The guide, launched yesterday (28 February), ranks lawyers and law firms in 33 jurisdictions across the region, in more than 30 specialist practice areas.

In Australia, both Herbert Smith Freehills and King & Wood Mallesons achieved top rankings (band one) in banking & finance, capital markets, corporate/M&A, energy & resources, financial services regulation, projects, real estate, and technology, media and telecoms. They also individually made band one in a number of other categories.

Allens also featured regularly in Chambers’ elite group, achieving band one status in more than half of the practice areas.

The most highly recommended lawyers were given a ‘star’ ranking. They included: Philippa Stone from Herbert Smith Freehills (capital markets); Gina Cass-Gottlieb from Gilbert + Tobin (competition/antitrust); Doug Jones from Clayton Utz and Peter Pether from King & Wood Mallesons (construction); Graeme Smith from Herbert Smith Freehills (employment), and James Marshall from Ashurst and Leon Zwier from Arnold Bloch Leibler (restructuring and insolvency).