The appointments come one year after the firm created the new "executive counsel" positions to give employees further career options.

According to Freehills, the position is reserved for senior, expert lawyers who play an adjunct-leadership function within the firm, with a particular focus on legal and practice management, client relationships, and project management.

The role is separate from and in addition to the position of "special counsel" and does not preclude entering the partnership at a later stage.

Freehills CEO Gavin Bell said the roles were certainly proving to be valuable for both clients and the firm, offering clients more experienced and skilled legal teams, and an alternative career path for senior lawyers.

"Both executive and special counsel are valued positions within the firm, both providing senior technical legal skills with a specialist focus for special counsel and an adjunct leadership focus for executive counsel," he said.

"Executive counsel is increasingly established with 20 now spread across all Freehills' offices and practice groups helping create better legal teams to serve clients with more experienced and efficient legal advice," added Bell, noting that the appointments are effective from this month.

The executive counsel appointments include Alicia Albury (banking and projects, Sydney), Kathy Reid (employee relations, Perth), Zoe Weir (employee relations, Perth), Nick Ogilvie (employee relations, Melbourne), Alex Moule (corporate, Melbourne), Amy Goble (corporate, Melbourne), Jeremy Wickens (corporate, Perth), Darren James (litigation, Melbourne), Helen Macpherson (litigation, Sydney) and Karen Gibbons (competition, Melbourne).

Special counsel appointments includeDean Farrant (employee relations, Melbourne), Lisa Croxford (employee relations, Melbourne) and Roger Henning (litigation, Sydney).