At the same time, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) released gender pay gap data for all Australian workplaces with 100 or more employees. Almost all the firms that made it onto the Legal Firm of Choice list appeared within this new data.

In addition to topping the survey list, Allens’ median base salary and total remuneration was 9.8 per cent, which falls well below the sector average of 16.7 per cent for base and 17.5 per cent for total remuneration.

Interestingly, when the LFOC data was divided by gender, it was women who placed Allens in the top spot.

In a statement alongside the WGEA data, Allens said it was “committed to equitable opportunities and outcomes for all genders, removal of unfair barriers to workforce participation, and the elimination of harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender”.

King & Wood Mallesons appeared in the top spot when the data was narrowed down to just male respondents. While still below the average sector, it sat 2 percentage points higher than Allens.

Second-placed MinterEllison appeared above the sector average, with 18.1 per cent base salary and 18.6 per cent total remuneration.

Despite sitting above the sector average, MinterEllison said it was committed to “driving cultural change” by supporting the “progression and retention of women” in the legal profession.

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Clayton Utz, Lander & Rogers, Herbert Smith Freehills, and Maurice Blackburn also sat below the sector average, despite appearing in prominent spots within the LFOC survey ranking.

However, some of the firms that appeared within the 15th to 25th places fared better, including HWL Ebsworth, Baker McKenzie, Maddocks, Cooper Grace Ward, and Moray & Agnew.

Other firms in this group did not have available WGEA data.

At the opposite end of the gender pay gap data sat McCabes with a 36.6 per cent base salary and 26.6 per cent total remuneration gap. In the LFOC attraction survey, it ranked equal 59th.

Macpherson Kelley, which offered a shocking gap of 39.7 per cent base salary and 41 per cent in total remuneration, appeared higher in the survey list than McCabes at the 40th spot.

In its statement, Macpherson Kelley said it commissioned an independent report to “hold ourselves accountable”. It said this demonstrated women lawyers were progressing through the ranks.

However, with it sitting at the lowest end of the WGEA scale, Macpherson Kelley also acknowledged there was “much work to be done” and expects more women to step into senior positions.

As part of the LFOC survey, respondents were also asked about their opinions regarding the gender pay gap. This was prior to the release of the WGEA data and will be an interesting comparison in later years.

One in two women lawyers were more likely to see the existence of the gender pay gap, compared to the shocking one in five men.

Below are the top 25 attraction firms compared to the WGEA data:

What is the Legal Firm of Choice Survey?

Now in its ninth iteration, the Legal Firm of Choice Survey identifies the most sought-after private legal practices across the country. It is conducted by market research agency Agile Market Intelligence for Lawyers Weekly.

This latest survey was conducted between 22 January and 14 February and received 401 responses in total, recording the attitudes, priorities, and perceptions of legal professionals in private practice across Australia.

Since late February, Lawyers Weekly has been publishing insights from the 2023–24 iteration of the Legal Firm of Choice Survey. To read those stories, click below:

• Top 25 Attraction Firms revealed for 2023–24
• Women more likely to see gender pay gap in law than men
• 1 in 5 lawyers want to leave their firms this year – where will they go?
• Male lawyers more likely to rate their remuneration highly
• Revealed: 5-year trends for the Legal Firm of Choice Survey
• Which BigLaw firms do male and female lawyers want to work at right now?