Finding lawyers in Melbourne is less about picking the biggest name and more about matching the firm to the problem. A dispute over a commercial lease, a will challenge, a workplace injury claim and a share sale all call for different strengths, and a Melbourne law firm that is excellent at one may be thin on another. Fee structure, who actually does the work and how quickly the team responds matter as much as the logo on the letterhead.
To build this list we read each firm’s own website, confirmed a real Melbourne office, and noted the practice areas it states publicly. We only mention facts the firm itself publishes. Where a page did not give a founding year or award detail, we left it out. If you are also comparing other professionals in the city, our Melbourne accountants list and the Melbourne services hub are good next steps.
Law Firms In Melbourne At A Glance
| Company |
Based In |
Best For |
Known For |
| Arnold Bloch Leibler |
Collins Street, Melbourne CBD |
Complex corporate and private client work |
Seventeen practice areas and a large pro bono commitment |
| Maurice Blackburn |
Melbourne and offices nationwide |
Injury claims, class actions, employment disputes |
Plaintiff practice founded in 1919 |
| Russell Kennedy |
Melbourne and Sydney |
Aged care, property and government clients |
Accredited specialists across its sectors |
| Lander & Rogers |
Collins Street, Melbourne CBD |
Mid-market businesses and family law |
Broad range of 30 areas of expertise |
| Moores |
Hawthorn |
Wills, estates and not-for-profits |
Fixed-fee Agreed Pricing model |
| Maddocks |
Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra |
Government and public sector work |
Long public sector track record and 140-year history |
| Holding Redlich |
Melbourne and other cities |
Commercial, regulatory and government matters |
Over 500 people and 70 partners nationally |
| Slater and Gordon |
Melbourne and offices nationwide |
Personal injury and superannuation claims |
No win, no fee arrangements and union work |
| KCL Law |
Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD |
SMEs, family businesses and franchisors |
Independent firm founded in 1981 |
| Madgwicks |
William Street, Melbourne CBD |
Commercial, employment and safety law |
More than 50 years in Melbourne |
Best Law Firms In Melbourne
1. Arnold Bloch Leibler — Corporate And Private Client Firm On Collins Street
Arnold Bloch Leibler works from Level 21, 333 Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD, with a second office in Sydney. Its website lists seventeen areas, including corporate and M&A, banking and finance, dispute resolution, employment and workplace advisory, intellectual property, property and development, restructuring and insolvency, and white collar crime and investigation. It also runs a private client practice and a public interest law team.
The firm says it has operated for more than 70 years and reports 12,878 pro bono hours in the 2026 financial year, which is a useful signal of how seriously it treats that side of the practice. Recent matters on its site include advising Barwon Investment Partners on its acquisition of Peninsula Private Hospital and advising a major philanthropic foundation on a multimillion-dollar commitment.
It suits owners, boards and families with layered matters that need several specialisms under one roof. Smaller everyday jobs may sit better with a mid-sized firm.
2. Maurice Blackburn — Plaintiff Firm For Injury And Class Actions
Maurice Blackburn began in 1919 and is a Melbourne-linked plaintiff firm with more than 30 offices across Australia and over 1,000 employees, according to its website. Its work covers work, road, medical and public place injuries, superannuation and insurance claims, asbestos and silica disease, will disputes, financial advice disputes, employment law, class actions and abuse law.
The firm says it ran the largest class action settlement in Australian history after the Black Saturday bushfires, and it describes its roots in the labour movement and the founding lawyer’s work as a social reformer. That background shapes a practice that acts for individuals and groups against larger organisations.
It is a sensible first call if you have been hurt at work, denied an insurance or super payout, or want to know whether a class action is open to you. It is not the right choice for a company needing a transactional lawyer.
3. Russell Kennedy — Aged Care And Property Law Specialist
Russell Kennedy has offices in Melbourne and Sydney and describes its practice around sector knowledge. Its website lists corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, property and development, government, aged care and retirement living, and workplace relations and employment among its focus areas.
The firm highlights that it has several accredited specialists across its sectors, and its people regularly publish for industry bodies, including an aged care publication featured on its homepage. It also publishes a Reconciliation Action Plan, which gives a clear view of its community commitments.
It is a strong fit for providers of aged care and retirement living, property developers and organisations dealing with government regulators. If you are a private individual with a straightforward family or estate matter, you may find a specialist private client firm more direct.
4. Lander & Rogers — Independent Firm With Family Law Depth
Lander & Rogers operates from Level 15, Olderfleet, 477 Collins Street in Melbourne, alongside offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra. Its website lists 30 areas of expertise, including employment and workplace, disputes and litigation, insurance, real estate and projects, technology and digital, startups and scaleups, and family and relationship law.
The firm calls itself proudly independent, says it is celebrating 80 years, and reports Client Choice Awards recognition in 2026 and a 5-Star Employer of Choice rating for 2026 from Australasian Lawyer, its eighth consecutive year. It also runs an AI Lab within its legal innovation work.
It suits mid-sized businesses and individuals who want a full-service firm that can also handle family law under the same roof, without the scale of the very largest firms.
5. Moores — Wills, Estates And Not-For-Profit Lawyers In Hawthorn
Moores is based at Level 1, 5 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, and serves Melbourne clients. Its website splits its work into private clients, covering wills and estate planning, estate disputes, elder financial abuse, family and relationship law, residential property and VCAT guardianship matters, and organisational clients such as charities, schools and faith-based groups.
The firm uses what it calls Moores Agreed Pricing, which sets the fee before work begins as an alternative to hourly billing. It reports Tier 1 Melbourne recognition for trusts and estates in the Best Law Firms listings, and its listed clients include Carey, Save the Children and YMCA.
It suits families planning or contesting an estate, and not-for-profit boards that want predictable costs and lawyers who specialise rather than generalise.
6. Maddocks — Government And Public Sector Law Firm
Maddocks has offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra and presents itself as a modern Australian law firm with a history stretching back 140 years. Its website lists corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, employment and workplace, government, real estate, construction and projects, digital transformation, and restructuring and insolvency among its areas.
It also works across education, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and technology sectors. The firm runs events for Victorian councils, including a Local Government Risk Summit, and offers its own privacy software, ADAPT by Maddocks. A Chambers Asia-Pacific testimonial is shown on its homepage.
It is well suited to councils, agencies, universities and health bodies, and to private businesses that deal heavily with government. Founders after a lean, low-cost adviser for a simple matter may find it more than they need.
7. Holding Redlich — National Commercial Firm With A Melbourne Office
Holding Redlich lists offices in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns, and describes itself as a large national commercial law firm with more than 500 people, including 70 partners. Its areas include administrative law, competition and consumer law, construction and infrastructure, data and privacy, immigration, intellectual property, planning and environment, taxation, and workplace relations and safety.
It has a distinctive royal commissions and commissions of inquiry practice and a startups and emerging enterprises team. Its website notes four lawyers recognised in the 2026 Lexology Index across four practice areas, and a partner named a finalist at the 2026 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards.
It suits corporates, regulated businesses and government bodies that want one firm across several states, with Melbourne lawyers who can draw on national teams.
8. Slater and Gordon — Personal Injury And Superannuation Claims Firm
Slater and Gordon has a Melbourne office within a national network and says it has served everyday Australians for more than 90 years. Its website covers workers’ compensation, motor vehicle accidents, medical negligence, public liability, asbestos and silica exposure, military compensation, superannuation and insurance claims, abuse survivor claims, will disputes and employment law.
It describes itself as one of the leading firms for trade union and labour movement work and offers no win, no fee arrangements on eligible matters, subject to conditions. The firm also says it was the first Australian law firm to offer free social work services to clients and cites more than 800 five-star Google reviews.
It suits individuals who want help with an injury or insurance claim and would rather not pay upfront legal fees. Businesses seeking commercial advice should look elsewhere.
9. KCL Law — Medium-Sized Melbourne Firm For SMEs And Franchisors
KCL Law is based at Level 4, 555 Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne CBD and was founded in 1981. It calls itself a medium-sized Melbourne firm and says its principal lawyers stay directly involved in client matters. Practice areas include commercial and corporate, construction and infrastructure, family law, litigation and dispute resolution, property, employment and workplace relations, intellectual property and IT, and owners corporation law.
Beyond the core areas it has industry groups in entertainment, franchise, insurance, retail, and transport and logistics, plus a US practice. Its stated clients are SMEs, family businesses and high-net-worth individuals.
It is a good option for owner-managed businesses and franchisors that want senior attention without the overheads of a national brand, and for individuals who need family or estate work alongside business advice.
10. Madgwicks — Commercial, Employment And Safety Lawyers On William Street
Madgwicks is at Level 6, 140 William Street in Melbourne and says it has been part of the city’s business landscape for more than 50 years. Its website lists commercial, corporate, dispute resolution and litigation, employment and safety, private wealth, and property and finance practices, plus an Asia Desk that supports clients and referrers in South-East Asia doing business in Victoria.
It is a member of the Meritas network, which it uses to offer international reach, and it reports two accolades at the APAC Legal Awards 2026 and recognition in the Best Law Firms Australia rankings for occupational health and safety.
It suits mid-sized employers, private wealth clients and overseas-linked businesses wanting a Melbourne firm with a clear commercial focus.
How To Choose A Law Firm In Melbourne
Is The Lawyer Properly Authorised To Practise In Victoria?
Every Victorian lawyer needs a current practising certificate. The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner (VLSB+C) is the independent regulator of the profession and publishes a searchable register of lawyers, including disciplinary action. Check the individual who will run your matter, not only the firm name. Ask whether they hold a specialist accreditation in the area, such as family law or wills and estates, and whether the firm carries professional indemnity insurance.
How Will The Firm Charge You?
Victorian law requires lawyers to give you costs disclosure at the start of a matter, including an estimate or the basis of calculation. Options include hourly rates, fixed fees, staged fees and, for some injury and class action work, conditional arrangements often called no win, no fee. Ask what is excluded, such as barrister fees and court costs, and how often you will be billed.
Does The Firm Specialise In Your Type Of Matter?
A large firm with 30 practice areas may still have only a small team in the one you need. Ask how many matters of your kind the team has handled recently and who will do the day-to-day work. A boutique may offer more partner time on a family or estate issue, while a bigger firm may be better for transactions needing tax, property and employment advice together.
Who Will Actually Handle Your File?
Find out whether a partner, a senior associate or a junior lawyer will do most of the work, and how supervision works. Smaller firms such as those with principals directly involved often make this easy to answer. Ask for a named contact, expected response times, and how you will be updated, by email, phone or a client portal.
Is The Firm Easy To Reach And Conflict-Free?
Confirm the firm can act for you without a conflict of interest, particularly in disputes involving large organisations or related parties. Check that its Melbourne office is convenient for meetings, or that it offers video appointments. A short initial call is usually enough to judge communication style, and it is worth comparing two firms before you commit.
Conclusion
Melbourne has everything from national commercial firms to specialist estate and injury practices, so the right choice depends on your matter, your budget and how much personal attention you want. Use the practice areas, locations and pricing signals above to shortlist two or three firms, then ask each for a costs estimate and a named lawyer.
If you are lining up other professional help, our Melbourne accountants list is a natural companion, and you can find more local providers on the Melbourne services hub. Businesses that want to be considered for future lists can use the submit your company page.
