Skadden ranked top of the Bloomberg’s law firm league table for global M&A deal volume for the 1st quarter of 2018. The firm totted up 46 deals representing $169 billion in deal volume, with an average deal size of $3.7 billion. The 46 deals done give the firm a market share close to 24 per cent, according to the Bloomberg ranking. Jones Day topped the table on number of deals, with 118 deals done raking in $25 billion.

Healthcare

The 1st quarter saw Skadden carry in from where it left off in 2017. The firm topped the year-end Bloomberg ranking, representing principals on 261 deals worth a total of $430 billion. Its biggest deal of the first quarter was the $68 billion acquisition of Express Scripts Holding Company by Cigna. That deal was the latest vertical integration in the healthcare industry. 

Private equity

Behind Skadden were Paul Weiss with 37 deals worth $117 billion and Wachtell with 14 deals worth a total of $97 billion. The latest Bloomberg ranking reveals total global M&A volume increased 24.9 per cent from the first quarter of 2017, reaching reached $936.8 billion. Private equity transactions accounted for 23 percent of 1st quarter global deal volume.