The Australian Legal Market in Numbers (Infographic!)

Jason Ku • 30 July 2020

Did you know? Australia is one of our fastest-growing countries for Pirical Legal Professionals users.

Let’s show you around and give you some interesting facts about the 100 largest Australian firms for your next Zoom call. 🇦🇺

If the charts on this page don’t load, you may need to refresh the page.

In some ways, the Australian legal market is very similar to the UK. The country’s major legal hub, Sydney, just like London houses about 40% of the lawyers in the country. But one thing that’s different is the relative importance of the country’s second- and third-ranked cities. Melbourne and Brisbane host nearly 50% of the population between them. (By contrast Manchester and Birmingham in the UK have just 7% combined.)

So what? In Australia the 13,000 practising lawyers in its major law firms are highly concentrated in just a few major cities. Take a look at our interactive map.

The 20 biggest firms, by fee-earning population, have about 8,000 lawyers on their books.

At the senior levels, HWL Ebsworth has the most Partners in Australia , followed by MinterEllison and King & Wood Mallesons.

The gender profile of the lawyers in Australia follows a similar profile to that of the UK, except the gap at partnership level is even more acute.

We’d love to show you how the search and statistics functions of Pirical Legal Professionals can transform your legal recruitment and sales enablement efforts.

Book a demo and claim your free 1-week Trial

Stay up-to-date with the latest market insights and law firm rankings

Subscribe to email updates

Subscribe to content

by Lakshana Susinthiran • 21 October 2026
The third quarter of 2026 has wrapped up, so let’s take a look at which AM Law 200 firms brought on the most lateral partners.
Person ascending a wide white staircase in a bright minimalist interior
by Aidan Scanlon • 16 October 2026
Kirkland & Ellis has promoted at least 196 lawyers to partner in 2026's round. See the breakdown by office, practice, and experience.
Chart of AM Law 200 data center partner hires by year, 87 in 2020 rising to 283 projected for 2026
by Craig Savitzky • 5 October 2026
Data center lateral partner hiring is running 21% ahead of 2025's record. See which AM Law 200 firms are winning the talent race, and who's doing the work.