MergerMarket 2012 H 1 report puts Amarchand on the top for M amp A with 19 deals worth 13 billion

MergerMarket has released its latest report for the first half of 2012. Global M&A for the first half of 2012 totaled $929.4 billion, with a decline of 21.6 per cent from the same period in 2011 ($1,185.1 billion). The new MergerMarket figures reveal that deal count too was down by 21.4 per cent at 5,483 announced deals compared to 6,741 for the first half of 2011..Asia Pacific M&A League Tables.In the Asia-Pacific region, M&A for the first half of 2012 saw the total deal value come in at $140.1 billion, a decline of 15.1 per cent from H1 2011’s total ($165 billion)..King & Wood Mallesons topped the Asia Pacific M&A league tables (in terms of volume) and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom topped the Asia Pacific M&A league tables (in terms of value) for the first half of this year..The Indian law firms to make it to the Asia-Pacific M&A league table, in terms of deal count included Amarchand Mangaldas (20 deals), followed by Khaitan & Co (18 deals), AZB & Partners (15 deals) and Desai Diwanji (15 deals)..Indian M&A League Tables.Amarchand Mangaldas topped the Indian M&A league tables (both volume and value) with 19 deals amounting to $13.27 billion with its big-ticket transaction, Sesa Goa’s acquisition of Sterlite Industries (India) for $10.3 billion. With this transaction, Luthra & Luthra too made it to second position in the Indian M&A rankings by value and ranked seventh by volume with 5 deals..Speaking to Bar & Bench Amarchand Delhi Managing Partner Shardul Shroff said, “The Merger Market findings are quite in line with our niche position in the legal services market. Amarchand continues to be self driven and creative in taking giant leaps across a global legal footprint”..AZB & Partners did 15 deals worth $2.6 billion with the firm slipping from first to fourth place in the league table by value and from second to fourth place in the league table by volume in comparison to H1 2011..Following behind, in terms of value, were DSK Legal, Khaitan & Co, S&R Associates, Desai Diwanji and Platinum Partners..In terms of volume, after Amarchand, Khaitan & Co ranked second with 17 deals valued at $821 million, followed by Desai & Diwanji with 16 deals valued at $609 million..The other law firms to make it to the M&A league table by volume were DSK Legal, Krishnamurthy and Co, J Sagar Associates, Trilegal, Tatva Legal, Nishith Desai Associates, and S&R Associates..Below are the rankings by value and volume compiled by MergerMarket for the first half of 2012.