Europe’s leading deal lawyers are licking their lips in anticipation of a post-summer glut of major M&A after the traditionally quiet month of August delivered more than £50bn worth of deals.

Mergermarket research produced for Legal Week shows the value of the announced 318 European deals in August hit €79.4bn (£54bn), more than double the €32.2bn (£21.9bn) in the same month last year.