Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has cemented its place at the top of the US M&A tables in 2002 maintaining a commanding lead over its New York rivals throughout the year, according to new research from Thomson Financial.

The firm, ranked fifth on Thomson’s 2001 US tables, advised on 130 announced US deals with a combined value of $132.444bn (£82.1bn).