Legal Review SPECIAL REPORT Legal review FEATURE LEADERS: Chief operating officer Michael Harper (left), founder Martin Bennett, and managing principal Nathan Ebbs are directors of fast-growing Bennett + Co. Photo: Gabriel Oliveira Major shift in law firm rankings There has been a significant re-ranking of law firms in Perth over the past year, while the sector is also adapting to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. state, up from 11th last year, according to WA’s Largest Law Firms the BNiQ database. The biggest contributor to this growth FIRM PARTNERS LEGAL STAFF was its acquisition last August of boutique Herbert Smith Freehills 22 131 corporate law firm Bellanhouse Lawyers. HWL Ebsworth Perth partner Mitch HWL Ebsworth Lawyers 24 93 Artus said the firm had achieved organic MinterEllison 16 92 growth in most practice areas, including construction, general insurance, litiga- Clayton Utz 14 90 tion, finance and property. Jackson McDonald 26 87 Mark Beyer Mr Artus, who is also national chair -
[email protected] King & Wood Mallesons 14 78 man, has led the firm during a period @AMarkBeyer when it has become the largest legal part- Lavan 26 75 10-PAGE FEATURE nership in Australia. Ashurst 15 67 ATIONAL firm HWL Ebsworth “It’s been an exciting time,” Mr Artus Lawyers and local practice Ben- told Business News. Allens 11 66 N nett + Co were the big movers “The growth hasn’t happened by acci- Corrs Chambers Westgarth 13 66 in Business News’s latest ranking of law dent; we’ve been quite strategic and we’re firms in Western Australia.