How the tables are counted
These rules are published before nominations close and do not change during the cycle. If a sceptical managing partner cannot check a rank in five minutes, the rank has failed.
1. Eligibility period
Deals announced between 1 January and 31 December 2026, by announcement date. A deal announced in 2026 counts even if it has not yet closed, the same basis the deal data providers use.
2. Evidence
Every deal needs a public source: a firm press release, an exchange filing, a client announcement or a Legal Desire report. No public source, no credit. Confidential deals cannot be ranked, because nobody else could check them.
3. Credit
A firm is credited for each deal on which it advised a principal party: buyer, seller, target, issuer, lender, borrower, sponsor or arranger. Advice to a minor party, such as a single shareholder or an individual director, is not credited. Lawyers are credited when they are named on the public record of the deal.
4. Counting
Each table is ranked by deal count. Value tables rank by disclosed deal value only, converted to US dollars at the rate on the announcement date. Undisclosed values count for volume and are never estimated. Where two firms tie on count, the higher disclosed value ranks first; if that also ties, they share the place.
5. The label on every table
Every table is titled "by published deal activity". It is a count of announced, public deals, not a census of the whole market and not a statement about the quality of anyone's work.
6. Minimum size
A table is published only if at least 10 firms qualify after verification. A smaller category folds into its parent. Places 1 to 3 are Leading and places 4 to 10 are Ranked. Global and the largest practices show the top 25.
7. The tables
Practice: M&A, Private Equity, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets: Equity, Capital Markets: Debt, Project Finance and Infrastructure, Restructuring, Venture and Growth, Real Estate.
Region: Global, Europe, United Kingdom, United States, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Africa.
Sector: Energy and Renewables, Technology, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Financial Services.
Lawyers: Top Dealmakers (named lawyers on the most 2026 deals, by practice); Rising Dealmakers (associates and senior associates named on the most 2026 deals).
A deal is placed in a practice from the deal type stated in its announcement, in a region from the jurisdictions involved, and in a sector from the business of the target or issuer. One deal can count in one practice, several regions and one sector.
8. Challenge window
Draft tables go to every ranked firm on 4 January 2027. Any firm can challenge any credit, its own or another firm's, with evidence, until 11 January 2027. Challenges and their outcomes are logged.
9. Corrections
Anyone named in a deal can ask for a correction or removal at any time through the corrections page, as DealDatabase already allows.
10. The firewall
No payment of any kind, whether sponsorship, subscription, profile, certificate or advertising, affects eligibility, credit or rank. Sponsors are never law firms, and commercial staff never see draft tables. This rule is printed on every table and every badge page.
11. Data only
There are no judges, no surveys and no subjective awards in this edition. Every rank comes from counted, published deal records.
12. Audit trail
Each table links to every deal behind every rank, so the published table is its own proof.
Key dates
- 3 November 2026: Nominations open. Free for every firm, anywhere. Deals already on DealDatabase count automatically.
- 31 December 2026: Nominations close. Deals announced up to 31 December 2026 are eligible.
- 4 January 2027: Draft tables to ranked firms. Every ranked firm sees its draft position and the deals behind it.
- 11 January 2027: Challenge window closes. Seven days to dispute any credit, with evidence. Outcomes are logged.
- 15 January 2027: Results published. On dealdatabase.co and Legal Desire, with free badges and certificates for every ranked firm and lawyer.
Using a badge
- State the exact table and year, for example "Ranked in the DealDatabase League Tables 2026, M&A, Middle East, by published deal activity".
- Do not say "best" or "top law firm" without the table name.
- Online use links to the badge's verification page.
- Badges are for the edition shown on them and keep their year.
- Firms in jurisdictions with rules on advertising accolades are responsible for the disclosures those rules need. The verification page gives the methodology link they usually ask for.
Questions about the method: anuj@legaldesire.com.