Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has emerged as the undisputed king of Europe’s reviving M&A market in 2005, according to Legal Week research into lead corporate roles on the region’s largest deals.

The table of lead M&A roles on Europe’s 200 largest announced deals, conducted together with Mergermarket, saw Freshfields topping the rankings after last year advising on 45 deals, with a total value of £131.3bn.