The 2026 listing of leading Employee-focused Australian Employment Lawyers details solicitors practising within the areas of employment, industrial relations and workplace safety matters across all Australian legal markets whose practice has strong employee/applicant/trade union representation focus and who have been identified by the state’s employment law solicitors for their expertise and abilities in these areas.
Market Leader
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn – Melbourne
Preeminent
Mark Cox, MDC Legal – Perth
Trent Hancock, Jewell Hancock – Melbourne
Danny King, Danny King Legal – Sydney
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne – Brisbane
Leading
Donald Blairs, Wearing & Blairs – Adelaide
Simon Bourne, SMB Employment Law – Adelaide
Andrew Jewell, Jewell Hancock – Melbourne
Mia Pantechis, Maurice Blackburn – Sydney
Daniel Victory, Maurice Blackburn – Melbourne
Recommended
Nikita Barsby, Modern Legal – Perth
Adrian Barwick, Williamson Barwick – Sydney
Luke Forsyth, Hall Payne – Sydney
Joseph Kelly, Kelly Workplace Lawyers – Melbourne
Joe Kennedy, Hall Payne – Sydney
Rob Stevenson, Australian Workplace Lawyers – Brisbane
Patrick Turner, Maurice Blackburn – Brisbane
Joseph Wearing, Wearing & Blairs – Adelaide
John Wilson, BAL Lawyers – Canberra