Top SA law firms prove worth in national rankings
Some 60 Adelaide law firms landed a spot in the 2027 Best Law Firms in Australia rankings. See which firms made the top five.
Adelaide’s top law firms have been recognised among more than 600 across the country for their professional excellence, in the annual Best Law Firms – Australia awards.
Best Law Firms said the ratings were determined by a process involving thousands of peer votes, client and professional references, and in-depth interviews with industry leaders.
The awards were separated by tiers, with the prestigious tier one given to firms that were deemed among the best in a specialty area.
HWL Ebsworth was Adelaide’s most recognised firm, taking home 25 tier one metro awards. The company received top awards for its contributions in defamation and media, corporate, and mining law.
National law firm Thomsons also showed a strong showing, with its Adelaide-based firm receiving 24 awards with tax, occupational health and safety, and intellectual property law. Thomsons also took home a retirement villages and senior living Law Firm of the Year award.
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Adelaide-headquartered commercial law firm Finlaysons received the state’s third most tier one awards with 17. It included commercial, health and aged care, insurance and insolvency category law awards.
Piper Alderman was Adelaide’s fourth most successful firm, taking home 16 trophies, with specialties in human rights, leasing, and natural resources law.
MinterEllison’s Adelaide firm rounded out the top five with 14 awards. The company also took home two prestigious Law Firm of the Year awards for its national contribution to construction and infrastructure law and real property law.
Best Lawyers senior vice president of research and product strategy Elizabeth Petit said the awards reflected more specialised expertise in the industry.
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“The growing number of firms recognised for their professional excellence is a telling sign of the current state of Australia’s legal industry – one where firms and their clients are pushing for deeper specialisation and expertise within specific practice areas,” Petit said.
“Over the past three editions, we’ve seen steady growth in the number of firms recognised with 93 more firms ranked this year compared to the 2026 edition.
“While many of Australia’s most well-known firms have featured extensively in these rankings since 2024, the increasing number of new firms recognised this year demonstrates that you don’t need to be the biggest firm to be recognised, you just need to be the best firm in your practice area.”
Mellor Olsson was also among the top firms in this year’s rankings, with nine regional awards, with agriculture and rural affairs, trusts and estates, and planning and environmental law all receiving the prestigious tier one.
The firm’s CEO Cameron Thomson said the recognition was “particularly special”.
“These rankings reflect what we value most – trusted advice, strong relationships, and specialist knowledge delivered by lawyers who are leaders in their fields,” Thomson said.
“We’ve also gained our first recognition by Best Lawyers for excellence in government practice and real property law.
“It is a testament to our people and the care they bring to supporting families, businesses, and organisations across South Australia, from metropolitan Adelaide to regional and rural communities.”
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