Having edged out its competitors throughout the year on transactional work, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom placed first in three separate, year-end global M&A rankings based on deal value.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton ranked the second highest on the lists put out by Mergermarket, Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg this week. Placing third were Sullivan & Cromwell for Mergermarket; Weil Gotshal & Manges for Thomson Reuters; and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for Bloomberg.