MACPHERSON KELLEY: FIRM SPOTLIGHT
- May 25
- 6 min read
Established: 1905
Size (personnel): Over 270 nationally, over 40 Principals
Office Locations (Australia): Melbourne, Dandenong, Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide
Practice Areas:
· Commercial (including Banking and Finance, Franchising, Intellectual Property, Privacy, Mergers and Acquisitions, Tax and Structuring and Trade)
· Corporate (including Corporate Advisory, Compliance and Governance, Equity Capital Markets and Takeovers and Control Transactions)
· Property, Construction and Planning & Environment (including Property, Infrastructure, Construction and Energy, Planning and Environment)
· Litigation & Dispute Resolution (including Debt Recovery, Restructuring and Insolvency and Shareholder and Partnership Disputes)
· Employment, Safety and Migration
· Private Clients (including Family Law and Wills & Estates)
· Pacific Legal Network
ABOUT MACPHERSON KELLEY
When Jeffrey Macpherson started practising in 1905, our journey began in the manufacturing heart of Melbourne’s southeast. He would meet with clients at the bar of the Royal Hotel in Dandenong, being the sole lawyer of the firm until Charles Kelley joined as his junior partner.
Macpherson Kelley became an incorporated legal practice on 18 February 2008 and since 2015 has operated as a fully integrated national firm under the guidance of a Board of Directors.
Today, we’re a full-service commercial law firm that thinks differently, offering our clients commercial insight, legal ingenuity, and genuine care.
RECENT MATTERS
Our team has advised on a range of significant matters. Recent work includes advising KSB Sustainable Investments on its approximately $35 million acquisition of an Australian battery engineering and distribution business. We also advised Gill Family Corp in securing Kmart as the anchor tenant for an 18,000 sqm retail and large‑format precinct in Victoria.
Our Litigation & Dispute Resolution team has achieved important outcomes in complex disputes, including a Court of Appeal win confirming no implied right of termination existed in a long-term emergency services agreement and overturning a stay to confirm the Companion Principle applies only when charges have been laid.
In addition, our team has acted in time‑critical insolvency matters, recently securing an urgent winding‑up order within 21 days to remit director penalty liabilities and successfully persuading the ATO not to pursue remaining penalty components.
RECOGNITION AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Accomplishments
Macpherson Kelley uses a client experience platform that surveys all clients for feedback at the conclusion of their matter, measuring their likelihood to recommend our services. Since implementation, our Net Promoter Score (NPS) is in the world-class range, with an average NPS score of 80 across our entire firm after over 5,000 survey responses. As a firm focused on supporting both our clients and our people, we believe that our NPS score is reflective of our commitment to client service and dedication to growing the capabilities of our lawyers.
Awards
Our various practice groups and talented lawyers have been recognised across multiple directories and awards including Legal 500, World Trademark Review, IP Stars, Asia IP, Best Lawyers, Lawyers Weekly, Doyles guide, and more.
As a firm, we have recently won the following awards:
· Australasian Lawyer - 2025 5-star Employer of Choice.
· Client Culture - 2025 Leading Firm | Service Excellence.
· Trusted Firms Global - Trusted Firm for 2026.
· Multilaw - 2025 Best Referring Firm (100-200 lawyers).
MK Foundation
We’re committed to supporting charities and other care giving organisations through the Macpherson Kelley Foundation, which has proudly donated over $665,927 to a variety of charities since its formation. We have also implemented a corporate volunteering policy, which offers employees a full day of paid volunteer leave per annum. This important work rounds out our connection to the community we serve.
THE FUTURE AT MACPHERSON KELLEY
We are ambitious for growth at Macpherson Kelley, both in the breadth and complexity of the work we undertake for clients, and in the development opportunities we offer our lawyers. Guided by our core value of “better each day”, our firm is committed to continuing to grow in areas that sustain our business into the future.
Our HR team has developed transparent learning pathways, creating a clear framework for lawyers looking to progress through the ranks. We also offer a bespoke female leadership program to support more women into leadership roles within the firm. By 1 July 2028, Macpherson Kelley's goal is for women to comprise 50% of our Principal Lawyer positions.
Informed by client feedback initiatives, we are always looking for ways to improve client experience, whether that be through new technology, revised processes, or client service platforms. As a modern and progressive firm, it’s important for our firm to keep pace with change.
REPRESENTING OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Our teams combine sharp minds with real-world business understanding and a human approach that supports clients every step of the way. Macpherson Kelley embodies its Mission, Purpose, and Vision by offering support and opportunities for our lawyers to thrive both personally and professionally.
Purpose
To help our clients and our people succeed in business and in life.
Mission
To give commercial legal guidance to medium-large organisations. Client and employee experience is at the core of what we do. We want to help strengthen the communities and industries that we operate in.
Vision
We are a leading, progressive law firm, owned by our people. Our clients and our people are our greatest advocates.
Our Mission, Purpose, and Vision is further defined by the way we work with our clients and with each other. They guide key decisions we make in the business and reflect how important it is to enjoy our work and have fun, as well as deliver exceptional service to our clients.
Talk straight - We tell it as it is. We’re not afraid to have the difficult conversations. We’re honest and ethical.
Play as a Team - We work hard, have fun and celebrate success. We collaborate and support each other.
Better each Day - We’re committed to always improving and embracing change.
WHY MACPHERSON KELLEY
Our people and our clients are at the core of what we do at Macpherson Kelley, so we’re invested in the growth of our graduates from day one.
We have professional development opportunities through the MK Business School, including training and mentoring programs. We foster a positive learning environment that teaches graduates to hone their legal, emotional and commercial intelligence. This approach builds skilled lawyers who are empowered to deliver clear, practical and actionable legal guidance to clients.
Our national structure offers graduates exposure to a wide range of practice areas and the opportunity to develop deep industry knowledge.
Macpherson Kelley was ranked amongst the Top 10 employers for law graduates in Australia in Prosple’s 2026 round up of ‘Best overall law graduate employers’ for factors such as culture, training and balance.
Our values underpin our firm and are embraced by our staff. We’re not interested in office politics. We support each other and want to see our people succeed in business and in life.
We are, therefore, dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels safe and empowered. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee drives internal change, focusing on gender, culture and religion, LGBTIQA+, and people with disabilities. We offer 20 weeks of paid parental leave for the primary carer, including superannuation on both paid and unpaid leave.
We are committed to accelerating workplace gender equality, eliminating gender bias, and promoting understanding of gender issues. We aim to meet the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s (WGEA) indicators and have active programs and policies that encourage women to take on more leadership positions.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan reflects our commitment to understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, supporting reconciliation within our firm and communities.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
The firm hires between 10 to 14 graduates nationally each year across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. We aim to develop strong, commercially minded lawyers who work closely with clients from day one to understand their challenges and add value to their businesses.
Our year-long graduate program includes three-month rotations through various law practice areas, allowing graduates to discover their interests and career focus. Professional development is a priority. This is reflected through our Business School, business bootcamps, one-on-one mentoring, and regular feedback from senior lawyers.
We promote a healthy work-life balance through our Flex+ and Wellness+ programs and have a "dress for your day" policy. We work hard but we know how to have fun along the way!
After completing the 12-month graduate program at Macpherson Kelley, graduates typically transition into a permanent practice area within the firm that aligns with both their interests and the firm's business needs. Each graduate begins to specialise in this chosen field, building on the skills and experience developed through the graduate program.
Macpherson Kelley is a signatory to the 2026 LIV Clerkship and Graduate Program Guidelines.
We do not offer a clerkship program. We accept and consider market applications.
International students who are permanent residents or hold a valid work Visa are encouraged to apply for our graduate program.
