Deal type · November 2026
Fund formation: deal monitor
Dated fund formation deals over the last 12 months: how many, which practices staffed them, which industries they served and which firms advised.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 606
- Dated deals, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- +23.0%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- $1,100m
- Median disclosed value
- 432
- Distinct clients
What the data show
From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 606 dated deals of this type. Measured on settled 12-month windows, 621 deals against 505 the year before, the deal count rose 23.0%. The deal market as a whole moved +10.6% over the same windows.
By practice, Funds & Investment Management is involved in 78.9% of these deals and Private Equity in 4.5%. By client industry, Financial Sponsors is involved in 57.3% of these deals and Asset Management & Funds in 31.8%.
Deal value was disclosed on 48.8% of them; where disclosed, the median was $1,100 million. 432 distinct clients appear across the window.
First among advising firms is Kirkland & Ellis, with deals in the 101-150 band.
A firm hiring for fund formation work should read the adviser table as the map of where experienced lawyers sit today.
Firms by rank and band
Each firm appears as a rank and a band, never an exact count, and only with at least 10 moves in the window.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkland & Ellis | 101-150 |
| 2 | Ropes & Gray | 21-40 |
| 3 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | 21-40 |
| 4 | Latham & Watkins | 21-40 |
| 5 | Maples Group | 21-40 |
| 6 | Loyens & Loeff | 11-20 |
| 7 | Debevoise & Plimpton | 11-20 |
| 8 | Proskauer Rose | 11-20 |
| 9 | Cooley | 11-20 |
| 10 | Addleshaw Goddard | 11-20 |
Related monitors and reports
Client industries
- Banks & Financial Institutions
- Financial Sponsors
- Technology & Software
- Pharma & Biotech
- Asset Management & Funds
- Real Estate
- Power & Renewables
- Consumer Goods & Retail
- Food, Beverage & Agriculture
- Healthcare Providers & Payors
- Oil & Gas
- Industrial Manufacturing
- Media & Entertainment
- Utilities, Water & Waste
- Government & Public Sector
- Automotive
- Insurance
- Electronics & Semiconductors
- Medical Devices
- Mining & Metals
- Individuals & Consumers
- Hospitality & Leisure
- Aerospace & Defence
- Infrastructure
- Construction & Engineering
- Professional Services
- Fintech & Payments
- Telecommunications
- Transportation & Logistics
- Chemicals
- Sports
- Nonprofits & Charities
- Aviation
- Digital Assets & Crypto
- Education
Other deal types
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Hiring in this market
Edition November 2026. Window: November 2025 to October 2026. Source: Sartori & Partners, from public law-firm announcements, firm websites and professional profiles, checked monthly. Methodology. Spot an error? [email protected].
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