Skadden London partner tops European deals table” />Corporate partners at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Clifford Chance and Weil Gotshal & Manges have emerged as the top European rainmakers.

Skadden London-based corporate partner Michael Hatchard has topped the individual partner volume league table for the past 12 months, according to Mergermarket. Hatchard advised on 13 deals worth €12.87bn (£8.77bn) between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005.

Clifford Chance private equity star Simon Tinkler came a close second after advising on 12 deals totalling €6m (£4m).

Meanwhile, Sullivan & Crowmell corporate partner Garth Bray has topped the individual partner value league table for the past 12 months. He advised on six deals worth €59.3m (£40.4m) between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005, including the recent €6.7bn (£4.6bn) Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria-Banco Nazionale di Lavoro deal on which his firm advised Goldman Sachs, one of the financial advisers on the deal.

Overall, the value table was dominated by partners based in the domestic Italian firms thanks mainly to Telecom Italia’s €1.4bn (£950m) acquisition of Italian mobile company TIM. All the individuals in the top 10 value table advised on the various parts of that deal.

Lawyers advising on transactions in Europe over €5m (£3.4m) 1 April 2004-31 March 2005 (volume)
Rank Lawyer Firm House value €bn (£bn) No of deals
1 Michael Hatchard Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom 12.87 (8.77) 13
2 Simon Tinkler Clifford Chance 6.01 (4.10) 12
3 David Aknin Weil Gotshal & Manges 5.18 (3.53) 12
4 Andrew Sheach CMS 2.44 (1.66) 12
5 Robin Johnson Eversheds 0.698 (0.476) 12
6 Joanne Ellis Pinsent Masons 0.256 (0.174) 12
7 Scott Simpson Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom 19.79 (13.49) 11
8 Hans Cappelen Arnesen Thommessen 0.321 (0.219) 11
9 Gerhard Schmidt Weil Gotshal & Manges 5.69 (3.88) 10
10 Charles Barter Travers Smith 1.92 (1.31) 10
 
Source: Mergermarket