Finsbury Hering Schuppener GPG took the top spot both in the U.S. and globally, when measured by deal value, in Mergermarket’s rankings of PR advisors for the first half of 2020. When measured by deal count, Sard Verbinnen was the leader, even though it recorded a drop from 126 deals in the first half of 2019 to 75 deals in the first half of 2020.

FHSG also stood out for being one of the few firms in the survey to have made gains over its deal-value performance from the first half of 2019, with an 8.3 percent jump globally and a 14.9 percent increase in the U.S. The only other top 10 firm to post a deal-value increase was Community Group—#6 both globally (with a 228.7 percent jump) and in the U.S. (where it was up 260.9 percent).

But even FSHG was not immune from the deal-count loss that hit every firm in the global and U.S. top 10, with the exception of BackBay Communications, which was up from 21 deals to 27 globally and from 20 to 24 in the U.S., coming in at #9 on both lists.

Following FSHG on the global deal-value list were Joele Frank Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher at #2 (down 78.8 percent), Brunswick Group at #3 (down 77 percent), Sard Verbinnen at #4 (down 86.2 percent) and Kekst CNC at #5 (down 86.6 percent). In the U.S., FSHG was joined in the top five by Sard Verbinnen, Brunswick Group, Joele Frank Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher and Kekst CNC.

In terms of global deal count, SVB was ahead of #2 Kekst CNC (down from 127 deals in the first half of 2019 to 69 in the first half of 2020), #3 Brunswick Group (down 36 deals), #4 FHSG (down 46 deals) and Joele Frank (down 27 deals). In the U.S., Kekst CNC took the #2 spot, followed by Joele Frank, FHSG and Brunswick Group.

Mergermarket’s rankings measure deals with a value of over $5 million or, if the deal’s value is undisclosed, the target’s turnover must be more than $10 million. When deals are for a stake of less than 30 percent, the value must exceed $100 million.