Brunswick

Although the overwhelming majority of its people and 16 offices are in Europe or North America, Brunswick does have outposts in Johannesburg, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beijing and Hong Kong, so makes it into our group of global networks.

It is best known as a financial PR agency, and once again topped the global M&A by value league table in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, with a total of 106 deals worth US$321.7bn (£199.7bn). It was boosted by its work on Pfizer’s US$63.3bn takeover of Wyeth, the top deal of the year globally, and with the takeover of Cadbury by Kraft Foods.

There was significant strengthening of the US offices with Susan Gilchrist, senior partner in Brunswick’s London office, relocating to New York to head up the agency's Stateside operations, and several major new hires.

The period brought mixed fortunes for Brunswick. UK fashion retailer New Look ditched it in favour of Tulchan Communications, STV, Scotland’s top commercial broadcaster, moved its corporate and financial account to College Hill and long-standing client, BP, did little to enhance the firm’s reputation for crisis communications advice.