Growth in law firms averaged 2.4% growth over the last twelve months compared with growth in the banking sector of 8.7%. Part of this limited growth is due to the segmented market with only one merger of top 25 firms in the last 12 months.

The top firms in rank order are:
Mallesons Stephen Jaques
Freehills
Minter Ellison Legal Group
Clayton Utz
Allens Arthur Robinson
Blake Dawson Waldron
Phillips Fox
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Deacons
Baker and McKenzie
Gadens Lawyers
Hunt and Hunt
Sparke Helmore
Gilbert + Tobin
Henry Davis York
Dibbs Abbott Stillman
Middletons Lawyers
Maddocks
Ebsworth and Ebsworth
McCullough Robertson
Thomas Playford
Arnold Bloch Leibler
Holding Redlich
Abbott tout lawyers
Piper Alderman

From BRW Sept 29-Oct 5 2005, pgs 36-40