NEW YORK, Jan. 11 2004 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network — Bloomberg, the leading global provider of business and financial news and data, today unveiled its Bloomberg Law Merger, Acquisition and Divestitures rankings for 2004. The global rankings are compiled by Bloomberg as part of Bloomberg Law, a comprehensive legal
information, news and analytics resource accessible on the Bloomberg terminal
at BLAW .
The Bloomberg Law rankings are based on the total value of
mergers, acquisitions and divestitures handled by firms worldwide. The
rankings are available real-time to Bloomberg users as part of the all-
inclusive Bloomberg terminal, also called the Bloomberg Professional(R)
service.
US Results
According to the year-end Bloomberg Law rankings, New York-based Sullivan
& Cromwell was the top firm for U.S. mergers, acquisitions and divestitures in
2004, working on over $278.4 billion worth of deals. Sullivan & Cromwell beat
out last year’s top firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, which totaled
$264.9 for 2004. Sullivan & Cromwell secured the top spot in part by handling
Aventis SA’s $72.7 billion takeover from Sanofi-Synthelabo SA. The transaction
formed Sanofi-Aventis SA, and was the year’s second-largest deal. Wachtell
Lipton Rosen & Katz ($260.0), Linklaters ($218.7) and Cravath Swaine & Moore
($197.7) rounded out the top five law firms that handled transactions in the
U.S.
All of top firms on the Bloomberg Law list saw a large increase in
activity from 2003, especially in the first and fourth quarters of 2004.
Top Ten Law Firms Advising U.S. Buyers and Sellers on Announced Deals,
2004
Firm Value (billions)
Sullivan & Cromwell $278.4
Skadden Arps $264.9
Wachtell Lipton $260.0
Linklaters $218.7
Cravath Swaine $197.7
Simpson Thacher $196.3
Clifford Chance $179.2
Arnold & Porter $146.8
Davis Polk $142.6
Slaughter and May $137.6
Europe Results
In Europe, London-based Linklaters was the top firm, advising on 154
transactions that totaled over $177.9 billion of deals, three times the firm’s
2003 numbers. Their biggest deal was Sanofi-Synthelabo SA’s $72.7 billion
takeover of Aventis SA and Royal. Linklaters beat out Clifford Chance
($157.3), Slaughter and May ($136.9), Sullivan & Cromwell ($106.6) and Cravath
Swaine & Moore ($103.0).
Overall, Europe experienced a 67 percent increase in value of announced
mergers, acquisitions and divestitures as deals totaled over $864.2 billion in
2004. Much like in the U.S., the first and fourth quarters were the most
active in Europe.
Top Ten Law Firms Advising European Buyers and Sellers on Announced
Deals, 2004
Value (Billions)
Firm 2004 2003
Linklaters $177.9 $55.8
Clifford Chance $157.3 $59.7
Slaughter and May $136.9 $47.9
Sullivan & Cromwell $106.6 $17.9
Cravath Swaine & Moore $103.0 $7.5
Bredin Prat & Associes $95.2 $15.5
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz $91.7 $8.2
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek $83.1 —
Davis Polk & Wardwell $80.6 $41.3
Arnold & Porter $77.2 $11.6
About Bloomberg
Bloomberg L.P. is the leading global provider of news, data and analysis.
The BLOOMBERG TERMINAL, also called the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL(R) SERVICE,
and Bloomberg’s news services provide reporting, analytics, real-time and
historical pricing, indicative data, multimedia events and electronic
communications 24 hours a day to corporations, professionals, news
organizations, the financial services industry and individuals around the
world. Bloomberg’s media services include BLOOMBERG NEWS(R), the global news
service that includes more than 1,600 journalists in 103 bureaus worldwide;
BLOOMBERG TELEVISION(R), the 24-hour business and financial network produced
and distributed worldwide on 10 separate channels in seven languages; and
BLOOMBERG RADIO(SM), which provides up-to-the-minute news on XM, Sirius and
WorldSpace satellite radio around the world and on WBBR 1130AM in New York.
In addition, Bloomberg Magazine Group and Bloomberg Press publish magazines
and books for investment professionals. BLOOMBERG TELEVISION and BLOOMBERG
RADIO are syndicated to more than 800 affiliates worldwide. For more
information please visit http://www.bloomberg.com.
About Bloomberg Law
Bloomberg Law is an all-inclusive legal research tool providing in-depth
legal analysis, filings, opinions, real-time and archival news, indexes,
rankings, company and biographical information, research and streaming live
trial coverage on a single, integrated desktop platform. Bloomberg Law is
part of the comprehensive Bloomberg terminal. Bloomberg Law allows Bloomberg
users access to a powerful suite of legal and regulatory research tools
including real-time and historic online legal databases, daily litigation and
regulatory summaries, plus real-time legal, regulatory and compliance reports.
Bloomberg users can conduct research across fully comprehensive US Federal and
State case law histories, legal case filings and dockets. Bloomberg Law
provides access to Bloomberg’s comprehensive regulatory databases (including
SEC, NASD and NYSE) as well as academic legal journals, legal practice manuals
and updates, plus a range of other legal current awareness services, all fully
integrated with Bloomberg’s powerful search tools. Bloomberg Law is
accessible on the Bloomberg terminal at BLAW .
