By the time top executives bask in the glory of a major deal, the financial advisors who spent several months working behind the scenes on the project will be lining up the next blockbuster.

There are many players in this game but a handful in the major investment banks are among the big hitters.

JP Morgan topped the upstream mergers and acquisitions (M&A) ranking last year and the investment banking team of Todd Maclin, Jimmy Elliott, Jeremy Wilson and Roderick Peacock is one of the best known in oil and gas.

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