Simpson Thacher Tops M&A Law Firms as Dealmakers Eye Headwinds

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett was Big Law’s top mergers and acquisitions adviser in the first quarter, as transactions slowed and dealmakers braced for the impact of regulatory changes, inflation and war in Ukraine.

Global M&A deal activity reached $1 trillion in the first quarter of 2022, down from $1.2 trillion in the first quarter of 2021. The slowdown follows a second straight record-breaking year for global deal activity with total M&A transactions reaching $5 trillion in 2021.

Deal activity kept a healthy pace early in the first three months of 2022, but a myriad of factors left equity markets in ...