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2021’s top 25 attraction firms revealed

Lawyers Weekly, in partnership with Momentum Intelligence, is pleased to reveal the firms deemed most attractive by legal professionals across the country.

user iconJerome Doraisamy 07 October 2021 Big Law
2021’s top 25 attraction firms
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Now in its seventh year, the Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking is a key element of the Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which gauges the most sought-after private legal practices across the country.

Every year, some firms rise up the rankings while others slide down the list, but – in a year plagued by the coronavirus pandemic – the 2021 rankings paint a fascinating picture for how lawyers perceive prospective employers.

“Australia’s legal profession holds host to one of the country’s most competitive talent markets with numerous legal firms, large multinationals, government agencies and rapidly growing boutiques looking to attract the brightest minds in law,” said Oliver Stofka, research strategist, Momentum Intelligence.

“This has been another year disrupted by COVID-19 with firms and their legal professionals having to deal with different environments and challenges month to month. It is clear to see from the results this year that firms and legal professionals have been up to this challenge and the ever-changing landscape that has been the legal industry over the last 12 months.

The methodology

The annual Lawyers Weekly Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking was based on the results from one question in the recent 2021 Momentum Intelligence Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which asked:

“Which firms would you most likely consider a move to if you ever decided to leave your current firm?”, with respondents able to select up to five firms.

This year’s survey was conducted between 16 August and 15 September 2021, recording the attitudes, priorities and perceptions of over 800 legal professionals across Australia.

From this, each of the answers is given a point. The ranking is based on the point system with the firm with the most points given first in the ranking.

For information, please contact Oliver Stofka on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 02 9922 3300.

Without further ado, the Top 25 Attraction Firms for 2021 are:

25. Arnold Bloch Leibler

24. Gadens Lawyers

23. LegalVision

22. HWL Ebsworth Lawyers

21. Sparke Helmore Lawyers

20. Norton Rose Fulbright

19. Deloitte Legal

18. Allen & Overy

17. Clifford Chance

16. Colin Biggers & Paisley

15. Mills Oakley

14. Maddocks

13. PwC Legal

12. Maurice Blackburn

11. Baker McKenzie

10. Corrs Chambers Westgarth

9. Gilbert + Tobin Lawyers

8. Clayton Utz

7. Hall & Wilcox

6. Lander & Rogers

5. Ashurst

4. King & Wood Mallesons

3. MinterEllison

2. Allens

1. Herbert Smith Freehills

Jerome Doraisamy

Jerome Doraisamy

Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.

You can email Jerome at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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