to pay partners based on seniority is down to just two strict adherents to the so-called “lockstep” compensation system after Cravath, Swaine & Moore adjusted its model on Monday to fend off poaching.