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.
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