At Mallesons Stephen Jaques, chief executive partner Robert Milliner says: “Our hours have been reduced for some categories in response to feedback and our targets haven’t changed.” The firm has a target of 1500 hours a year. Milliner continues: “While I know that in London and New York lawyers can be expected to do 2000 hours, we don’t drive the hours here. We find that lawyers want to do challenging work.”
At Freehills, Hay’s management team don’t set targets, but he says that average billing hours “have not risen in any discernable way”.
Ranking Law Firm Partners Other fees Total No.of offices Breakdown per office (Partners/Other fee earners/offices)
1 Freehills 202 853 4
2 Blake Dawson Waldron 203 770 5
3 Minter Ellison 232 732 8
4 Mallesons Stephen Jacques 192 673 5
5 Phillips Fox 170 627 8
6 Clayton Utz 188 538 7
7 Allens Arthur Robinson 175 540 4
9 Corrs Chambers Westgarth 113 257 6
10 Gadens 104 188 7