Lawyers Weekly and principal partner Commonwealth Private are thrilled to launch this year’s Partner of the Year Awards, for which submissions and nominations are now open.
The unparalleled and highly anticipated Partner of the Year Awards is returning in 2026, for its 11th iteration, providing national recognition to the best and brightest partners and partner equivalents across the country.
The awards are regarded as the legal profession’s most prestigious accolades for senior lawyers, highlighting professional development and innovation, and showcasing the individuals who lead the way in the legal profession. It has been designed to highlight the hard work, dedication, and successes of partners and partner equivalents and is also an opportunity for partners to attract more clients and propel their businesses to new heights.
The program will culminate in a black-tie gala awards ceremony on Thursday, 4 June, at The Star, Sydney. Click here to buy tickets.
Submit an entry or nominate a worthy colleague by Friday, 20 March 2026, for a chance to be rewarded for your successes and build a reputation for excellence.
There are 34 categories on offer for candidates this year, spanning practice areas for partners and partner equivalents across the spectrum of legal services.
Some of the practice areas to be recognised: banking and finance, capital markets, construction and infrastructure, corporate, cyber, dispute resolution, employment, insolvency and restructuring, M&A, pro bono, and wills and estates.
Other professionals that will be championed this year include partners and partner equivalents acting as mentors to the next generation, new partners (i.e. those with three years or less experience at the partnership level), and senior partners (i.e. those with 15 or more years of experience).
The highest-scoring individual winner will become the recipient of the coveted Excellence Award at the end of the evening.
Speaking about the awards program, Lawyers Weekly managing editor Jerome Doraisamy said: “It is always such a privilege to host the Partner of the Year Awards.
“To be a law firm partner, or partner equivalent, is both a challenging and rewarding vocational pathway. Those who will be recognised at this year’s event are not only navigating the headwinds of their chosen practice areas but also AI’s impact on the commodification of time, geopolitical and economic uncertainty, and managing augmented workforces.
“We are hugely excited to celebrate the achievements of our eventual finalists and then winners at this annual gala, and congratulate all partners and partner equivalents for their achievements in such challenging times.”
The winners are judged by a well-respected panel of legal practitioners, including academics, business executives, entrepreneurs, and innovators, who will provide peer-reviewed recognition of your capabilities and passion for driving the profession forward and reaffirm your role, and the role of your firm, in advancing the legal profession.
How finalists are shortlisted
All submissions will undergo a thorough audit process, checking demographic and other information against category eligibility criteria based on the information provided in the submission.
Those submissions deemed eligible against the criteria will be reviewed and assessed by a panel of Momentum Media events and editorial team members and executives (alongside profession stakeholders where required) to determine the finalists for each category.
Lawyers Weekly will announce the finalists on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
How to enter the awards
To enter the awards, decide which categories you are eligible for. Review the categories here.
Register your account through our secure awards platform.
Then, fill in the details of your submission/s.
Finally, when you are happy with your submission, press save and lodge it.
Submit an entry or nominate a worthy colleague by Friday, 20 March 2026, for a chance to be rewarded for your successes and build a reputation for excellence.
The winners will be announced at the black-tie gala awards ceremony on Thursday, 4 June 2026, at The Star, Sydney.
Click here to buy tickets and don’t miss out on the opportunity to network with your professional leaders and peers while celebrating the achievements of your colleagues.
