toppedSNL's financial adviser rankings for bank and thrift M&A, raking in the mostdeals and also recording the largest cumulative deal value during the first quarter.

Sandler servedas an adviser on nine bank and thrift M&A deals with a total announced valueof $5.22 billion during the first quarter. A large chunk of that deal value camefrom the firm's role advising Akron, Ohio-based FirstMerit Corp. in its pending $3.44 billion to Columbus, Ohio-basedHuntington Bancshares Inc.

The Huntington-FirstMeritdeal also propelled Goldman Sachs& Co. to second place in the deal value rankings. The transactionwas the firm's sole M&A transaction during the quarter.

, a unitof Stifel Financial Corp.,came in second place in the ranking for number of deals, with six transactions underits belt with a cumulative deal value of $1.51 billion. Much of that total camefrom Keefe Bruyette & Woods' role as adviser to Troy, Mich.-based in its pending$1.09 billion mergerwith Midland, Mich.-based Chemical FinancialCorp.

Deal valueswere not disclosed for all transactions captured in SNL's league tables.

Among legaladvisers, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz was first in terms of deal value. Thefirm advised on three transactions for a total value of $3.61 billion. Sullivan& Cromwell LLP came in second place in deal value. Both firms acted as legaladvisers in the Huntington-FirstMerit deal.

Howard &Howard Attorneys PLLC and Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP wereinvolved in the most transactions during the quarter, both with five deals apiece.

rankedfirst in the rankings for branch deals, acting as financial adviser in two transactionsinvolving $59.3 million in total deposits. DD&FConsulting Group was second in the branch deal rankings, advising ona single transaction involving $28.9 million of total deposits.

SNL Financial is an offering of S&P Global MarketIntelligence.