The third annual Middle East M&A Awards recognised the top M&A financial and legal firms in a range of sectors including Energy, Mining & Utilities; Financial Services; Consumer; Pharma, Medical & Biotech; Telecoms; Media & Technology; and Industrials & Chemicals.

Of the financial advisor nominations, BNP Paribas were named as the MENA region’s best M&A financial advisor as well as the best financial advisor in the Consumer sector. Winners in other sector rankings included Rothschild for best financial advisor in Industrials & Chemicals; KPMG as best financial advisor in Pharma, Medical and Biotech; EY as best financial advisor in Telecoms, Media & Technology; and Akbank T.A.S as best financial advisor in Energy, Mining, & Utilities. Broadgate Advisors were recognised as the best financial M&A advisors in the Financial Services industry. 

The BNP Paribas team receiving the MENA M&A Financial Advisor Award

Of the legal advisor nominations, Shearman & Sterling were named as the MENA region’s top M&A legal advisor. In the sector rankings, Baker McKenzie was named best legal advisor in Financial Services, and Clifford Chance led the legal advisor rankings in the Industrials & Chemicals, and the Telecoms, Media & Technology sectors. White & Case was named best legal advisor in Pharma, Medical & Biotech; CMS was named best legal advisor in Energy, Mining & Utilities; and Linklaters led the sector rankings in Consumer.
In the Fixed Income space, GIB Capital was recognised as the best Middle East Bonds & Loans Bank. 

The recently crowned MENA M&A Legal Advisor, Shearman & Sterling show of their award.

In the Fixed Income space, GIB Capital was recognised as the best Middle East Bonds & Loans Bank. 

The Winners:

Energy, Mining & Utilities M&A Financial Advisor

Akbank T.A.S

Financial Services M&A Financial Advisor

Broadgate Advisers

Industrials & Chemicals  M&A Financial Adviser

Rothschild

Consumer M&A Financial Advisor

BNP Paribas

Pharma, Medical & Biotech M&A Financial Advisor

KPMG

Telecoms, Media & Technology M&A Financial Advisor

EY

MENA M&A Financial Advisor

BNP Paribas

Energy, Mining & Utilities M&A Legal Advisor

CMS

Financial Services M&A Legal Advisor

Baker McKenzie

Consumer M&A Legal Advisor

Linklaters

Pharma, Medical & Biotech M&A Legal Advisor

White & Case

Telecoms, Media & Technology M&A Legal Advisor

Clifford Chance

Industrials & Chemicals M&A Legal Advisor

Clifford Chance

MENA M&A Legal Advisor

Shearman & Sterling

Middle East Loan & Bonds Bank of the Year

GIB Capital

Speaking on the event, Matthew Robinson, Events Director EMEA at Mergermarket, commented “Mergermarket’s league tables which were released earlier this year gave us an idea of the most active M&A advisors in the Middle East. Tonight’s awards go one step further to recognise the work of corporate law firms and investment banks in getting deals across the line. Congratulations to the winners and all who were shortlisted.”

Philip Whitchelo, Vice-President of Strategy & Product Marketing, Intralinks, stated:
“It’s been fascinating to go behind the scenes of some of the most creative and complex transactions in this region. As a sponsor of the MENA M&A Awards we’ve been delighted to congratulate all the winners at tonight’s ceremony, including those that are clients of Intralinks.”

The awards were preceded by the MENA Mergers forum, which featured a series of panel discussions, hosted by high level spokespeople from Gulf Capital Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, NBK Capital Partners (Mezzanine fund) and Abu Dhabi Financial Group, to name a few. The forum was hosted in strategic partnership with Baker McKenzie, EY, Standard Bank, AIG, Instinctif Partners and Intralinks.

Olivia Cummins Event Producer Acuris