Insider Media Limited

DLA Piper, which has a Birmingham office in Victoria Square, has kept its number-one ranking by deal volume in 2011 among corporate law firms in the UK and globally.

Accroding to Mergermarket's league table for legal advisers, DLA Piper also rose to second place in Europe, up from fourth in 2010.

The law firm's Birmingham corporate team acted on some of the company's biggest deals last year, including the acquisition of Moody International by Intertek Group for £450m; Scripps Networks Interactive's purchase of Virgin Media's stake in UKTV for £339m; and Goodrich Corp's £330m takeover of Microtecnica.

Globally, DLA Piper's involvement in 347 transactions valued at almost $58bn (£37bn) in 2011, as reported by Mergermarket, reflects an increase in the number and value of deals the firm advised upon in several markets across Europe, Greater China, South Korea and South East Asia.

Mark Beardmore, office managing partner in Birmingham, said: "DLA Piper's excellent rankings in the 2011 league tables were partly due to our ability to provide a truly seamless service for clients across the globe.

"As the business environment becomes increasingly international and more deals involve a cross-border element, our position as the leading international law firm in the Midlands is a major attraction for existing and prospective clients."

DLA Piper also retained its number-one spot in the UK for mid-market deals in Thomson Reuters league table for legal advisers.