Students, academics, support staff and managers within the legal sector are also represented at the black-tie event.

This year's Awards saw finalists selected from a record number of submissions across 30 categories.

A total of 27 high-profile judges will now be given the task of selecting a winner for each category.

Winners will be revealed at a gala dinner on 2 September 2016 at Sydney’s Four Points by Sheraton.

Full list of finalists below:

Individual Awards:

Academic of the Year
Bruce Arnold
Assistant Professor
University of Canberra

Kyle Bowyer
Lecturer
Curtin Law School

James Duffy
Lecturer
Queensland University of Technology Law School

Jacques Duvenhage
Lecturer
University of Notre Dame

Justine Rogers
Lecturer
UNSW Law

Erika Techera
Professor and Dean of Law
The University of Western Australia

Barrister of the Year
Farid Assaf
Banco Chambers

Dominique Hogan-Doran SC
St. James' Hall Chambers

Jim Shaw
The Victorian Bar

Michael Wolff
The Victorian Bar

Business Development Professional of the Year
Neil Carpenter
Piper Alderman

Monique Langley
Curwoods Lawyers

Anthony Lieu
LegalVision

Chris Saxby
McCullough Robertson

Sharon Thompson
Ashurst

James Thomson
Roberts Legal

Dealmaker of the Year
Guy Alexander
Co-Head of M&A and ECM
Allens

Stuart Byrne
Partner
Clayton Utz

Grant Koch
Partner
DLA Piper

Rebecca Maslen-Stannage
Partner
Herbert Smith Freehills

Rory Moriarty
Partner and National Practice Group Leader - Corporate
Clayton Utz

Mark Stanbridge
Partner
Ashurst

Philippa Stone
Partner
Herbert Smith Freehills

Tom Story
Partner
Allens

Martyn Taylor
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright

Yuen-Yee Cho
Partner
King & Wood Mallesons

General Counsel of the Year
Claire Bibby
Brookfield

Matt Baumgurtel
FRV

Anna Lozynski
L'Oreal Australia and New Zealand

Rachel Launders
Nine Entertainment Co

Cindy Hansen
Qudos Bank

Sarah Turner
REA Group Ltd

Troy Swan
Staples Australia and New Zealand

Katrina Johnson
Uber

Vanessa Bourne
UOW Enterprises

Ashe-lee Jegathesan
Vocus Communications

In-house Lawyer of the Year
Anna-Athanasia Dervenis
Brookfield

David Carrington
Neustar

Roger Chong
Toll Holdings Limited

Lili Dent
PepsiCo ANZ

Michael Johnston
Westpac

Theo Kapodistrias
University of Tasmania

Roberta McMurtrie
MetLife Insurance Limited

Kimberly Statham
Carnival Australia

Law Student of the Year
Anna Francesca Belgiorno-Nettis
Melbourne University

Camille Boileau
The University of Queensland

Luca Credentino
Macquarie University/Arcadis Australia Pacific Pty Ltd

Jordan English
The University of Queensland/King & Wood Mallesons

Milan Gandhi
The University of Queensland/McCullough Robertson Lawyers

Taylor Macdonald
Western Sydney University/King & Wood Mallesons

Shauna Roeger
University of Adelaide/Piper Alderman

Naomi Wootton
Australian National University

Legal Support Professional of the Year
Emma Ablett
Mills Oakley

Alysha Bailey
Madison Marcus Law Firm

Rene Cooper
Piper Alderman

Kerry Dillon
McCullough Robertson

Rosemary Fuda
Curwoods Lawyers

Matthew Golab
Gilbert + Tobin

Managing Partner of the Year
Paul Baker
Meridian Lawyers

John Edmond
Clyde & Co

Simon Creek
HHG Legal Group

Rob Cutler
Clayton Utz

Chris Freeland
Baker & McKenzie

Paul Hopkins
Carter Newell Lawyers

Sue Kench
King & Wood Mallesons

Tony Macvean
Hall & Wilcox

John Nerurker
Mills Oakley

Bechara Shamieh
Madison Marcus Law Firm

Regional/Suburban Lawyer of the Year
Katalin Blond
Shine Lawyers

Chrissy Leontios
CLEON Legal & Mediation Services

Danny Frigerio
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

Melinda Griffiths
Slater & Gordon

Thomas Stevens
O'Reilly Stevens Lawyers

Kate Swain
McCullough Robertson

Senior Associate of the Year
James Beauchamp
Maddocks

Eliza Blandford
Ashurst

Rebecca Dickson
MinterEllison

Rebecca Dunn
Gilbert + Tobin

Goran Gelic
McCullough Robertson

Daniel Knight
K&L Gates

Anna Lin
PricewaterhouseCoopers

Katherine Mallik
Clayton Utz

Eugene Tan
Clayton Utz

Tim West
Ashurst

Sole Practitioner of the Year
Richard Edwards
Whites Legal

Anny Slater
Slaters Intellectual Property Lawyers

Justin Sprogis
Catalyst Legal Systems

Tim Swaine
Swaine Legal

Special Counsel of the Year
Belinda Breakspear
McCullough Robertson

Ian Gordon
King & Wood Mallesons

Katherine Hooper
HWL Ebsworth

Michelle Keen
Herbert Smith Freehills

Caroline Mathie
Gilbert + Tobin

James Morris
Norton Rose Fulbright

Kiri Purdy
MinterEllison

Peter Reeves
Gilbert + Tobin

Amy Southwell
Minter Ellison

Jonathan Whybird
Piper Alderman

Partner of the Year
Niranjan Arasaratnam
Allens

Amanda Banton
Squire Patton Boggs

Jason Betts
Herbert Smith Freehills

Mark Chapple
Baker & McKenzie

Darren James
Mills Oakley

James Marshall
Ashurst

Maithri Panagoda
Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers

Colleen Platford
Gilbert + Tobin

Katrina Rathie
King & Wood Mallesons

Philippa Stone
Herbert Smith Freehills

Young Gun of the Year
Smriti Arora
King & Wood Mallesons

Damon Booth
Gadens

Nick Dowse
Ashurst

Hannah Linossier
Piper Alderman

Emile McPhee
McCullough Robertson Lawyers

Rhys McWhirter
Gilbert + Tobin

Mark Norman
Gadens

James Skelton
Swaab Attorneys

Charlotte Yellowlees
Salvos Legal Humanitarian

Amy Zhang
Harmers Workplace Lawyers

Group & Practice Areas:

Banking and Finance Team of the Year
Allen & Overy
Ashurst Finance Team
Bradley Allen Love
Clayton Utz
Gilbert + Tobin
Hall & Wilcox
King & Wood Mallesons
Norton Rose Fulbright

Dispute Resolution Team of the Year
Ashurst
DLA Piper
Hall & Wilcox
Squire Patton Boggs
Henry Davis York
Herbert Smith Freehills
Jones Day
King & Wood Mallesons
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
William Roberts Lawyers

Energy and Resources Team of the Year
Allen & Overy
Ashurst
King & Wood Mallesons
McCullough Robertson

Government Team of the Year
Clayton Utz
DLA Piper
King & Wood Mallesons
MacDonnells Law
Maddocks
Mills Oakley

In-house Team of the Year
AIA Australia
Brookfield
MetLife Insurance Limited
National Australia Bank – Corporate Advisory Legal Team
Nine Entertainment Co Legal team
PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand
Perpetual Group Legal Team
SBS (Special Broadcasting Service)
Uber Legal Team Australia and New Zealand
Westpac

Insurance Team of the Year
Ashurst
Clayton Utz
Clyde & Co
Curwoods Lawyers
DLA Piper
Gilchrist Connell
Holman Webb Lawyers
McInnes Wilson Lawyers
MinterEllison
Wotton + Kearney

Intellectual Property Team of the Year
Ashurst
DLA Piper
Gilbert + Tobin
Griffith Hack
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Norton Rose Fulbright
Piper Alderman
Sparke Helmore Lawyers
Wrays

Property Team of the Year 
Baker & McKenzie
Clayton Utz
Commercial and Legal
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
DLA Piper
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
MinterEllison
Speirs Ryan
Squire Patton Boggs

Transaction Team of the Year
Allen & Overy
Allens M & A
Ashurst
Gilbert + Tobin
Herbert Smith Freehills Equity Capital Markets Team
Herbert Smith Freehills M&A Team
King & Wood Mallesons
MinterEllison National M&A Transaction team
Norton Rose Fulbright
Squire Patton Boggs

Workplace Relations and Employment Team of the Year
Ashurst
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors
DibbsBarker
K&L Gates
King & Wood Mallesons
Lander & Rogers Workplace Relations & Safety team
MDC Legal
Piper Alderman
Sparke Helmore Lawyers
Squire Patton Boggs

Corporate:

Boutique Law Firm of the Year
Argyle Lawyers
Clarendon Lawyers
Harmers Workplace Lawyers
HHG Legal Group
lawlab
McCabes Lawyers
Polczynski Lawyers
Proximity
Thynne + Macartney
Wrays

Employee Program of the Year
Bradley Allen Love
Gadens
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons

Innovator of the Year
AdventBalance
DLA Piper
Gilbert + Tobin
GRT Lawyers Pty Ltd
Hall & Wilcox
Scott Farrell – King & Wood Mallesons
LegalVision
Lexvoco
Nexus Law Group
RMB Lawyers / Unison Outsourcing Pty Ltd

Law Firm of the Year
Ashurst
Baker & McKenzie
Clayton Utz
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
DLA Piper
Gilbert + Tobin
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons
Nexus Law Group
Norton Rose Fulbright

Pro Bono Program of the Year
Ashurst
Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers
Colin Biggers & Paisley
DLA Piper
Gilbert + Tobin
Herbert Smith Freehills
International Justice Mission Australia
King & Wood Mallesons
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
Robina Community Legal Centre Inc.

Regional/Suburban Law Firm of the Year
Carter Ferguson Solicitors
CLEON Legal & Mediation Services
Commins Hendriks Solicitors
Harwood Andrews
HHG Legal Group
McLean McKenzie & Topfer
Robinson Gill Lawyers
Southern Waters Legal
Roberts Legal
Whites Legal