Both firms held on to their crowns in two major categories
Last Thursday night at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) and Brave Legal were successful defending champs as Law Firm of the Year (>500 Lawyers) and winner of the Excellence in Employee Health & Wellbeing category, respectively, at the 2023 Australasian Law Awards.
KWM was lauded by judges as “a premier law firm at the top of its game” that was “distinguished by its client service and innovation”. These qualities helped it to beat out top contenders Allens, Ashurst, Baker McKenzie, Clayton Utz, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Gilbert + Tobin and Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) to stay on top of this category for yet another year.
KWM also played roles in winning deals, such as the APA Group acquisition of Basslink (Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year) and the EQT acquisition of Icon Group (Debt Market Deal of the Year).
Meanwhile, Brave Legal had a tough road ahead to hold on to its crown, with Baker McKenzie’s BakerWellbeing Committee, Hall & Wilcox, HSF and Pragma Lawyers among the shortlisted candidates. But the boutique firm gutted out its second straight win, with judges praising the firm as having “a real innovative initiative about how to support clients through a difficult period”.
Judges also lauded Brave Legal for “innovative approaches that had a positive impact on the firm”.
“Well-being is built into the DNA of the firm”, the panel said.
The winners of the 2023 Australasian Law Awards were crowned last Thursday.
