The Best Lawyers® in Australia, 2026 Edition
22/04/2025
Piper Alderman is delighted to announce that in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers® in Australia, 57 of our lawyers have been named ‘Best Lawyer’ and 17 of our lawyers have been named in the ‘Ones to Watch’ list.
The firm has been recognised across a total of 49 areas of law in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Brisbane Partner Nick Burkett has been named ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for ‘Ethics and Professional Responsibility Practice’, Adelaide Partner Mark Gordon, has been named ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for ‘Banking and Finance Law’, and Adelaide Partner Martin Lovell has been named ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for ‘Project Finance and Development Law’.
Of our 57 lawyers recognised as ‘Best Lawyer’, Shane Entriken, Emily Haar and Alasdair McLean have been recognised for the first time in the 2026 edition.
The full list of practice areas and recognised lawyers is listed below.
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
- Simon Venus – Adelaide
Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Tony Abbott – Adelaide
- Tom Griffith – Adelaide
- Mike Hayes – Adelaide
- Nick Burkett – Brisbane
- Joanne Hardwick – Melbourne
- Cris Cureton – Sydney
- Anne Freeman – Sydney
- Sian Ede – Sydney – Ones to Watch
- Isabelle Gatley – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
- Timothy Ward – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
- Hannah Veldre – Sydney – Ones to Watch
Asset Finance Law
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
Banking and Finance Law
- Shannon Adams – Adelaide
- Mark Gordon – Adelaide
Commercial Law
- James Dickson – Adelaide
- Greg English – Adelaide
- Will Fennell – Adelaide
- Mark Gordon – Adelaide
- Mike Hayes – Adelaide
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
- Simon Venus – Adelaide
- Ashley Watson – Adelaide
- Andrew Rankin – Brisbane
- Michael Coker – Melbourne
- James Macdonald – Melbourne
- Alasdair McLean – Melbourne
- Andrea Beatty – Sydney
- Clea Cole – Melbourne – Ones to Watch
- Liberty Privopoulos – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
Competition Law
- Andrew Rankin – Brisbane
Construction / Infrastructure Law
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
- Juniper Watson – Adelaide
- Karyn Reardon – Brisbane
- Geoff Emmett – Melbourne
- Cris Cureton – Sydney
- Brent Henderson – Sydney
- Emer Sheridan – Sydney – Ones to Watch
Corporate / Governance Practice
- Shannon Adams – Adelaide
- Andrew Rankin – Brisbane
- Michael Coker – Melbourne
- James Macdonald – Melbourne
- Mark Williamson – Sydney
Corporate Law
- James Dickson – Adelaide
- Mark Gordon – Adelaide
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
- Simon Venus – Adelaide
- Andrew Rankin – Brisbane
- Hugh Scales – Melbourne
- Wally McDonald – Sydney
- Hannah Guest – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
Debt Capital Markets Law
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
Education Law
- Erin McCarthy – Adelaide
- Michael Coker – Melbourne
- Chris Hartigan – Melbourne
Employee Benefits Law
- Chris Hartigan – Melbourne
Energy Law
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
Equipment Finance Law
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
Equity Capital Markets Law
- Campbell Davidson – Sydney
- Mark Williamson – Sydney
Ethics and Professional Responsibility Practice
- Nick Burkett – Brisbane
Financial Institutions
- Andrea Beatty – Sydney
Funds Management
- Michael Coker – Melbourne
Government Practice
- Wally McDonald – Sydney
Health and Aged Care Law
- Andrew Rankin – Brisbane
- Lis Boyce – Sydney
- Tim Capelin – Sydney
Hospitality and Tourism Law
- Jonathan Dodd – Adelaide
Human Rights Law
- Emily Haar – Adelaide
- Erin McCarthy – Adelaide
- Chris Hartigan – Melbourne
- Shane Entriken – Perth
- Ben Motro – Sydney
Information Technology Law
- Tim Clark – Melbourne
- Richard W. Horton – Sydney
Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Mike Hayes – Adelaide
- Louise Gehrig – Melbourne
- Joanne Hardwick – Melbourne
- Michael Lhuede – Melbourne
- Stephen Kyrou – Melbourne – Ones to Watch
- Emmalee Pacillo – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
Insurance Law
- Nick Burkett – Brisbane
- Greg Whyte – Brisbane
Intellectual Property Law
- Tim O’Callaghan – Adelaide
- Tim Clark – Melbourne
Labour and Employment Law
- Emily Haar – Adelaide
- Erin McCarthy – Adelaide
- Chris Hartigan – Melbourne
- Tim Lange – Melbourne
- Tim Capelin – Sydney
- Andrew Jonklaas – Perth – Ones to Watch
Leasing Law
- Tony Britten-Jones – Adelaide
- Jonathan Dodd – Adelaide
- Mark Askin – Brisbane
- Warren Denny – Brisbane
- Catherine Wheeler – Perth
- Richard Abbott – Sydney
- Adam Rinaldi – Sydney
- Lauren Abbott – Brisbane – Ones to Watch
- Janet Wong – Melbourne – Ones to Watch
Legal Malpractice Litigation
- Nick Burkett – Brisbane
Life Sciences Practice
- Lis Boyce – Sydney
Litigation
- Tony Abbott – Adelaide
- Juniper Watson – Adelaide
- Nick Burkett – Brisbane
- Karyn Reardon – Brisbane
- Joanne Hardwick – Melbourne
- Michael Lhuede – Melbourne
- Meriel Steadman – Perth
- Cris Cureton – Sydney
- David Starkoff – Sydney
- Isabelle Gatley – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
- Emmalee Pacillo – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
- Travis Shueard – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
- Sian Ede – Sydney – Ones to Watch
- Hannah Veldre – Sydney – Ones to Watch
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Simon Venus – Adelaide
- Andrew Rankin – Brisbane
- James Macdonald – Melbourne
- Alasdair McLean – Melbourne
- Wally McDonald – Sydney
- Mark Williamson – Sydney
- Samuel Blight – Sydney – Ones to Watch
Mining Law
- Ashley Watson – Adelaide
- Katie Winterbourne – Perth
Native Title Law
- Ashley Watson – Adelaide
Natural Resources Law
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
- Ashley Watson – Adelaide
- Katie Winterbourne – Perth
Non-Profit / Charities Law
- Will Fennell – Adelaide
Occupational Health and Safety Law
- Erin McCarthy – Adelaide
- Chris Hartigan – Melbourne
Oil and Gas Law
- Ashley Watson – Adelaide
Planning and Environmental Law
- Ashley Watson – Adelaide
- Katie Winterbourne – Perth
Privacy and Data Security Law
- Tim Clark – Melbourne
- Andrea Beatty – Sydney
Private Equity Law
- James Macdonald – Melbourne
Professional Malpractice Litigation
- Nick Burkett – Brisbane
Project Finance and Development Practice
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
Real Property Law
- Tony Britten-Jones – Adelaide
- Mark Askin – Brisbane
- Warren Denny – Brisbane
- Peter Nugent – Brisbane
- Catherine Wheeler – Perth
- Richard Abbott – Sydney
- Marcus Andrews – Sydney
- Adam Rinaldi – Sydney
- Lauren Abbott – Brisbane – Ones to Watch
- Kara Pennisi – Brisbane – Ones to Watch
- Janet Wong – Melbourne – Ones to Watch
Regulatory Practice
- Andrea Beatty – Sydney
Structured Finance Law
- Martin Lovell – Adelaide
Tax Law
- Will Fennell – Adelaide
- Megan Bishop – Melbourne
Trade Law
- Tony Abbott – Adelaide
Trusts and Estates
- Rod Jones – Adelaide
- Samuel Morphett – Adelaide – Ones to Watch
Venture Capital Law
- James Macdonald – Melbourne
Water Law
- Katie Winterbourne – Perth
Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice
- Donna Benge – Adelaide
- Rod Jones – Adelaide