A prime example is Chris Jose, who had spent four years as a barrister building up a successful practice in a niche area of competition law at the bar before moving to Freehills to become a partner.

Caite Brewer, a solicitor at McInnes Wilson Lawyers, and Anne Sullivan, a partner at Blake Dawson, both moved away from the bar when they decided to start their families, believing that life as a solicitor is more compatible with raising young children.

"I think it's a lot easier with young children to be in an employed position," Brewer said. "It's easier as a solicitor to manage the workload because it's a bit more constant - there are more ebbs and flows in a barristers' practice.”