Across 34 blockbuster categories, everyone is recognised at the Australian Law Awards, from the profession’s most senior ranks to its rising stars.

After seeing the most hotly contested submissions in the event, finalists have been narrowed down, representing those trailblazers who are challenging traditional models and discovering better ways to practise law.

The winners of the Australian Law Awards will be announced at a black-tie dinner held at The Star, Sydney on Friday, 1 September 2017.

For more information about the event, click here.

To purchase a ticket, click here.

For all other enquiries, please contact Craig Lynch on 02 9922 3300 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

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The finalists for the 2017 Australian Law Awards are:

Academic of the Year

Matthew Bell, Melbourne Law School

Jacques Duvenhage, The University of Notre Dame

Michael Legg, UNSW Law

Banking and Finance Team of the Year

Allen & Overy

Allens

Clayton Utz

Gadens

Gilbert + Tobin

Hall & Wilcox

Henry Davis York

King & Wood Mallesons

Madison Marcus Law Firm

Barrister of the Year

Shane Doyle, QC, Level Twenty Seven Chambers

William Lye, OAM, Foley’s List

Jim Shaw, Svenson Barristers

Dr Michael Wolff, Victorian Bar

Boutique Law Firm of the Year

Chamberlains Law Firm

Clarendon Lawyers

CLEON Legal and Mediation Services

Coleman Greig Lawyers

Harmers Workplace Lawyers

NDA Law

Madison Marcus Law Firm

NDA Law

Salvos Legal

Silberstein & Associates

Speirs Ryan 

Business Development Professional of the Year

Sophie Brown, Gilbert + Tobin

Rachel Carter, PwC

Paul Cowling, Lawyers On Demand

Melissa Lyon, Hive Legal Pty Ltd

Sharon Stockman, Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Sharon Thompson, Ashurst

Commercial Team of the Year

Allens

Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors

Gadens

Gilbert + Tobin

King & Wood Mallesons

Thynne + Macartney

Dealmaker of the Year

Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Gilbert + Tobin

Julie Levis, Clayton Utz

Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, Herbert Smith Freehills

Hiroshi Narushima, Gilbert + Tobin

Meredith Paynter, King & Wood Mallesons

Ramy Qutami, Madison Marcus Law Firm

Philippa Stone, Herbert Smith Freehills

Tom Story, Allens

Andrew Walker, Clayton Utz

Murray Wheater, Ashurst

Dispute Resolution Team of the Year

Allens

Carter Newell Lawyers

Clayton Utz

Dentons

DLA Piper

Harmers Workplace Lawyers

Herbert Smith Freehills

King & Wood Mallesons

Sparke Helmore Lawyers

William Roberts Lawyers

Employee Program of the Year

Clayton Utz, Health & Wellbeing

Cooper Grace Ward, ENGAGE

Gadens

Henry Davis York, TogetherHDY

Henry Davis York, Transition to Leadership for New Senior Associates Program

King & Wood Mallesons, LINK

LegalVision, Part Time Passion

Your Law Firm

Energy and Resources Team of the Year

Allen & Overy

Allens

Ashurst

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Herbert Smith Freehills

King & Wood Mallesons

McCullough Robertson

MinterEllison 

Norton Rose Fulbright

PwC 

General Counsel of the Year

Katrina Johnson, Uber Asia Pacific

Tamara Kayser, Incitec Pivot Limited

Anna Lozynski, L'Oreal Australia & New Zealand

Aaron Pickett, GenesisCare

Julian Rebechi, Swisse Wellness

Paula Robinson, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation

Julie Ryan, Accolade Wines

Troy Swan, Staples Australia & New Zealand

Government Team of the Year

Allens

Clayton Utz

Henry Davis York 

Herbert Smith Freehills

King & Wood Mallesons

Maddocks

McInnes Wilson Lawyers

MinterEllison Gold Coast Local Government Team

Proximity 

Sparke Helmore Lawyers

In-House Lawyer of the Year

Justin Coss, AUB Group Limited

Jason Georgallis , SingTel Optus

Theo Kapodistrias, University of Tasmania

Lori Middlehurst, VMware 

Peter Preller, SingTel Optus

Julian Rebechi, Swisse Wellness

April Rich, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation

Andrew Selim, The GPT Group

David Stewart, Telstra

Jacob Waye-Harris, Cobham Aviation Services

In-House Team of the Year

AIA Australia

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation

McDonald’s Australia Limited

RACQ Limited

Ruralco Holdings Limited

SingTel Optus

Stockland

Uber Australia and New Zealand

Vicinity Centres

Westpac Banking Corporation

Innovator of the Year

Allens

Ashurst

Bespoke

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Gadens

Gilbert + Tobin

Go To Court Lawyers

Herbert Smith Freehills

King & Wood Mallesons

Separate Together

Insurance Team of the Year

Ashurst

Barry.Nilsson. Lawyers

Clyde & Co

DLA Piper

Hall & Wilcox

Herbert Smith Freehills

Holman Webb Lawyers

Lander & Rogers

Meridian Lawyers

Norton Rose Fulbright 

Intellectual Property Team of the Year

Allens

Baker McKenzie

Clayton Utz

Gilbert + Tobin

Griffith Hack

K&L Gates

Mills Oakley

MinterEllison

Shelston IP

Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Law Firm of the Year

Allens

Ashurst

Clayton Utz

Clyde & Co

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Gilbert + Tobin

Hall & Wilcox

Herbert Smith Freehills

King & Wood Mallesons

Mills Oakley

Law Student Lawyer of the Year

Adrian Agius, UNSW Law

Amy Bradley, The University of Notre Dame

Claudia Carr, Curtin University

Meg Connell, RMB Lawyers

Milan Gandhi, McCullough Robertson Lawyers/The Legal Forecast

Michael Jefferies, University of the Sunshine Coast

Hannah McDonald, Monash University

Don Nguyen, MinterEllison, UNSW Law

Sophie Tversky, Monash University

Khushaal Vyas, UNSW Law

Legal Support Professional of the Year

Danielle Candido, KHQ Lawyers

Terrena Chant, Barry.Nilsson. Lawyers

Bernadette Dearness, K&L Gates

Clara Densley, See Well Law

Serina Dowding, Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Debbie Harding, Herbert Smith Freehills

Jacqueline Keddie, Nexus Law Group

Viktorija Khait, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

Rebecca Lanza, Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Laura Purcell, Danny King Legal

Managing Partner of the Year

Paul Baker, Meridian Lawyers

Peter Bobbin, Argyle Lawyers

Rob Cutler, Clayton Utz

Danny Gilbert, Gilbert + Tobin

Sue Kench, King & Wood Mallesons

Tony Macvean, Hall & Wilcox

John Poulsen, Squire Patton Boggs

Bechara Shamieh, Madison Marcus Law Firm

Robert Silberstein, Silberstein & Associates

Richard Wood, Gilchrist Connell

NewLaw Firm of the Year

Bespoke

CLEON Legal & Mediation Services

Hive Legal Pty Ltd

Keypoint Law

Lawyers On Demand

LegalVision

Nexus Law Group

Salvos Legal

Teddington Legal

Your Law Firm

Partner of the Year

Stuart Byrne, Clayton Utz

Karwan Eskerie, Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Malcolm Gittoes-Caesar, Coleman Greig Lawyers

Alex Haslam, Gilchrist Connell

Peter Jolly, Thynne + Macartney

Andrew Lacey, McCabes Lawyers

Kylie Lane, Ashurst

Peter Pether, King & Wood Mallesons

Greg Richards, Mills Oakley

Philippa Stone, Herbert Smith Freehills

Pro Bono Program of the Year

Arnold Bloch Leibler

Ashurst

Gilbert + Tobin

Herbert Smith Freehills

International Justice Mission Australia

King & Wood Mallesons

MinterEllison

Robina Community Legal Centre

Salvos Legal

The Humanitarian Group

Property Team of the Year

Clayton Utz

Colin Biggers & Paisley

Dentons

Herbert Smith Freehills

K&L Gates

King & Wood Mallesons

Lander & Rogers

Squire Patton Boggs

Thynne + Macartney

Tisher Liner FC Law

Regional/Suburban Law Firm of the Year

CLEON Legal and Mediation Services

Harwood Andrews

Morgan + English Commercial Lawyers

Randall Legal

RMB Lawyers

Sharrock Pitman Legal

Regional/Suburban Lawyer of the Year

Melinda Griffiths, Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Chrissy Leontios, CLEON Legal and Mediation Services

Rebekah Lovely, Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Heather McKinnon, Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Brooke Reardon, Your Law Firm | Horsham

Martin Rogalski, Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Carrie Thomas, Shine Lawyers

Mitchell Zadow, Sharrock Pitman Legal

Senior Associate of the Year

Agata Bober, King & Wood Mallesons

Morelle Bull, Gilbert + Tobin

Marko Eric, Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Andrew Kim, Ashurst

Helen McHugh, Curwoods Lawyers

Jessica Norris, MinterEllison

Eugene Tan, Clayton Utz

Tara Voyce, Dentons

Bailee Walker, Herbert Smith Freehills

Amy Zhang, Harmers Workplace Lawyers

Sole Practitioner of the Year

Dorota Bryks, Bryks Lawyers

Stuart Corbishley, Corbishley Sport & Law

Jennifer Hetherington, Hetherington Family Law

Michael (Chun-Chi) Hung, ClearSky Legal

Anny Slater, Slaters Intellectual Property Lawyers

Nigel Smith, Nigel Smith Legal

Special Counsel of the Year

Jennifer Barron, Gilbert + Tobin

Nichola Di Muzio, Thynne + Macartney

Arabella Dove, Ashurst

Jennifer Harris, Clayton Utz

Brett Heath, Carter Newell Lawyers

Chris Mitchell, Norton Rose Fulbright

Guy Narburgh, Herbert Smith Freehills

Megan O'Rourke, Barry.Nilsson. Lawyers

Trudi Procter, McCullough Robertson Lawyers

Hemang Shah, Herbert Smith Freehills

Transaction Team of the Year

Allen & Overy

Ashurst

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Gilbert + Tobin

Herbert Smith Freehills

King & Wood Mallesons

McCullough Robertson Lawyers

MinterEllison

Norton Rose Fulbright

Squire Patton Boggs

Workplace Relations and Employment Team of the Year

Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors

Danny King Legal

Harmers Workplace Lawyers

K&L Gates

Lander & Rogers

Maddocks

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

MDC Legal

Piper Alderman

Sparke Helmore Lawyers

Young Gun of the Year

Nina Crew, Colin Biggers & Paisley

David Foong, Clayton Utz

Yixin Gong, King & Wood Mallesons

Aleksandra Ilic, King & Wood Mallesons

Matthew Littlejohn, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

Simon Moses, MinterEllison

Louisa Mulquiney, Gilbert + Tobin

James Skelton, Swaab Attorneys

Sagar Sritharan, Ashurst

Eleanor Wheelhouse, Dentons