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Private markets legal advisory activity accelerated in June 2026, with deal counts rising across the top of the table. The top ten firms collectively advised on 180 announced transactions during the month, up from 139 in May. Dakota tracks legal advisor activity across every private market transaction in real time. Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace to see the full data behind these rankings.
Every returning firm in the top 10 grew its deal count month-over-month, and three new firms entered the rankings. The month also featured the largest venture-backed acquisition on record, as well as significant strategic transactions in building materials and biotechnology.
June 2026 Rankings
|
Law Firm
|
June Rank
|
June Deal Count
|
May Rank
|
May Deal Count
|
% Change
|
|
Kirkland & Ellis
|
1
|
41
|
1
|
32
|
+28.1%
|
|
Latham & Watkins
|
2
|
32
|
2
|
27
|
+18.5%
|
|
Goodwin Procter
|
3
|
18
|
3
|
12
|
+50.0%
|
|
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
|
4
|
15
|
10
|
8
|
+87.5%
|
|
Ropes & Gray
|
5
|
14
|
5
|
11
|
+27.3%
|
|
Sidley Austin
|
5
|
14
|
4
|
12
|
+16.7%
|
|
Weil Gotshal & Manges
|
5
|
14
|
-
|
-
|
New Entry
|
|
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
|
8
|
12
|
-
|
-
|
New Entry
|
|
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
|
9
|
10
|
-
|
-
|
New Entry
|
|
White & Case
|
9
|
10
|
9
|
9
|
+11.1%
|
At the Top: Kirkland & Ellis Extends Its Lead
Kirkland & Ellis once again held the top spot with 41 deals, a 28.1% increase from 32 in May. The firm's lead over second-place Latham & Watkins widened to nine deals, up from five in May. Kirkland also served as legal counsel on two of the month's three largest transactions, advising the sell side on both the $60 billion SpaceX/Anysphere deal and the $10.9 billion AbbVie/Apogee deal.
Latham & Watkins ranked second with 32 deals, up 18.5% from 27 in May. Latham advised Lhoist Group on the $13.5 billion sale of Lhoist North America to Martin Marietta, the month's second-largest transaction.
Goodwin Procter held at 3rd with 18 deals, a 50.0% increase from 12 in May, continuing its upward trend from recent months.
The Middle of the Table
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison posted the largest percentage gain among returning firms, up 87.5% from 8 deals to 15, climbing from 10th to 4th. Paul Weiss advised AbbVie on the $10.9 billion acquisition of Apogee Therapeutics, the month's third-largest deal.
Ropes & Gray, Sidley Austin, and Weil Gotshal & Manges all tied at 5th with 14 deals each. Ropes & Gray grew from 11 (+27.3%) and Sidley Austin from 12 (+16.7%). Weil Gotshal & Manges entered the top 10 as a new entrant after not ranking in May.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati entered the rankings at 8th with 12 deals, reflecting continued activity in technology and life sciences transactions. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and White & Case tied at 9th with 10 deals each. Freshfields entered as a new entrant, while White & Case grew from 9 deals in May (+11.1%).
Three firms from May's top 10 dropped out of the June rankings: Cooley (6th in May), DLA Piper (7th in May), and Skadden Arps (8th in May).
The Month's Biggest Deals
SpaceX / Anysphere (Cursor), $60 billion The largest venture-backed acquisition on record, as SpaceX agreed to acquire Anysphere, the company behind the AI coding tool Cursor, in an all-stock transaction.
- Buyer: SpaceX
- Seller: Anysphere
- Buyer Legal Advisor: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- Seller Legal Advisor: Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Martin Marietta / Lhoist North America, $13.5 billion A strategic acquisition expanding Martin Marietta's lime and industrial minerals business, funded through a combination of cash and stock.
- Buyer: Martin Marietta Materials
- Seller: Lhoist Group
- Buyer Legal Advisor: Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and Bredin Prat
- Seller Legal Advisor: Latham & Watkins LLP
AbbVie / Apogee Therapeutics, $10.9 billion A strategic acquisition deepening AbbVie's immunology portfolio with Apogee's pipeline of clinical-stage biologics for inflammatory and immunological diseases.
- Buyer: AbbVie
- Seller: Apogee Therapeutics
- Buyer Legal Advisor: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
- Seller Legal Advisor: Kirkland & Ellis LLP
What to Watch in July
June's legal advisory activity reflects a pickup from May, with deal counts rising across the board and no firm in the top 10 posting a decline. All three of the month's largest transactions were strategic acquirers, spanning AI, building materials, and biotechnology. Kirkland & Ellis advised on two of the three, both on the sell side. The breadth of new entrants to the top 10 (Weil Gotshal, Wilson Sonsini, Freshfields) points to activity across a range of deal sizes and sectors.
Dakota tracks global private market transactions in real time, capturing deal size, sector, investors, and the law firms advising both sides of every transaction. To explore the full data, schedule a demo of Dakota Marketplace.
