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
Previous editions
2025 edition published March 2025
Market Leader
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Preeminent
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Danny King, Danny King Legal - Sydney
Leading
Donald Blairs, Wearing & Blairs - Adelaide
Simon Bourne, SMB Employment Law - Adelaide
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Trent Hancock, Jewell Hancock - Melbourne
Andrew Jewell, Jewell Hancock - Melbourne
Mia Pantechis, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Recommended
Nikita Barsby, Modern Legal - Perth
Luke Forsyth, Hall Payne - Sydney
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Joseph Kelly, Kelly Workplace Lawyers - Melbourne
Joe Kennedy, Hall Payne - Sydney
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Patrick Turner, Maurice Blackburn - Brisbane
Daniel Victory, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Joseph Wearing, Wearing & Blairs - Adelaide
John Wilson, BAL Lawyers - Canberra
2024 edition published March 2024
Market Leader
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Preeminent
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Danny King, Danny King Legal - Sydney
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
Leading
Simon Bourne, SMB Employment Law - Adelaide
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Recommended
Nikita Barsby, MDC Legal - Perth
Donald Blairs, Wearing & Blairs - Adelaide
Trent Hancock, Jewell Hancock - Melbourne
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Andrew Jewell, Jewell Hancock - Melbourne
Joe Kennedy, Hall Payne - Sydney
Mia Pantechis, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Daniel Victory, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Joseph Wearing, Wearing & Blairs - Adelaide
2023 edition published March 2023
Preeminent
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Alexandra Grayson, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
Danny King, Danny King Legal - Sydney
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
Leading
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Giri Sivaraman, Maurice Blackburn - Brisbane
Recommended
Nikita Barsby, MDC Legal - Perth
Donald Blairs, Wearing & Blairs - Adelaide
Simon Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Tim Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Luke Forsyth, Hall Payne - Sydney
Trent Hancock, Jewell Hancock - Melbourne
Andrew Jewell, Jewell Hancock - Melbourne
Nathan Keats, WG McNally Jones Staff - Sydney
Anthony Macken, AJ Macken & Co - Melbourne
Mia Pantechis, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
Peter Punch, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Daniel Victory, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
2022 edition published March 2022
Preeminent
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Danny King, Danny King Legal - Sydney
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
Leading
Tim Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Alexandra Grayson, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Peter Punch, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Giri Sivaraman, Maurice Blackburn - Brisbane
Recommended
Michael Barnes, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
Donald Blairs, Wearing & Blairs - Adelaide
Simon Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Petrine Costigan, Petrine Costigan Lawyers - Sydney
Luke Forsyth, Hall Payne - Sydney
Andrew Jewell, Jewell Hancock - Melbourne
Nathan Keats, WG McNally Jones Staff - Sydney
Anthony Macken, AJ Macken & Co - Melbourne
Mia Pantechis, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
John Payne, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Rob Stevenson, Australian Workplace Lawyers - Brisbane
Daniel Victory, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
2021 edition published March 2021
Preeminent
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Leading
Tim Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Alexandra Grayson, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Danny King, Danny King Legal - Sydney
John Payne, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
Peter Punch, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Giri Sivaraman, Maurice Blackburn - Brisbane
Recommended
Michael Barnes, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
Simon Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Luke Forsyth, Hall Payne - Sydney
Anthony Macken, AJ Macken & Co - Melbourne
Philip Pasfield, Slater & Gordon - Sydney
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Daniel Victory, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Joseph Wearing, Wearing & Blairs - Adelaide
2020 edition published March 2020
Market Leader
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Preeminent
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Peter Punch, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
Leading
Tim Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Alexandra Grayson, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
Danny King, Danny King Legal - Sydney
John Payne, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Giri Sivaraman, Maurice Blackburn - Brisbane
Recommended
Michael Barnes, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
Simon Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Marcus Clayton, Gordon Legal - Melbourne
Luke Forsyth, Hall Payne - Sydney
Nathan Keats, McNally Jones Staff - Sydney
Joe Kennedy, Hall Payne - Sydney
Michael Doherty, Michael Doherty Legal - Sydney
Anthony Macken, AJ Macken & Co - Melbourne
Philip Pasfield, Slater & Gordon - Sydney
Andrew Rich, Slater & Gordon - Brisbane
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Joseph Wearing, Wearing & Blairs - Adelaide
2019 edition published February 2019
Market Leader
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Preeminent
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Peter Punch, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
Leading
Tim Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Nathan Keats, WG McNally Jones Staff - Sydney
Danny King, Danny King Legal - Sydney
Anthony Macken, AJ Macken & Co - Melbourne
John Payne, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Giri Sivaraman, Maurice Blackburn - Brisbane
Recommended
Carol Andrades, Gordon Legal - Melbourne
Simon Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Marcus Clayton, Gordon Legal - Melbourne
Alexandra Grayson, Maurice Blackburn - Sydney
Joe Kennedy, Hall Payne - Sydney
Michael Doherty, Michael Doherty Legal - Sydney
Philip Pasfield, Slater & Gordon - Sydney
Andrew Rich, Slater & Gordon - Brisbane
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Joseph Wearing, Wearing Law - Adelaide
2018 edition published February 2018
Market Leader
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Preeminent
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Peter Punch, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
Leading
Tim Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Nathan Keats, WG McNally Jones Staff - Sydney
Danny King, Danny King Legal - Sydney
John Payne, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Giri Sivaraman, Maurice Blackburn - Brisbane
Recommended
Carol Andrades, Ryan Carlisle Thomas - Melbourne
Simon Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Marcus Clayton, Slater & Gordon - Melbourne
Rachel Cosentino, Slater & Gordon - Perth
Michael Harmer, Harmers Workplace Lawyers - Sydney
Anthony Macken, AJ Macken & Co - Melbourne
Philip Pasfield, Slater & Gordon - Sydney
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Joseph Wearing, Wearing Law - Adelaide
2017 edition published February 2017
Preeminent
Josh Bornstein, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Kamal Farouque, Maurice Blackburn - Melbourne
Philip Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Peter Punch, Carroll & O'Dea - Sydney
Leading
Tim Bourne, Bourne Lawyers - Adelaide
Mark Cox, MDC Legal - Perth
Nathan Keats, WG McNally Jones Staff - Sydney
Anthony Macken, AJ Macken & Co - Melbourne
John Payne, Hall Payne - Brisbane
Richard Pegg, Toomey Pegg - Sydney
David Shaw, Holding Redlich - Melbourne
Giri Sivaraman, Maurice Blackburn - Brisbane
Recommended
Carol Andrades, Ryan Carlisle Thomas - Melbourne
Marcus Clayton, Slater & Gordon - Melbourne
Rachel Cosentino, Slater & Gordon - Perth
Michael Harmer, Harmers Workplace Lawyers - Sydney
Kathryn Hayward, Haywards Solicitors - Sydney
Philip Pasfield, Slater & Gordon - Sydney
Luke Tiley, Hall Payne - Brisbane