The 2026 listing of leading Employer-focused Australian Employment Law Firms details firms practising within the areas of employment and industrial relations matters across all Australian legal markets whose practice has strong employer representation focus and who have been identified by the state’s employment law solicitors for their expertise and abilities in these areas.
First Tier
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Kingston Reid
MinterEllison
Seyfarth
Second Tier
Ashurst
King & Wood Mallesons
Third Tier
Clayton Utz
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Lander & Rogers
Recommended
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisers
Baker McKenzie
Dentons
EMA Legal
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
Justitia
K&L Gates
Maddocks
Piper Alderman
Sparke Helmore
Thomson Geer
Previous editions
2025 edition published March 2025
First Tier
Herbert Smith Freehills
Kingston Reid
MinterEllison
Seyfarth
Second Tier
Ashurst
Clayton Utz
King & Wood Mallesons
Lander & Rogers
Third Tier
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Maddocks
Sparke Helmore
Recommended
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisers
Baker McKenzie
Dentons
EMA Legal
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
Justitia
K&L Gates
Piper Alderman
Thomson Geer
2024 edition published March 2024
First Tier
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Herbert Smith Freehills
Kingston Reid
MinterEllison
Seyfarth
Second Tier
Ashurst
Clayton Utz
Lander & Rogers
Third Tier
Maddocks
Piper Alderman
Recommended
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisers
Baker McKenzie
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
K&L Gates
Thomson Geer
2023 edition published March 2023
First Tier
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Herbert Smith Freehills
Kingston Reid
MinterEllison
Seyfarth
Second Tier
Ashurst
Clayton Utz
Third Tier
Lander & Rogers
Maddocks
Piper Alderman
Recommended
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisers
Baker McKenzie
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
K&L Gates
Thomson Geer
2022 edition published March 2022
First Tier
Ashurst
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Herbert Smith Freehills
Kingston Reid
MinterEllison
Seyfarth
Second Tier
Clayton Utz
Third Tier
Lander & Rogers
Maddocks
Piper Alderman
Thomson Geer
Recommended
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisers
Baker McKenzie
FCB Workplace Law
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
K&L Gates
McCullough Robertson
Mills Oakley
2021 edition published March 2021
First Tier
Ashurst
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Herbert Smith Freehills
Kingston Reid
MinterEllison
Seyfarth
Second Tier
Clayton Utz
Third Tier
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Lander & Rogers
Maddocks
McCullough Robertson
Thomson Geer
Recommended
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisers
Baker McKenzie
EMA Legal
FCB Workplace Law
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
K&L Gates
Mills Oakley
Norton Rose Fulbright
Piper Alderman
2020 edition published March 2020
First Tier
Ashurst
Herbert Smith Freehills
MinterEllison
Seyfarth
Second Tier
Clayton Utz
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Kingston Reid
Third Tier
Baker McKenzie
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
K&L Gates
Lander & Rogers
Maddocks
McCullough Robertson
Thomson Geer
Recommended
EMA Legal
FCB Workplace Law
Hall & Wilcox
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
Johnson Winter & Slattery
Norton Rose Fulbright
Piper Alderman
2019 edition published February 2019
First Tier
Ashurst
Herbert Smith Freehills
MinterEllison
Seyfarth Shaw
Second Tier
Clayton Utz
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
K&L Gates
Third Tier
Baker McKenzie
Lander & Rogers
Thomson Geer
Recommended
EMA Legal
FCB Workplace Law
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
Johnson Winter & Slattery
Maddocks
McCullough Robertson
Norton Rose Fulbright
Piper Alderman
2018 edition published February 2018
First Tier
Ashurst
Herbert Smith Freehills
MinterEllison
Seyfarth Shaw
Second Tier
Clayton Utz
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
K&L Gates
Third Tier
Baker McKenzie
Lander & Rogers
Maddocks
Thomson Geer
Recommended
DLA Piper
EMA Legal
FCB Workplace Law
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Holding Redlich
HWL Ebsworth
Johnson Winter & Slattery
McCullough Robertson
Norton Rose Fulbright
Piper Alderman
2017 edition published February 2017
First Tier
Ashurst
Herbert Smith Freehills
MinterEllison
Seyfarth Shaw
Second Tier
Clayton Utz
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Third Tier
Henry Davis York
K&L Gates
Recommended
Baker & McKenzie
DLA Piper
EMA Legal
FCB Workplace Law
Franklin Athanasellis Cullen
Lander & Rogers
Maddocks
McCullough Robertson
Thomson Geer