For the sheer size of the landmark deal they clinched in the first quarter of 2019, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., RBC Capital Markets LLC and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Inc. continued their reign at the top of S&P Global Market Intelligence's bank M&A league tables in the first three quarters of 2019. The three firms were instrumental to the blockbuster $28.28 billion merger of equals between SunTrust Banks Inc. and BB&T Corp. announced in February. The combined banks will become Truist Financial Corp
Stifel Financial Corp. unit Keefe Bruyette & Woods Inc., which clinched the biggest total deal value in the third quarter alone, trailed the three through the first three quarters of the year, pulling off a total deal value of $11.51 billion with 25 bank merger deals.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC came next with a total deal value of $7.58 billion made from five deals from January to September. From its biggest $2.08 billion deal in the second quarter, which was advising LegacyTexas Financial Group Inc. in its sale to Prosperity Bancshares Inc. in June, its biggest deal in the third quarter was advising New York-based CIT Group Inc. in buying Mutual of Omaha Bank in a $1 billion deal announced Aug. 13.

For the third quarter alone, KBW emerged at the top of the bank M&A league table with a total deal value of $3.88 billion from 14 bank merger deals. Its biggest assignment for the quarter was advising Mutual of Omaha Bank in selling to CIT Group.
Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP was No. 2 in the July-September period, with a total deal value of $2.54 billion from 15 deals. Its biggest deal in the quarter was advising United Financial Bancorp Inc. in its sale to People's United Financial Inc. in July. KBW also worked on this deal, advising People's United.
For the first three quarters of 2019, Sandler O'Neil worked on the most deals at 30, with a total deal value of $4.29 billion; followed by KBW with 25 deals; and Hovde Group LLC with 15.
Among the legal advisers, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz had the biggest deal value for the nine-month period at $34.83 billion, followed by Sullivan & Cromwell LLP at $32.69 billion and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP at $4.31 billion.

