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Gender pay gaps getting worse in Aussie law firms
Australia’s biggest law firms had their gender pay data exposed for the second year in a row. Here, Lawyers Weekly takes a look into the new figures and reveals whether those gaps got better or worse.
Naomi Neilson and Grace Robbie
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s (WGEA) data for 2023–24 revealed that just under half of the 62 major law firms with comparable data to the previous reporting year had a worse gender pay gap (GPG).
Under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, workplaces with 100 or more employees are required to provide their GPG data. This year, more than 80 legal workplaces disclosed that information.
Spruson & Ferguson had one of the biggest GPG increases, with its median base salary jumping from 49.9 to 58.3 per cent. Its median total remuneration GPG also increased from 53.3 to 61.7 per cent.
The firm’s managing director, Simon Potter, told Lawyers Weekly this was driven by “historic trends”, like an over-representation of women in non-fee-earning roles and low levels in STEM-qualified careers – which he explained was a requirement for patent attorneys.
“Closing the gap is a strategic priority we are actively addressing through our gender equity and equality strategy. In the last year, we have formalised a 40:40:20 gender balance target and made significant changes to our parental leave policy,” Potter said.
Also at the end of this scale are McInnes Wilson, Meridian Lawyers, Shine Lawyers, and Cornwalls. Much like Spruson & Ferguson, the latter increased its median base salary GPG from 23.6 to 49.1 per cent, and median total remuneration jumped from 32 to 48.6 per cent.
Several firms reported a significant decrease in their GPG results, including Johnson Winter Slattery, College of Law, Piper Alderman, Russell Kennedy, McCabes, and Macpherson Kelley.
Macpherson Kelley’s figures were among the highest in the previous year’s results, with it reporting a median base salary GPG of 39.7 per cent and a median total remuneration of 41 per cent. In the new figures, this decreased to 36.3 and 37.2 per cent, respectively.
While still high, it meant the firm was no longer at the worse end of the scale. The firm told Lawyers Weekly it was “deeply committed to taking deliberate steps to positively influence the gender pay gap”.
By July 2028, Macpherson Kelley said it intended to have women comprise 50 per cent of the principal lawyer positions and will maintain initiatives such as flexible work, paid parental leave, and female-focused leadership development programs.
In response to the WEGA data, newly appointed Law Society of NSW president Jennifer Ball expressed that, with women comprising half of the solicitor profession, “the achievement of gender equality in the workplace makes sense both as a value and a business imperative”.
Ball emphasised that the NSW Law Society “continues to support and encourage the profession to demonstrate commitment and leadership on this front”.
For the first time, WGEA also provided average GPG figures for base salary and total remuneration, as well as a breakdown of the percentage of women in lowest to highest seniority levels.
On average, there is a 19.3 per cent base salary GPG and a 19.73 per cent total remuneration GPG across all 81 firms.
However, it is important to note that, from the outset, there are several flaws in WGEA’s data that make the figures appear different than they may be in reality. For an explainer of why that may be the case for some, Lawyers Weekly spoke to Mary Wooldridge and two affected firms.
Joining Spruson & Ferguson with the highest GPGs were Jones Day, Coleman Greig, Davies Collison Cave, and Meridian Lawyers.
Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, Jones Day said the methodology “ignores that different jobs have different pay ranges” because women “are not only thriving within Jones Day, they are leading the firm”.
“In Australia, women hold 87 per cent of Jones Day’s staff positions and, more specifically, 100 per cent of our secretarial positions. These administrative roles generally command lower compensation compared to lawyer positions,” a spokesperson for the firm said.
In addition to the flaw in the data, Coleman Greig attributed the gap to senior consultant demographics and shifts. Currently, women make up just over 40 per cent in the firm’s upper quartile, and 93 per cent in its lower-middle quartile. Similar figures are shown in the table below.
“At Coleman Greig, we recognise that achieving true gender pay equality requires continuous commitment and action,” the firm said.
“While the WGEA gender pay gap results highlight important progress, we acknowledge that there is still work to be done, and we are dedicated to driving meaningful, measurable change.”
When viewed on a whole, Coleman Greig’s 43 per cent pales in comparison to the 21 per cent of women in Cornwalls’ upper quartile. At the other end of the scale, the Environmental Defenders Office has 81 per cent women in its top ranks.
The average and median results appear below. The “NC” in the median table refers to data that is “non-comparable” to last year’s results.
| FIRM | Average base salary GPG (%) | Average total remuneration GPG (%) | Total workforce women (%) | Upper quartile women (%) | Upper-middle quartile women (%) | Lower-middle quartile women (%) | Lower quartile women (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowmore Legal Services | 0.2 | 0.2 | 78% | 76% | 75% | 80% | 80% |
| Lawyers on Demand | 1.6 | 3.8 | 65% | 68% | 74% | 62% | 58% |
| Piper Alderman | 2.4 | 4.1 | 62% | 63% | 54% | 63% | 70% |
| Ashurst | 4 | 4.5 | 60% | 61% | 54% | 62% | 64% |
| Baker McKenzie | 12.6 | 12.4 | 58% | 60% | 61% | 53% | 60% |
| Environmental Defenders Office | 5.3 | 5.3 | 82% | 81% | 82% | 84% | 81% |
| Maddocks | 5.2 | 5.4 | 63% | 63% | 66% | 65% | 57% |
| Law Society of NSW | 7 | 6 | 63% | 69% | 47% | 68% | 67% |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | 6.3 | 6.3 | 66% | 64% | 55% | 68% | 74% |
| HFW | 8.8 | 8.3 | 62% | 61% | 48% | 59% | 79% |
| Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited | 8.2 | 8.5 | 73% | 58% | 77% | 77% | 79% |
| Gilbert + Tobin | 7.5 | 8.5 | 63% | 56% | 59% | 66% | 72% |
| Arnold Bloch Leibler | 9.3 | 8.9 | 64% | 65% | 57% | 61% | 73% |
| Holding Redlich | 10.1 | 9.5 | 77% | 74% | 75% | 79% | 79% |
| King & Wood Mallesons | 10.3 | 9.5 | 66% | 60% | 63% | 67% | 73% |
| Dentons | 9.8 | 9.7 | 63% | 60% | 51% | 69% | 72% |
| Law in Order | 9.9 | 9.9 | 41% | 32% | 41% | 38% | 52% |
| Sparke Helmore | 9.9 | 10.5 | 74% | 66% | 73% | 77% | 78% |
| Hall & Wilcox | 10.6 | 10.6 | 74% | 72% | 71% | 81% | 73% |
| Mills Oakley | 9.1 | 10.6 | 72% | 65% | 71% | 83% | 68% |
| Addisons | 11.6 | 11.2 | 73% | 63% | 68% | 80% | 80% |
| Allens | 10.8 | 11.3 | 67% | 63% | 61% | 68% | 75% |
| Russell Kennedy | 12.6 | 11.3 | 65% | 63% | 63% | 76% | 60% |
| Colin Biggers & Paisley | 10.3 | 11.6 | 70% | 61% | 64% | 82% | 72% |
| College of Law | 10.3 | 11.6 | 66% | 57% | 63% | 68% | 76% |
| Turks Legal | 12 | 12 | 73% | 61% | 78% | 75% | 78% |
| MinterEllison | 12.5 | 12.8 | 70% | 62% | 66% | 72% | 80% |
| Pinsent Masons | 12.9 | 12.8 | 70% | 61% | 80% | 67% | 71% |
| A&O Shearman | 10.5 | 12.9 | 67% | 60% | 69% | 70% | 69% |
| Carter Newell | 11.7 | 13.3 | 74% | 69% | 78% | 74% | 76% |
| Kennedys (Australasia) Partnership | 14.7 | 13.8 | 62% | 62% | 69% | 62% | 56% |
| Clifford Chance | 15.1 | 14 | 48% | 37% | 56% | 32% | 68% |
| Clyde & Co | 11.3 | 14 | 69% | 57% | 63% | 79% | 78% |
| Hicksons | 15.9 | 14.1 | 72% | 65% | 74% | 83% | 67% |
| Clayton Utz | 12.4 | 14.2 | 65% | 56% | 66% | 69% | 69% |
| HWL Ebsworth | 14.9 | 14.7 | 69% | 59% | 66% | 79% | 70% |
| Hamilton Locke | 9.5 | 14.8 | 55% | 51% | 43% | 58% | 67% |
| Johnson Winter Slattery | 16.4 | 15.1 | 69% | 65% | 61% | 78% | 72% |
| Barry Nilsson | 15.3 | 15.4 | 75% | 67% | 72% | 87% | 72% |
| DLA Piper | 16 | 15.4 | 67% | 58% | 62% | 68% | 79% |
| Queensland Law Society | 16.3 | 16 | 72% | 60% | 73% | 87% | 69% |
| Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Limited | 16.9 | 16.7 | 71% | 57% | 70% | 82% | 76% |
| K&L Gates | 17.1 | 16.9 | 65% | 54% | 58% | 77% | 72% |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | 17.3 | 17.1 | 65% | 56% | 59% | 64% | 79% |
| Cowell Clarke | 17.3 | 17.3 | 70% | 59% | 74% | 87% | 62% |
| Thomson Geer | 15.5 | 17.5 | 67% | 53% | 70% | 76% | 69% |
| Avant Law | 15.3 | 17.6 | 74% | 53% | 80% | 87% | 74% |
| Moray & Agnew | 18.3 | 17.7 | 73% | 60% | 79% | 79% | 75% |
| Corrs Chambers Westgarth | 18.1 | 17.8 | 66% | 59% | 61% | 74% | 72% |
| Makinson D’Apice | 18.5 | 18.5 | 77% | 68% | 70% | 89% | 80% |
| Thomson Reuters | 16.5 | 18.9 | 56% | 42% | 51% | 63% | 67% |
| Dye & Durham | 19.5 | 19.5 | 51% | 30% | 52% | 56% | 65% |
| Maurice Blackburn | 20.5 | 20.5 | 77% | 64% | 78% | 85% | 82% |
| Gadens | 18.6 | 20.9 | 63% | 63% | 60% | 65% | 66% |
| White & Case | 20.2 | 20.9 | 65% | 51% | 60% | 74% | 72% |
| Ligeti Services | 24 | 22.8 | 67% | 61% | 69% | 65% | 73% |
| Lander & Rogers | 24.3 | 22.9 | 72% | 59% | 74% | 74% | 82% |
| Wotton + Kearney | 23.1 | 23.2 | 64% | 48% | 66% | 72% | 72% |
| Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Qld) | 24 | 23.8 | 61% | 32% | 62% | 70% | 80% |
| Slater & Gordon | 22.6 | 23.9 | 76% | 61% | 77% | 84% | 83% |
| Shine Lawyers | 24.5 | 24.1 | 75% | 59% | 78% | 82% | 81% |
| Eventus Lawyers | 27.8 | 26.6 | 67% | 46% | 67% | 75% | 79% |
| HopgoodGanim Lawyers | 29.4 | 28.1 | 65% | 47% | 67% | 74% | 73% |
| McCullough Robertson | 30.2 | 28.7 | 71% | 56% | 73% | 78% | 77% |
| Lavan | 27.5 | 29 | 74% | 55% | 72% | 77% | 91% |
| Bartier Perry | 29.9 | 29.5 | 66% | 35% | 74% | 86% | 69% |
| Griffith Hack | 30 | 30.1 | 68% | 44% | 59% | 89% | 79% |
| Gilchrist Connell | 10.5 | 10.0 | 78% | 68% | 81% | 84% | 78% |
| Galilee Solicitors | 32.1 | 32.1 | 65% | 38% | 71% | 82% | 71% |
| Macpherson Kelley | 27.8 | 32.8 | 54% | 36% | 53% | 64% | 64% |
| McCabes | 33.4 | 32.8 | 66% | 48% | 56% | 85% | 75% |
| Arnold Thomas & Becker | 29.2 | 36.8 | 81% | 57% | 89% | 89% | 89% |
| Fragomen (Australia) | 32.7 | 37.5 | 74% | 62% | 74% | 76% | 86% |
| McInnes Wilson | 39.3 | 39.7 | 66% | 38% | 83% | 69% | 75% |
| Hunt & Hunt Lawyers | 40.4 | 40.3 | 79% | 42% | 92% | 92% | 88% |
| Cornwalls | 46.4 | 43.9 | 59% | 21% | 61% | 70% | 86% |
| QANTM Intellectual Property | 44 | 44 | 68% | 42% | 61% | 86% | 83% |
| Meridian Lawyers | 46 | 45.5 | 70% | 51% | 68% | 81% | 81% |
| Davies Collison Cave | 45.6 | 45.6 | 72% | 44% | 74% | 91% | 79% |
| Coleman Greig | 49.4 | 48.4 | 68% | 43% | 68% | 93% | 69% |
| Jones Day | 51.2 | 49.6 | 66% | 41% | 56% | 73% | 94% |
| Spruson & Ferguson | 49.9 | 52 | 68% | 21% | 59% | 100% | 91% |
| FIRM | 2025: Median base salary gap (%) | 2024: Median base salary gap (%) | 2025: Median total remuneration gap (%) | 2024: Median total remuneration gap (%) | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker McKenzie | 14.7 | 12.7 | 15.4 | 17.5 | Improved |
| Kennedys (Australasia) Partnership | -6.6 | N/A | -7.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Pinsent Masons | -2 | -3.6 | -3.2 | -5.1 | N/A |
| Lawyers on Demand | -5.3 | 20.2 | -3 | 21.2 | Improved |
| Environmental Defenders Office | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | N/A |
| Knowmore Legal Service | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | N/A |
| College of Law | 1.9 | 9.7 | 0.6 | 12.3 | Improved |
| Carter Newell | 5.6 | -6.4 | 3.8 | -6.4 | Declined |
| Dentons | 4.5 | 7.1 | 4.1 | 7.1 | Improved |
| Arnold Bloch Leibler | 4.5 | 8 | 4.5 | 8.7 | Improved |
| Ashurst | 5.3 | 12 | 4.9 | 13.6 | Improved |
| A&O Shearman | 6.2 | N/A | 5.6 | N/A | N/A |
| Dye & Durham | 7 | N/A | 7 | N/A | N/A |
| Gilchrist Connell | 5.8 | 7.9 | 4.7 | 7.2 | Improved |
| Maddocks | 7.9 | 8.9 | 7.9 | 8 | Improved |
| Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Limited | 15 | N/A | 8 | N/A | N/A |
| Clifford Chance | 3.1 | 12.9 | 8.1 | 25.7 | Improved |
| Johnson Winter Slattery | 8.1 | 11.9 | 8.1 | 12.1 | Improved |
| Cowell Clarke | 8.5 | N/A | 8.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Law Society of NSW | 12.5 | 24.2 | 8.8 | 13.9 | Improved |
| Russell Kennedy | 5.7 | 21.8 | 8.9 | 24.8 | Improved |
| Mills Oakley | 6.1 | 11.6 | 9.1 | 15.3 | Improved |
| Turks Legal | 9.4 | 34.9 | 9.4 | 34.9 | Improved |
| Holding Redlich | 9.5 | 2.1 | 9.5 | 2.1 | Declined |
| Ligeti Services | 9.8 | N/A | 9.8 | N/A | N/A |
| Allens | 10.1 | 9.4 | 10.4 | 9.8 | Declined |
| Hicksons | 5 | 0 | 10.5 | 2 | Declined |
| Piper Alderman | 8.1 | 16.4 | 11 | 16.4 | Improved |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | 11 | 11.7 | 11.2 | 12.8 | Improved |
| Gadens | 13 | 7 | 11.2 | 5.3 | Declined |
| Hall & Wilcox | 9.5 | 7.9 | 11.5 | 7.2 | Declined |
| Clayton Utz | 10.1 | N/A | 11.9 | N/A | N/A |
| Law in Order | 13.4 | 12 | 12 | 9.8 | Declined |
| Sparke Helmore | 8.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 11.8 | Improved |
| Moray & Agnew | 14.4 | 8.2 | 13.3 | 7.9 | Declined |
| Gilbert + Tobin | 11.4 | 7.9 | 13.5 | 9.2 | Declined |
| King & Wood Mallesons | 13.4 | 11.8 | 14.6 | 12.3 | Declined |
| Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited | 12.8 | 9.9 | 15 | 9.8 | Improved |
| DLA Piper | 15.2 | 15.3 | 15.2 | 17 | Improved |
| Avant Law | 12.8 | 20.2 | 15.7 | 21.6 | Improved |
| Fragomen (Australia) | 16 | 13.8 | 15.8 | 15.6 | Declined |
| Corrs Chambers Westgarth | 17.7 | 22.2 | 16 | 19 | Improved |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | 13.7 | 17.3 | 16.2 | 15.6 | Improved |
| Queensland Law Society | 16.2 | 8 | 16.2 | 8 | Declined |
| Thomson Geer | 14.3 | 16.1 | 16.7 | 17.1 | Improved |
| MinterEllison | 15.8 | 18.1 | 17 | 18.6 | Improved |
| Clyde & Co | 15.8 | 18.6 | 17.8 | 22.9 | Improved |
| HWL Ebsworth | 18 | 11.1 | 18 | 11.1 | Declined |
| Addisons | 18.7 | N/A | 18.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Galilee Solicitors | 18.5 | N/A | 18.5 | N/A | N/A |
| McCullough Robertson | 18.5 | 11.3 | 19.3 | 12.7 | Declined |
| K&L Gates | 19.5 | 15.3 | 19.5 | 15.3 | Declined |
| HFW | 20.3 | 9.7 | 20.4 | 14.5 | Declined |
| Lander & Rogers | 21.3 | 25 | 21.2 | 25 | Improved |
| Barry Nilsson | 22.9 | 22 | 21.2 | 21.6 | Declined |
| Eventus Lawyers | 23.8 | N/A | 22.1 | N/A | N/A |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Qld) | 27.9 | 21.7 | 22.2 | 19.9 | Declined |
| McCabes | 23.1 | 36.6 | 23.4 | 26.6 | Improved |
| Colin Biggers & Paisley | 22.6 | N/A | 23.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Makinson D’Apice | 24.4 | N/A | 24.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Hamilton Locke | 19.5 | N/A | 24.9 | N/A | N/A |
| Thomson Reuters | 24 | 25.5 | 25 | 28.5 | Improved |
| Wotton + Kearney | 28.1 | 30 | 25 | 29.4 | Improved |
| McInnes Wilson | 29.5 | 24 | 29.9 | 28.3 | Declined |
| White & Case | 33.3 | N/A | 31 | N/A | N/A |
| HopgoodGanim Lawyers | 31 | 30.8 | 31.3 | 29.4 | Declined |
| Maurice Blackburn | 33.2 | 31.7 | 31.4 | 30.7 | Declined |
| Slater & Gordon | 32.4 | 33 | 31.7 | 31.3 | Improved |
| Shine Lawyers | 31.5 | 25.5 | 32.8 | 24.9 | Declined |
| Lavan | 28 | 42.3 | 33.4 | 42.4 | Improved |
| Griffith Hack | 33.6 | 42.3 | 35 | 45.2 | Improved |
| Arnold Thomas & Blocker | 35.5 | N/A | 37 | N/A | N/A |
| Macpherson Kelley | 36.3 | 39.7 | 37.2 | 41 | Improved |
| QANTM Intellectual Property | 39.6 | 50.1 | 39.6 | 50.1 | Improved |
| Hunt & Hunt Lawyers | 39.5 | N/A | 39.9 | N/A | N/A |
| Davies Collison Cave | 40.2 | N/A | 40.2 | N/A | N/A |
| Bartier Perry | 42.6 | 50 | 42.9 | 50 | Improved |
| Jones Day | 44.6 | 38.5 | 44.6 | 38.5 | Declined |
| Coleman Greig | 43.5 | 48 | 45.1 | 47.9 | Improved |
| Meridian Lawyers | 47 | 31 | 48.6 | 32 | Declined |
| Cornwalls | 49.1 | 23.6 | 49.1 | 30.4 | Declined |
| Spruson & Ferguson | 58.3 | 37.6 | 61.7 | 26.6 | Declined |
| Australian Business Lawyers | N/A | 28.7 | N/A | 28.6 | N/A |
| Best Wilson Buckley Family Law | N/A | 25.5 | N/A | 24.9 | N/A |
| Blue Rock Law | N/A | 7.4 | N/A | 7 | N/A |
| Carr & Co Divorce and Family | N/A | 25.5 | N/A | 24.9 | N/A |
| Cooper Grace Ward | N/A | 8.1 | N/A | 8.6 | N/A |
| Employsure | N/A | -12.8 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
| Mason Black Lawyers | N/A | 3.2 | N/A | 4.2 | N/A |
| SB Law | N/A | 25.5 | N/A | 24.9 | N/A |
| Sciaccas Lawyers | N/A | 25.5 | N/A | 24.9 | N/A |
| Sphere Legal | N/A | 1.2 | N/A | 1.2 | N/A |
| TG Legal and Information | N/A | 16.1 | N/A | 17.1 | N/A |
How firms improved their gender pay gaps
When comparing median figures, Russell Kennedy had one of the most impressive improvements, having decreased its base salary from 21.8 to 5.7 per cent, and its total remuneration from 24.8 to 8.9 per cent.
A spokesperson said progress was achieved “through a sustained effort over a number of years” and they were “proud of the progress we’ve made, but acknowledge that there is always more work to be done”.
In 2024, Russell Kennedy’s female principal partner numbers reached 50 per cent, which represents a growth from the 28 per cent in 2017.
There are ongoing reviews of remuneration and promotion, along with leadership programs and opportunities, improvement to flexible work policies, and active engagement with external frameworks.
“This outstanding result has been achieved through having a framework, setting targets, having appropriate policies and being accountable. The strategy and the work of the Gender Equality Committee complements important work done by other initiatives and committees to support broader diversity, equality and inclusion,” it said.
Similarly, Clifford Chance’s median base salary dropped from 12.9 to 3.1 per cent, and its total remuneration from 25.7 to 8.1 per cent.
Richard Gordon, managing partner, said the firm was pleased to see the results reflect the firm’s “ongoing commitment” to accelerating change towards gender parity by creating equal opportunities.
“They validate our efforts in implementing industry-leading initiatives that enhance our ability to attract, retain and develop talent. One of these initiatives is Accelerate, our employee affinity group, which focuses on fostering an inclusive culture and advancing gender parity,” Gordon said.
Mills Oakley also enjoyed a marked improvement on its GPG, with the median base salary decreasing from 11.6 to 6.1 per cent, and its median total remuneration dropping from 15.3 to 9.1 per cent.
A spokesperson for the firm said a key focus of its strategy is to foster an environment that supports a balanced representation in leadership, with 67 per cent of women in key management personnel positions.
“Improving gender equality is something we focus on every day through our talent-attractive practices, performance and promotion process, remuneration reviews and by creating safe and inclusive environments,” the spokesperson said.
Baker McKenzie’s median total remuneration also decreased from 17.5 per cent in the previous reporting period to 12.4 per cent.
National managing partner Anne-Marie Allgrove said the firm integrated “deliberate measures” to ensure equitable pay for equivalent roles and remained committed to addressing the GPG.
“Our Australian corporate-wide gender pay gap … is explained by the fact that we (as with other law firms) have a large number of women in legal support and business support roles. We are continually committed to addressing this gap through structural and other initiatives,” Allgrove told Lawyers Weekly.
