Dentons has made major improvements in the Q1 2016 corporate League Tables and for the first time has entered the Mergermarket Top 10 in Europe.  The other most noteworthy improvements throughout various key publications include moving up 10 places to the #2 position in CEE, moving up 16 places to #1 in the UK (mid-market), and climbing 25 places to the #11 position in Germany.

According to Mergermarket, Dentons was one of only four firms that achieved a higher number of mandates in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015.

Dentons’ European League Table highlights (by deal count)

• Europe-wide: up 8 places to #3 position (Thomson Reuters Mid-Market)
• UK: Up 16 places to #1 position (Thomson Reuters Mid-Market)
• CEE: #2 position – up 10 places (Mergermarket)
• Russia: New ranking at #5 (Mergermarket)
• Turkey: #5 position (Mergermarket)
• France: Up one place to #8 position (Bloomberg)
• Germany: Up 25 places to #11 position (Bloomberg)
• Iberia: New ranking at #15 position (Bloomberg)

Worldwide, Dentons entered Thomson Reuters’ Top 10 by deal count for the first time, rising by an impressive 23 places from #33 in Q1 2015 to #10 in Q1 2016.

During the analyzed period, the Firm’s M&A team was involved in numerous cross-border deals across Europe and CIS, including multiple Dentons offices such as:

• Advising World Fuel Services Corporation on its proposed US$260 million acquisition of ExxonMobil's aviation fuelling operations at 86 airports in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• Advising on the sale of Food Express to Takeaway.com Group, one of the world’s largest online food ordering platforms operating Lieferando.de in Germany.
• Advising on a highly competitive transaction involving China National Environmental Protection Group and their intended acquisition of EEW, a major waste-burning power producer based in Germany.
• Advising Fortum, one of Russia’s leading energy companies, on the sale of a 100 percent interest in its subsidiary Tobols CHP to SIBUR Holding, one of Russia’s largest gas-refining and petrochemical enterprises.
• Advising Fondazione “Opera San Camillo” on the sale of the hospital Casa di Cura San Pio X, located in Milan. With more than 50 years of activity, Casa di Cura San Pio X is one of the most reputable and well-known hospitals in the Milanese healthcare world.

In the first quarter of 2016, Dentons strengthened its Corporate and M&A practice through several strategic hires.  Partner Stefano Speroni joined the Milan office in January 2016 as head of the Italian Corporate M&A practice, along with four lawyers: Senior Counsel Barbara Urselli, Senior Associate Leonora Ruta, Senior Associate Federica Andreoni and Associate Federico Giacobbe. Dentons hired a new partner in Berlin, Dr Rebekka Hye-Knudsen who focuses on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and restructuring.  Partner Mathieu Fabre-Magnan was also appointed as head of the Corporate and M&A practice group in Russia.

John Flanigan, Co-Chair of Dentons' Europe Corporate group commented, “Dentons’ accomplishments in the Q1 2016 League Tables reflect the in-depth knowledge and practical experience of Dentons’ Corporate and M&A team and the top legal talent that we have attracted over the last year. We are also seeing increased deal volume due to the improving economic conditions and attractiveness of markets in Europe.”