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Despite BigLaw’s highest earners taking home a pay cheque that’s well above the national average, half of them pay their lowest earners less than many other industries.
Earlier this month, new figures from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) revealed that just under half of the 62 law firms with comparable data had a worse total remuneration gender pay gap (GPG).
Firms like Spruson & Ferguson, Cornwalls, Meridian Lawyers, Jones Day, and Coleman Greig increased to a GPG above 44 per cent. With the exception of Meridian Lawyers at 51 per cent, the firms reported women made up under half of the highest fee earners in their workplace.
Australian Women Lawyers president Renee Bianchi said the GPG data could not be “ignored or explained away”.
“It goes without saying that the legal industry should be leading by example in regards to workplace equality. Unfortunately, it seems that there is still some way to go,” Bianchi told Lawyers Weekly.
Denise Farmer, general manager APAC at Clio, said it was a “wake-up call” at a time when “transparency and fairness should be top of mind”.
“If the sector fails to take meaningful action, there could be serious implications – a lack of representation weakens the overall innovation, client service, and competitiveness of the industry,” Farmer said.
“We have already seen large firms miss out on top talent as a result of culture shifts, with people valuing flexibility and work/life balance provided by small practices. If pay gaps persist, the risk of losing top legal talent – especially women – will only be greater.”
Along with the GPG data, WGEA disclosed the average salaries at all workplaces with 100 or more employees, including 79 law firms.
Across the whole of the data, the average total remuneration was just above $121,000. At law firms, that average increased to $141,000.
For the lowest quartile of workplaces – being employees whose earnings are within the bottom 25 per cent of their workforce – the average Australia-wide was just under $75,000. In the legal profession, the average for the lowest quartile increased to just over $77,000.
For the top 25 per cent Australia-wide, the average total remuneration came to $193,000, compared to law’s $251,000.
The legal workplaces with the lowest average total remuneration included Knowmore Legal Services, Turks Legal, Hunt & Hunt Lawyers NSW - which is in no way connected to Hunt & Hunt's Victorian or Northern Territory offices - and Galilee Solicitors, ranging from $97,000 to $101,000.
At the other end were White & Case, Jones Day, Clifford Chance, Macpherson Kelley, and Kennedys, with $199,000 to $234,000.
Based on the nationwide average of $75,000, 33 law firms pay their lowest earners an average total remuneration below that figure.
Offering the least on average to its lowest earners was McInnes Wilson with $42,000, Hunt & Hunt Lawyers with $57,000, Ligeti Services with $60,000, and Arnold Thomas & Becker with $62,000.
In comparison, the upper quartile of these five legal workforces has an average total remuneration of about $160,000. The highest fee earners at Arnold Thomas & Becker, Ligeti Services, and McInnes Wilson had an average total remuneration of above $200,000.
The latter, which has an average total remuneration GPG of 39.7 per cent, had the biggest salary difference of $176,000 between the lowest and highest salary earners at the firm. The upper quartile is made up of 38 per cent women, and the lowest was 75 per cent.
Keeping within this lowest quartile, 17 firms had an average total remuneration of $85,000 or above. Ashurst, Lander & Rogers, White & Case, Kennedys, Clifford Chance, and Lawyers on Demand all boasted an average total remuneration of above $100,000.
Offering the highest salaries for the upper quartile were Kennedys at $469,000, Macpherson Kelley with $460,000, Jones Day at $459,000, Meridian Lawyers with $373,000, and Clifford Chance with $350,000.
Macpherson Kelley, which reported an average total remuneration gender pay gap of 32.8 per cent, had an average difference of about $373,000 between its highest and lowest salary earners.
Jones Day, with a 49.6 per cent total remuneration GPG, was just behind it with a $371,000 difference.
Below is the data for all 79 legal workplaces:
(Editor's note: This table has been updated to reflect the correct data for Gilchrist Connell.)
| FIRM | Average base salary GPG (%) | Average total remuneration GPG (%) | Total workforce - average total remuneration | Upper quartile - average total remuneration | Lower quartile - average total remuneration | Total workforce women (%) | Upper quartile women (%) | Lower quartile women (%) |
| A&O Shearman | 10.5 | 12.9 | $159,000 | $302,000 | $79,000 | 67% | 60% | 69% |
| Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Qld) | 24 | 23.8 | $126,000 | $185,000 | $80,000 | 61% | 32% | 80% |
| Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited | 8.2 | 8.5 | $117,000 | $166,000 | $86,000 | 73% | 58% | 79% |
| Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Limited | 16.9 | 16.7 | $106,000 | $168,000 | $66,000 | 71% | 57% | 76% |
| Addisons | 11.6 | 11.2 | $151,000 | $276,000 | $75,000 | 73% | 63% | 80% |
| Allens | 10.8 | 11.3 | $153,000 | $263,000 | $88,000 | 67% | 63% | 75% |
| Arnold Bloch Leibler | 9.3 | 8.9 | $140,000 | $255,000 | $77,000 | 64% | 65% | 73% |
| Arnold Thomas & Becker | 29.2 | 36.8 | $113,000 | $203,000 | $62,000 | 81% | 57% | 89% |
| Ashurst | 4 | 4.5 | $177,000 | $303,000 | $100,000 | 60% | 61% | 64% |
| Avant Law | 15.3 | 17.6 | $181,000 | $284,000 | $97,000 | 74% | 53% | 74% |
| Baker McKenzie | 12.6 | 12.4 | $176,000 | $329,000 | $78,000 | 58% | 60% | 60% |
| Barry Nilsson | 15.3 | 15.4 | $145,000 | $266,000 | $77,000 | 75% | 67% | 72% |
| Bartier Perry | 29.9 | 29.5 | $147,000 | $260,000 | $78,000 | 66% | 35% | 69% |
| Carter Newell | 11.7 | 13.3 | $106,000 | $183,000 | $63,000 | 74% | 69% | 76% |
| Clayton Utz | 12.4 | 14.2 | $151,000 | $274,000 | $79,000 | 65% | 56% | 69% |
| Clifford Chance | 15.1 | 14 | $210,000 | $350,000 | $115,000 | 48% | 37% | 68% |
| Clyde & Co | 11.3 | 14 | $131,000 | $234,000 | $76,000 | 69% | 57% | 78% |
| Coleman Greig | 49.4 | 48.4 | $151,000 | $318,000 | $67,000 | 68% | 43% | 69% |
| Colin Biggers & Paisley | 10.3 | 11.6 | $130,000 | $217,000 | $81,000 | 70% | 61% | 72% |
| College of Law | 10.3 | 11.6 | $166,000 | $244,000 | $94,000 | 66% | 57% | 76% |
| Cornwalls | 46.4 | 43.9 | $148,000 | $289,000 | $70,000 | 59% | 21% | 86% |
| Corrs Chambers Westgarth | 18.1 | 17.8 | $151,000 | $277,000 | $79,000 | 66% | 59% | 72% |
| Cowell Clarke | 17.3 | 17.3 | $122,000 | $201,000 | $73,000 | 70% | 59% | 62% |
| Davies Collison Cave | 45.6 | 45.6 | $145,000 | $298,000 | $71,000 | 72% | 44% | 79% |
| Dentons | 9.8 | 9.7 | $116,000 | $193,000 | $74,000 | 63% | 60% | 72% |
| DLA Piper | 16 | 15.4 | $146,000 | $255,000 | $82,000 | 67% | 58% | 79% |
| Dye & Durham | 19.5 | 19.5 | $101,000 | $166,000 | $66,000 | 51% | 30% | 65% |
| Environmental Defenders Office | 5.3 | 5.3 | $125,000 | $168,000 | $94,000 | 82% | 81% | 81% |
| Eventus Lawyers | 27.8 | 26.6 | $130,000 | $255,000 | $68,000 | 67% | 46% | 79% |
| Fragomen (Australia) | 32.7 | 37.5 | $139,000 | $300,000 | $67,000 | 74% | 62% | 86% |
| Gadens | 18.6 | 20.9 | $132,000 | $234,000 | $75,000 | 63% | 63% | 66% |
| Galilee Solicitors | 32.1 | 32.1 | $101,000 | $169,000 | $67,000 | 65% | 38% | 71% |
| Gilbert + Tobin | 7.5 | 8.5 | $175,000 | $298,000 | $92,000 | 63% | 56% | 72% |
| Gilchrist Connell | 10.5 | 10 | $120,000 | $201,000 | $66,000 | 78% | 68% | 78% |
| Griffith Hack | 30 | 30.1 | $142,000 | $273,000 | $78,000 | 68% | 44% | 79% |
| Hall & Wilcox | 10.6 | 10.6 | $122,000 | $206,000 | $72,000 | 74% | 72% | 73% |
| Hamilton Locke | 9.5 | 14.8 | $158,000 | $262,000 | $80,000 | 55% | 51% | 67% |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | 17.3 | 17.1 | $159,000 | $281,000 | $83,000 | 65% | 56% | 79% |
| HFW | 8.8 | 8.3 | $144,000 | $248,000 | $86,000 | 62% | 61% | 79% |
| Hicksons | 15.9 | 14.1 | $134,000 | $249,000 | $72,000 | 72% | 65% | 67% |
| Holding Redlich | 10.1 | 9.5 | $126,000 | $210,000 | $77,000 | 77% | 74% | 79% |
| HopgoodGanim Lawyers | 29.4 | 28.1 | $135,000 | $245,000 | $71,000 | 65% | 47% | 73% |
| Hunt & Hunt Lawyers NSW | 40.4 | 40.3 | $98,000 | $169,000 | $57,000 | 79% | 42% | 88% |
| HWL Ebsworth | 14.9 | 14.7 | $127,000 | $219,000 | $79,000 | 69% | 59% | 70% |
| Johnson Winter Slattery | 16.4 | 15.1 | $138,000 | $244,000 | $78,000 | 69% | 65% | 72% |
| Jones Day | 51.2 | 49.6 | $205,000 | $459,000 | $88,000 | 66% | 41% | 94% |
| K&L Gates | 17.1 | 16.9 | $146,000 | $255,000 | $81,000 | 65% | 54% | 72% |
| Kennedys (Australasia) Partnership | 14.7 | 13.8 | $234,000 | $469,000 | $106,000 | 62% | 62% | 56% |
| King & Wood Mallesons | 10.3 | 9.5 | $162,000 | $286,000 | $87,000 | 66% | 60% | 73% |
| Knowmore Legal Services | 0.2 | 0.2 | $97,000 | $126,000 | $75,000 | 78% | 76% | 80% |
| Lander & Rogers | 24.3 | 22.9 | $198,000 | $344,000 | $100,000 | 72% | 59% | 82% |
| Lavan | 27.5 | 29 | $129,000 | $228,000 | $73,000 | 74% | 55% | 91% |
| Law Society of NSW | 7 | 6 | $143,000 | $231,000 | $83,000 | 63% | 69% | 67% |
| Lawyers on Demand | 1.6 | 3.8 | $199,000 | $288,000 | $117,000 | 65% | 68% | 58% |
| Ligeti Services | 24 | 22.8 | $112,000 | $211,000 | $60,000 | 67% | 61% | 73% |
| Macpherson Kelley | 27.8 | 32.8 | $224,000 | $460,000 | $87,000 | 54% | 36% | 64% |
| Maddocks | 5.2 | 5.4 | $136,000 | $234,000 | $77,000 | 63% | 63% | 57% |
| Makinson D’Apice | 18.5 | 18.5 | $139,000 | $261,000 | $65,000 | 77% | 68% | 80% |
| Maurice Blackburn | 20.5 | 20.5 | $128,000 | $226,000 | $68,000 | 77% | 64% | 82% |
| McCabes | 33.4 | 32.8 | $141,000 | $285,000 | $72,000 | 66% | 48% | 75% |
| McCullough Robertson | 30.2 | 28.7 | $137,000 | $265,000 | $66,000 | 71% | 56% | 77% |
| McInnes Wilson | 39.3 | 39.7 | $107,000 | $218,000 | $42,000 | 66% | 38% | 75% |
| Meridian Lawyers | 46 | 45.5 | $172,000 | $373,000 | $71,000 | 70% | 51% | 81% |
| Mills Oakley | 9.1 | 10.6 | $124,000 | $214,000 | $72,000 | 72% | 65% | 68% |
| MinterEllison | 12.5 | 12.8 | $147,000 | $258,000 | $79,000 | 70% | 62% | 80% |
| Moray & Agnew | 18.3 | 17.7 | $113,000 | $199,000 | $63,000 | 73% | 60% | 75% |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | 6.3 | 6.3 | $117,000 | $194,000 | $76,000 | 66% | 64% | 74% |
| Pinsent Masons | 12.9 | 12.8 | $154,000 | $279,000 | $85,000 | 70% | 61% | 71% |
| Piper Alderman | 2.4 | 4.1 | $118,000 | $189,000 | $64,000 | 62% | 63% | 70% |
| Queensland Law Society | 16.3 | 16 | $116,000 | $176,000 | $70,000 | 72% | 60% | 69% |
| Russell Kennedy | 12.6 | 11.3 | $145,000 | $236,000 | $84,000 | 65% | 63% | 60% |
| Shine Lawyers | 24.5 | 24.1 | $123,000 | $223,000 | $69,000 | 75% | 59% | 81% |
| Slater & Gordon | 22.6 | 23.9 | $128,000 | $234,000 | $66,000 | 76% | 61% | 83% |
| Sparke Helmore | 9.9 | 10.5 | $120,000 | $200,000 | $72,000 | 74% | 66% | 78% |
| Spruson & Ferguson | 49.9 | 52 | $150,000 | $298,000 | $77,000 | 68% | 21% | 91% |
| Thomson Geer | 15.5 | 17.5 | $135,000 | $241,000 | $77,000 | 67% | 53% | 69% |
| Turks Legal | 12 | 12 | $98,000 | $158,000 | $66,000 | 73% | 61% | 78% |
| White & Case | 20.2 | 20.9 | $199,000 | $338,000 | $101,000 | 65% | 51% | 72% |
| Wotton + Kearney | 23.1 | 23.2 | $157,000 | $282,000 | $82,000 | 64% | 48% | 72% |
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
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