Browne Jacobson has ranked third in the Mergermarket 2026 league tables for M&A deal count, marking a significant jump in the firm’s rankings.

The firm completed 53 deals across the UK in the first half of 2026, up from 36 in the same period last year. The ranking reflects the firm's growing momentum in the M&A market. The result propels Browne Jacobson from 15th place in the 2024/25 rankings to a top 3 position, a leap of 12 places.

A landmark moment for the firm's corporate practice

The Mergermarket rankings are widely regarded as the benchmark for deal activity across the legal market, with the ranking securing the business amongst the UK's leading firms for transactional work.

Richard Cox, head of the national corporate team, commented: "To go from 15th to the top three in a single year is an extraordinary achievement, and one that reflects the commitment and talent of our firm. This demonstrates the breadth and depth of the firm's corporate and deals capability, with teams operating across multiple sectors and regions delivering consistently high volumes of high-quality transactional advice."

Gareth Davies, head of the firm’s Private Equity Group, added: “Our deliberate push on our mid-market private equity sponsor and management team practice has really driven our performance and deal wins. This jump is a combination of our increased focus on key sectors, international work, and mid-market private equity - both from our London and UK and Ireland offices working together as one team. Completing 53 deals in six months is testament to that, and I couldn't be prouder of what the team has accomplished."

Key deals driving our rankings

Notable mandates include advising:

• Obsequio Group on its growth strategy, as well as advising management and institutional sellers Beech Tree Private Equity and Beechbrook Capital on the sale of Obsequio Group to Warren Equity Partners, a transaction which achieved a win in the Large Deal of the Year category at the West Midlands Rainmaker Awards.
• UK private equity firm Apiary Capital on its investment in Spanish Point Technologies Limited, a leading Microsoft and Databricks cloud specialist headquartered in Dublin. The team also advised on Apiary Capital’s on FTV Capital’s significant investment in Carbon Underwriting. 
• Phenna Group on multiple acquisitions in 2026, including its cross-border deal to acquire Dublin-based MEP consultancy ENX - a deal that exemplifies the firm's international capacity across the UK and Ireland.
• Naxicap-backed Eureka Education on its acquisition of Knovia Group, one of the UK's foremost apprenticeship and vocational training providers, from Sovereign Capital Partners - a landmark cross-border deal demonstrating the firm's strength in complex international private equity transactions.
• The firm also acted for Clearwater Corporate Finance on its acquisition by US banking group KeyCorp, a transaction that creates a transatlantic platform spanning the UK, Europe and the United States.

The news follows further recognition for the firm's dealmaking credentials. Recent wins include the National Legal Team award and Large Deal of the Year at the The Business Desk’s Rainmaker Awards, and Legal Adviser of the Year – Deal-making category at the EducationInvestor Awards 2026.

The result builds on a period of sustained growth for the firm's transactional practice, reinforcing Browne Jacobson's position as a go-to adviser for buyers, sellers, and investors across the UK, Ireland and internationally.