THE global mergers and acquisitions market is awaking from hibernation, according to two surveys released yesterday.There were $881bn (£581bn) worth of deals in the first half of 2010, up 7.8 per cent on the same period a year earlier, Mergermarket said.Europe’s M&A recovery was even more pronounced, with first half deals up 24.1 per cent on 2009 to $240.3bn, with a 53.8 per cent lift in the second quarter.Mergermarket released the figures alongside its global league table of advisers, which was topped by Simpson, Thatcher and Bartlett.A second survey suggests the outlook for global M&A is also improving, with 78 per cent of practitioners expecting an increase in deal activity over the next 12 months.The survey of 160 dealmakers, carried out by IntraLinks, also found that 52 per cent of respondents thought improved market and financial conditions would be the principal driver behind an uptick in M&A.