The little guys are winning on Wall Street

Smaller independent and boutique advisory firms have made a splash on the biggest mergers and acquisitions of 2016, working in seven on the top 10 deals in the first six months of the year, according to Dealogic.

They've hired some of the biggest names in the business, while also putting plans in place to develop their own talent.

And they're also great places to work, according to Vault.com's annual ranking of the best banks to work for. Smaller firms took five of the top nine places in the rankings.

Centerview Partners, cofounded in July 2006 by Blair Effron, Stephen Crawford and Rob Pruzan, placed third in the ranking, and took top spot in 10 of the 19 quality of life categories that Vault ranks.

"Centerview Partners continues to land some of the largest and most high-profile deals on the Street and has quickly become one of the most prestigious firms for professionals to have on their resume," Derek Loosvelt, Vault Senior finance editor, said.

Here's how the boutique firms stacked up: