Underwriters' counsel · 15th in 2026Ranked by number of IPOs · named in each prospectus
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
71SPAC IPOs as underwriters' counsel since 2021 · $22.1B raised · 4th of all firms
Tavia Read
- 01
Its best year in the table was 2021.
It ranked 2nd of 25 underwriters' counsel that year, on 61 SPAC IPOs.
- 02
Its busiest year was 2021.
61 SPAC IPOs as underwriters' counsel, ranking 2nd that year.
- 03
Outside the top 25 in 2 years.
The tables keep each year’s 25 leading firms; 2023, 2024 are below that line.
From the snapshot 14 league tables · worked out, not estimated
Underwriters' counsel, year by year
| Year | Rank | SPAC IPOs | IPO proceeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to date | 15 of 25 | 3 | $638M |
| 2025 | 15 of 25 | 2 | $496M |
| 2024 | Not in top 25 | — | — |
| 2023 | Not in top 25 | — | — |
| 2022 | 4 of 25 | 5 | $1.1B |
| 2021 | 2 of 25 | 61 | $19.9B |
| 2021 to date | 4 of 25 | 71 | $22.1B |
Company counsel, year by year
| Year | Rank | SPAC IPOs | IPO proceeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to date | Not in top 25 | — | — |
| 2025 | 18 of 25 | 2 | $438M |
| 2024 | 11 of 24 | 1 | $288M |
| 2023 | Not in top 25 | — | — |
| 2022 | 11 of 25 | 2 | $362M |
| 2021 | 5 of 25 | 28 | $9.1B |
| 2021 to date | 6 of 25 | 33 | $10.2B |
Its SPACs
104 SPAC IPOs since 2021 name Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in the prospectus. Open one for its terms, votes and sources.
| SPAC | IPO | Raised | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinnacle Acquisition Corp | Aug 2026 | $200M | Underwriters' counsel | Searching |
| Catalyst Acquisition Corp. | Jul 2026 | $212M | Underwriters' counsel | Searching |
| Snow Rothschild Acquisition Corp. | Jun 2026 | $226M | Underwriters' counsel | Searching |
| TGE Value Creative Solutions Corp | Dec 2025 | $150M | Company counsel | Searching |
| Alussa Energy Acquisition Corp. II | Nov 2025 | $288M | Company counsel | Searching |
| Siddhi Acquisition Corp (Cayman Islands) | Mar 2025 | $276M | Underwriters' counsel | Searching |
| Artius II Acquisition Inc. | Feb 2025 | $220M | Underwriters' counsel | Liquidated |
| GP-Act III Acquisition Corp. | May 2024 | $288M | Company counsel | Searching |
| SK Growth Opportunities Corp | Jun 2022 | $210M | Underwriters' counsel | Completed |
| Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV | Mar 2022 | $230M | Underwriters' counsel | Completed |
All 104 SPACs
- AXIOS Sustainable Growth Acquisition Corp Feb 2022 · $173M · Liquidated
- KnightSwan Acquisition Corp Jan 2022 · $230M · Liquidated
- Generation Asia I Acquisition Ltd Jan 2022 · $219M · Liquidated
- Andretti Acquisition Corp. Jan 2022 · $230M · Completed
- Consilium Acquisition Corp I, Ltd. Jan 2022 · $190M · Completed
- AP Acquisition Corp Dec 2021 · $173M · Liquidated
- EVe Mobility Acquisition Corp Dec 2021 · $250M · Searching
- Investcorp Europe Acquisition Corp I Dec 2021 · $345M · Searching
- Pearl Holdings Acquisition Corp Dec 2021 · $200M · Searching
- Target Global Acquisition I Corp. Dec 2021 · $215M · Searching
- ST Energy Transition I Ltd. Dec 2021 · $288M · Liquidated
- UTA Acquisition Corp Dec 2021 · $230M · Liquidated
- Ascendant Digital Acquisition Corp. III Nov 2021 · $300M · Liquidated
- DP Cap Acquisition Corp I Nov 2021 · $230M · Searching
- Mountain & Co. I Acquisition Corp. Nov 2021 · $230M · Searching
- Rigel Resource Acquisition Corp. Nov 2021 · $300M · Liquidated
- Arbor Rapha Capital Bioholdings Corp. I Oct 2021 · $173M · Liquidated
- SDCL EDGE Acquisition Corp Oct 2021 · $200M · Liquidated
- Perception Capital Corp. II Oct 2021 · $230M · Completed
- LAVA Medtech Acquisition Corp. Oct 2021 · $115M · Liquidated
- Global Technology Acquisition Corp. I Oct 2021 · $200M · Liquidated
- SILVERspac Inc. Sept 2021 · $250M · Liquidated
- Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V Aug 2021 · $276M · Liquidated
- Avista Public Acquisition Corp. II Aug 2021 · $230M · Completed
- Blue Whale Acquisition Corp I Aug 2021 · $229M · Liquidated
- XPAC Acquisition Corp. Jul 2021 · $220M · Searching
- TortoiseEcofin Acquisition Corp. III Jul 2021 · $345M · Liquidated
- ARYA Sciences Acquisition Corp V Jul 2021 · $150M · Liquidated
- Jaws Juggernaut Acquisition Corp Jun 2021 · $276M · Liquidated
- Jaws Hurricane Acquisition Corp Jun 2021 · $316M · Liquidated
- Fifth Wall Acquisition Corp. III May 2021 · $275M · Completed
- Angel Pond Holdings Corp May 2021 · $266M · Completed
- ION Acquisition Corp 3 Ltd. Apr 2021 · $253M · Liquidated
- CM Life Sciences III Inc. Apr 2021 · $552M · Completed
- Panacea Acquisition Corp. II Apr 2021 · $173M · Liquidated
- Khosla Ventures Acquisition Co. II Mar 2021 · $416M · Completed
- Khosla Ventures Acquisition Co. III Mar 2021 · $563M · Liquidated
- NextGen Acquisition Corp. II Mar 2021 · $383M · Completed
- Supernova Partners Acquisition Co III, Ltd. Mar 2021 · $281M · Searching
- Levere Holdings Corp. Mar 2021 · $271M · Liquidated
- Longview Acquisition Corp. II Mar 2021 · $690M · Liquidated
- Forum Merger IV Corp Mar 2021 · $336M · Liquidated
- Tech & Energy Transition Corp Mar 2021 · $385M · Liquidated
- Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. IV Mar 2021 · $650M · Liquidated
- Reinvent Technology Partners Y Mar 2021 · $978M · Completed
- Waldencast Acquisition Corp. Mar 2021 · $345M · Completed
- Stratim Cloud Acquisition Corp. Mar 2021 · $250M · Liquidated
- Silver Spike Acquisition Corp II Mar 2021 · $288M · Liquidated
- Agile Growth Corp. Mar 2021 · $310M · Liquidated
- Digital Transformation Opportunities Corp. Mar 2021 · $334M · Completed
- PWP Forward Acquisition Corp. I Mar 2021 · $212M · Liquidated
- SVF Investment Corp. 2 Mar 2021 · $230M · Liquidated
- SVF Investment Corp. 3 Mar 2021 · $320M · Completed
- Altimar Acquisition Corp. III Mar 2021 · $155M · Liquidated
- Khosla Ventures Acquisition Co. Mar 2021 · $345M · Liquidated
- Supernova Partners Acquisition Co II, Ltd. Mar 2021 · $345M · Completed
- TCW Special Purpose Acquisition Corp. Mar 2021 · $464M · Liquidated
- ARYA Sciences Acquisition Corp IV Feb 2021 · $150M · Completed
- Freedom Acquisition I Corp. Feb 2021 · $345M · Completed
- Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II Feb 2021 · $230M · Completed
- EJF Acquisition Corp. Feb 2021 · $288M · Completed
- CM Life Sciences II Inc. Feb 2021 · $276M · Completed
- Kismet Acquisition Three Corp. Feb 2021 · $288M · Searching
- Kismet Acquisition Two Corp. Feb 2021 · $230M · Liquidated
- FS Development Corp. II Feb 2021 · $201M · Completed
- New Vista Acquisition Corp Feb 2021 · $276M · Liquidated
- Broadscale Acquisition Corp. Feb 2021 · $345M · Liquidated
- Catcha Investment Corp Feb 2021 · $300M · Completed
- Rosecliff Acquisition Corp I Feb 2021 · $253M · Completed
- Social Leverage Acquisition Corp I Feb 2021 · $345M · Liquidated
- Tuatara Capital Acquisition Corp Feb 2021 · $200M · Completed
- Altimar Acquisition Corp. II Feb 2021 · $345M · Completed
- HH&L Acquisition Co. Feb 2021 · $414M · Liquidated
- ARK GLOBAL ACQUISITION CORP. Feb 2021 · $345M · Completed
- Compute Health Acquisition Corp. Feb 2021 · $863M · Completed
- Fifth Wall Acquisition Corp. I Feb 2021 · $345M · Completed
- JOFF Fintech Acquisition Corp. Feb 2021 · $414M · Liquidated
- Sustainable Development Acquisition I Corp. Feb 2021 · $316M · Liquidated
- Jaws Mustang Acquisition Corp Feb 2021 · $1.0B · Searching
- Noble Rock Acquisition Corp Feb 2021 · $242M · Deal announced
- BlueRiver Acquisition Corp. Jan 2021 · $288M · Searching
- TLG Acquisition One Corp. Jan 2021 · $400M · Completed
- Fortistar Sustainable Solutions Corp. Jan 2021 · $259M · Liquidated
- Liberty Media Acquisition Corp Jan 2021 · $575M · Liquidated
- Primavera Capital Acquisition Corp. Jan 2021 · $414M · Completed
- Queen's Gambit Growth Capital Jan 2021 · $345M · Completed
- Authentic Equity Acquisition Corp. Jan 2021 · $230M · Liquidated
- Class Acceleration Corp. Jan 2021 · $259M · Liquidated
- MARLIN TECHNOLOGY CORP. Jan 2021 · $414M · Liquidated
- SVF Investment Corp. Jan 2021 · $604M · Liquidated
- Bright Lights Acquisition Corp. Jan 2021 · $230M · Liquidated
- VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. II Jan 2021 · $345M · Liquidated
- Crucible Acquisition Corp Jan 2021 · $259M · Liquidated
- Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. III Jan 2021 · $230M · Liquidated
How its SPACs turned out
Figures
| IPO year | SPACs | Merger completed | Deal announced | Searching | Liquidated | Under review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 89 | 28 (31%) | 1 (1%) | 11 (12%) | 49 (55%) | 0 (0%) |
| 2022 | 7 | 4 (57%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (43%) | 0 (0%) |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (100%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (75%) | 1 (25%) | 0 (0%) |
| 2026 to date | 3 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (100%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
Works most often with
Bookrunners
- Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC24 SPACs
- Citigroup Global Markets Inc.19 SPACs
- Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC18 SPACs
Company counsel
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP12 SPACs
- White & Case LLP7 SPACs
- Latham & Watkins LLP7 SPACs
Underwriters' counsel
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP5 SPACs
- Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP5 SPACs
- Ropes & Gray LLP4 SPACs
Auditors
- Marcum LLP53 SPACs
- WithumSmith+Brown, PC40 SPACs
- BDO USA, LLP3 SPACs
How the figures are compiled
- Which IPOs. Every final IPO prospectus (Form 424B4 or 424B1, or a 424B3 when it is the first prospectus filed on an S-1 or F-1 registration within 10 days of it going effective) filed on SEC EDGAR from the history start, by a registrant whose SIC code was 6770 (blank checks) on the filing date. Offerings that are not exchange-listed SPAC IPOs are excluded when the prospectus is read. The window starts on 1 January 2021.
- Dated by. The date of the final prospectus.
- Raised. Units sold to the public, including over-allotment units, times the unit price, as stated in the SPAC's 8-K reports after the IPO.
- Trust. The trust held for public shareholders after the IPO and any over-allotment: trust per unit times public units, as stated in the SPAC's filings. Cash deposited in trust and then moved out as working capital is not counted.
- Bookrunners. Firms the prospectus names as book-running managers; where it names none, the firm it names as sole underwriter or representative of the underwriters. Only the prospectus's own wording counts, not later 8-K reports. Each IPO's gross proceeds are split equally among its bookrunners.
- Counsel and auditors. Issuer counsel and underwriters' counsel as named in the prospectus's Legal Matters section; the auditor as named in its Experts section. Each is credited with the IPO's full gross proceeds.
- Unit structure. What one unit consists of, as the prospectus states it: a share with warrants, with rights, with both, or a share alone (shares-only offerings sell no units). Warrants per unit is the fraction of a warrant in each unit; rights are measured as the fraction of a share they convert into per unit.
- Trust per unit. Dollars placed in the trust account for each unit sold to the public, as the prospectus states it.
- Time to complete. Months from the IPO closing that the SPAC has to complete its business combination before any extension, as the prospectus states it.
- Over-allotment. Whether the underwriters bought all, part or none of the over-allotment option, comparing units sold with the base offering and the option.
- Votes. Shareholder votes to extend a SPAC's deadline or to approve its business combination, as reported in its 8-Ks (Item 5.07), for the SPACs in the IPO statistics only: SPACs that priced before the history start are not included, so votes in the first years under-represent the market. Only redemptions actually paid count: votes on a proposal that failed, or an extension that was approved but never took effect, are left out (redemption requests lapse with them), and a merger vote counts only when the deal closed, and only the last merger vote before the closing, since merger redemptions are paid at closing. Liquidation votes are left out too, as every public share is redeemed by definition.
- Redemption rate. Public shares redeemed at a vote over public shares outstanding just before it. Shares redeemed are as an 8-K, or failing that the next 10-Q or 10-K, states them. Shares before are as a filing states them, or redeemed plus the shares left after, or carried from the IPO's public shares and earlier votes. The median is the typical vote; the weighted rate divides all shares redeemed by all shares before, the share of public money that left the trusts. A vote counts only when each of these figures is verified or accepted. Votes whose redemption count no filing states, after a search of the SPAC's and the combined company's filings, are counted as not disclosed rather than estimated.
- Outcomes. Where each SPAC stands as of the snapshot: completed (business combination closed), liquidated (trust returned and redeemed), deal pending (agreement signed, not closed) or searching (no agreement in force). Grouped by the year the SPAC priced its IPO. Awaiting review means its status is still being checked.
- Closings. Completed business combinations by year of closing. The sector is the SEC's industry code (SIC) of the combined company, grouped into broad sectors; months from IPO run from the prospectus date to the closing.
- Checking. A SPAC counts only when every required figure is verified (quote found verbatim in the filing and all cross-checks pass) or accepted by a named reviewer.
- Coverage. 1,077 of the 1,089 SPAC IPOs read are counted; 12 wait on a figure still under review and 11 filings were excluded as not exchange-listed SPAC IPOs.
Compiled from SEC filings with the assistance of AI · figures as of 3 November 2026
For information only. These figures are compiled from SEC filings with the assistance of AI. Although they are checked against those filings, they may contain errors or omissions and have not been audited; where they differ from the filings, the filings prevail. They are not an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security. Information about any SPAC is qualified in its entirety by its filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov.
