US law firm White & Case has ranked in the top five legal advisers for European buyouts for the first time, a year after hiring a high-profile duo from UK rival Linklaters to build its private equity practice in the region.

The New York-based firm advised on 26 European deals worth a combined €9.57 billion in 2014, making it the second most active law firm for European buyouts based on deal value, according to data from Mergermarket.