SPARKE HELMORE LAWYERS: FIRM SPOTLIGHT
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Established: 1882
Size (personnel): 1000+ total employees, 123 Partners, 550+ lawyers
Office Locations (Australia): Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney & Upper Hunter
Practice Areas:
Government, Commercial Insurance, Corporate & Commercial, Workplace, Statutory Insurance, Property, Environment & Finance
A HISTORY OF SPARKE HELMORE LAWYERS
Our founders—William Sparke and Basil Helmore—instilled traditions of strong ties to local communities, active involvement in the legal profession and new ways of working with clients, which are all expressions of our growing business today.
Since we opened our doors in the Hunter in 1882, we have evolved and expanded our capabilities and services to reflect the changing needs of our clients. However, some things have remained constant—our ability to collaborate and deliver results. Working together is at the heart of everything we do and achieve, whether it involves our clients, people, suppliers, or communities we serve.
Fostering a vibrant, socially conscious, and inclusive workplace creates infinite opportunities. Our values guide our actions at Sparke Helmore and drive our business forward by building cohesive and agile teams while strengthening relationships both within and outside the firm. These values reflect our culture and are an essential ingredient to our future growth and success. Our people often describe us as down to earth and approachable.
Our values:
Client first – putting our clients at the heart of everything we do.
Honest – being authentic, ethical and behaving with integrity and respect.
Respect and inspire people – enabling people to be their best.
Agile – open to change, adapting to challenges and uncertainty.
Our strengths:
Great people – authentic, practical people who forge strong relationships.
Right size – large enough to have sufficient scale and coverage but small enough to have an inclusive and friendly culture.
Technology with purpose – capability in technology for productivity growth.
Investors – Partners who are prepared to invest in the future.
RECENT MATTERS- FANFIRM
One widely reported recent case, including in the media, concerned FanFirm, a leading Australian sports tour and merchandise company – Sparke Helmore represented FanFirm. FanFirm owns Australian registered trade marks for the FANATICS Brand in Australia in a number of classes, including class 25 for apparel. Fanatics is an American online manufacturer and retailer of a range of products, including licensed sportswear.
In late 2022, FanFirm issued Federal Court Proceedings against Fanatics, LLC for infringement by Fanatics, LLC of FanFirm’s Australian trade marks. FanFirm successfully claimed the $47bn US giant Fanatics infringed FanFirm’s trade marks by selling clothing and accessories with the same branding in Australia. Rofe J delivered judgment in favour of our client, FanFirm, on 17 July 2024 (FanFirm Pty Ltd vs Fanatics LLC [2024] FCA 764), which included an injunction preventing Fanatics LLC from using FanFirm’s trade marks, or any signs substantially identical to or deceptively similar to FanFirm’s trade marks.
Fanatics LLC filed multiple applications to stay the injunction (see decision of Bromwich J- FanFirm Pty Ltd vs Fanatics LLC (2) 2024 FCA 826).
Fanatics LLC appealed the decision of Rofe J to the Full Federal Court of Australia. The Appeal was heard by the Full Federal Court in November 2024, and a decision delivered on 9 July 2025 (see Fanatics LLC v FanFirm Pty Ltd [2025] FCAFC 87). On 23 September 2025, Fanatics LLC filed a Special Leave Application in the High Court of Australia. The High Court considered the Special Leave Application in late 2025, and on 4 December 2025 delivered a judgment refusing special leave to appeal with costs.
Proceedings to determine the quantum claim/pecuniary relief owed to FanFirm is currently on foot in the Federal Court.
RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS
Recent awards for the firm include:
Recognised: Best Law Firms 2026 and 2027 ranked by Best Lawyers – Law Firm of the year for Insurance Law
Recognised: Best Law Firms 2027 Ranked by Best Lawyers – National Ranking Tier 1 for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Government Practice and Insurance Law
Prosple Top 100 Graduate Employers list: Winner for Best Management in Law, Top 3 for Best Culture in Law and Top 5 for Best Recruitment Process for Law
Recognised: Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) 2026
22 of our Lawyers have been named on the 2027 Best Lawyers ‘Ones to Watch’ list
70 Lawyers have been included in the Best Lawyers’ list for 2027
2026 Doyle’s Guide recognition across our Employment and Workplace Health & Safety Practice
Recognised: The Australasian Lawyer 5-Star Employer of Choice, 2023, 2024 & 2025
Recognised: Lawyers Weekly - Top 25 Attraction Firm, 2025
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE AT SPARKE HELMORE LAWYERS
When people think of the future of a law firm, they think of the potential impacts of AI. When we look at the future, we do not see a static destination but an ongoing evolution as technology is shifting rapidly. We expect to see the value of legal services be increasingly measured by strategic judgment, commercial insight, risk management and the ability to deliver practical commercial outcomes for our clients. Sparke Helmore is agile enough to evolve and adapt with an absolute focus on delivering strategic, high value outcomes for our clients; all within a strong governance-driven ethical framework embedded in our operating structures.
REPRESENTING OUR MISSION STATEMENT
To be the law firm of choice across Australia-
Sharing a vision and a set of core values help us realise our potential - whether it’s delivering on our client insights program or achieving our personal, team and organisational aspirations. As we continue to expand capabilities and services to meet the needs of our clients, attracting and retaining exceptional talent is paramount to continued success.
Career and development opportunities through training and mentoring programs, secondments and community activities are just some of the reasons why people join the firm and why we have so many “lifers” - people who wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
To bring our vision and strategies to life, we need talented lawyers, supported by the right resources and technology in our IT, Internal Legal & Risk, Knowledge Management, Finance, People & Culture, Business Development, Marketing & Communications, and Operations teams too. That's why we keep investing in these areas, because we understand the uplift in efficiencies and relevance for our clients that these investments create.
WHY SPARKE HELMORE LAWYERS
Sparke Helmore’s 2026 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy articulates our vision, guiding principles and strategic priorities, which are designed to help us continue to nurture our culture. Our vision is to create sustainable teams which are equitable, diverse, and inclusive. Our culture will enable innovation and celebrate difference for our people, clients and communities.
Our guiding principles are:
DEI is everyone’s responsibility
We lead with kindness and authenticity
We invest our time in representative consultation
We commit to meaningful and pragmatic actions
You can find more about our strategy, by clicking this link.
Sparke Helmore has a longstanding history of supporting First Nations communities through our pro-bono activities and the Reconciliation Australia endorsed Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) reflects our desire to do more to advance reconciliation in Australia. You can find more out about our RAP by clicking this link.
Through our dedicated Pro Bono Practice, we strive to strengthen the communities in which we operate by providing free legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, as well as eligible not-for-profit and charitable organisations and social enterprises, allowing them to extend on their capacity to make a difference.
Through our Pro Bono Practice we aim to:
provide access to justice to vulnerable people
contribute to a business culture our people are proud of, and
cultivate shared value and collaboration with our clients.
Our pro bono offering and our community partnerships continue to grow, reflecting our ongoing commitment to making access to justice a reality. Over the past year, our firm provided 20,468 hours of pro bono legal assistance, averaging 42.4 hours per full-time equivalent lawyer—our largest result to date.
STUDENT AND GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES
We offer paralegal opportunities to law students at any stage of their studies, including pre‑penultimate students. Unlike traditional clerkships, our approach provides students with a deeper, more hands‑on experience. Students gain meaningful exposure to legal work, client matters, and team collaboration—learning in a way that goes beyond what a short-term clerkship typically provides.
Students can get involved by reaching out directly to the Early Careers team.
Our graduate application process is open to all law students nearing graduation, whether or not they have previously worked with Sparke Helmore. Our graduate roles are permanent, and the program consists of two six-month rotations across different practice groups. They are supported by a 2-day national graduate program and financial assistance, and study leave to complete their PLT.
Our graduate program is designed to support you every step of the way, offering structured guidance, comprehensive training, mentoring, and plenty of opportunities to connect with others across the firm.
You’ll take part in dedicated soft‑skills training to help you build the tools and confidence needed to become a capable, well‑rounded lawyer. This includes areas like time management, business development, and understanding firm finances. From day one, you’ll also be working on high‑quality, complex matters alongside experienced and respected practitioners.
Graduates also have access to the firm’s mentoring program, which pairs you with a senior lawyer from a different practice group. This gives you a broader insight into the firm and exposure to other areas of practice beyond your own team.
We look for graduates who are "All-rounders", who engaged in extra-curricular pursuits as well as their studies, are team players and curious.
Applications for our 2027 Melbourne Graduate Program open Friday, 7 August 2026 and close Sunday, 23 August at 11:59 pm. To read more about our Graduate Program, click this link.
