It’s been an active year for South Australia’s employment lawyers. Things are still well short of a boom but the steady flow of a broad range of employment and industrial matters as well as a new OH&S/safety regime has left the state’s employment lawyers better off than most.
Within our rankings it’s again more of the same with EMA Legal and Minter Ellison remaining the two leading employer focused practices in town. There’s a significant distance between these two and the remainder of our ranked firms in voting. There are certainly quality practitioners elsewhere however it’s the broad coverage and experience of these two firms that set them apart – similar to the Ashurst/Herbert Smith Freehills combinations in other major Australian states.
Within our next three bands of firms the difference between such is minimal and there’s a solid mix of promising younger practitioners combined with experienced campaigners. Looking forward there’s little clarity as to which of these firms or practitioners look set to best rival EMA & Minters or indeed take their place in due course.
On the applicant/employee side it’s somewhat surprising that one of Australia’s smaller legal markets has one of it’s most competitive and diverse options for employment representation. Bourne Lawyers remain as the first pick however the apparent weakening of Leischke & Weatherill has given rise to a range of formerly fringe offerings such as Duncan Basheer Hannan and Johnston Withers.