Linklaters has emerged as the top-ranked European M&A adviser for the first half of 2013, as deal values and volumes across the continent fall to their lowest levels since 2010.

Research from Legal Week‘s exclusive data provider Mergermarket shows that the firm advised on 87 European deals with a total value of $72bn (£47bn) during the six-month period, while the firm also topped the UK rankings by value, with roles on 32 deals worth a total of $32bn (£21bn).