February 2010

For the first three quarters of 2009, six California law firms ranked among the top 20 firms advising companies in U.S. merger-and-acquisition deals. But while the California firms advised on lots of deals, the deals they guided were smaller in value than at non-California top firms: Only Latham & Watkins, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati figured in the top 20 legal advisors based on deal value. But California firms did better in the mid-market niche (deals valued between $10 million and $250 million), with five firms among the top 20 for deal value and six among the top 20 for deal volume.

Top California-based Legal Advisors,
Based on Deal Volume, Q1–Q3 2009 (as ranked nationally)

U.S. M&A (overall)

2 Latham & Watkins

7 Cooley Godward Kronish

10 Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

12 Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

13 O'Melveny & Myers

19 Morrison & Foerster

Mid-Market U.S. M&A

2 Latham & Watkins

4 Cooley Godward Kronish

6 Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

8 Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

9 O'Melveny & Myers

15 Fenwick & West