Big Six (law firms)

The Big Six is a term that has traditionally referred to the six largest Australian law firms, as assessed by revenue and lawyer head count. From the mid-1980s, the phrase was in regular use to distinguish the largest Australian firms, collectively, from their smaller competitors. While informal, it was a widely-used descriptor, appearing in news items, industry commentary and scholarly articles.

In 2012, four of the Big Six firms merged or formed association relationships with firms from other countries. As the Australian legal scene has evolved since these changes, the term Big Six has become less applicable, although it is still in use in some media discussion. Other terms, such as "top-tier law firm" are sometimes used in media coverage when the largest law firms in Australia, commonly a set of eight such firms, are mentioned. Other labels used to refer to the largest, or most lucrative, law firms operating in Australia have been suggested, such as "global elite law firms" or "international business law firms". The term "Big 8" has also made an appearance in business news coverage.