What KHQ Lawyers does

KHQ Lawyers (legal entity Kelly Hazell Quill Pty Ltd) is an Australian privately-held commercial law firm founded in 2006 and headquartered in Melbourne, with additional offices in Sydney and Adelaide. The firm operates a 'boutique top-tier' model, positioning itself between traditional boutique practices and large full-service firms by combining relationship-driven client service with top-tier technical expertise. It serves two principal segments: leading corporates requiring full-service commercial law representation, and private clients (including high-net-worth individuals and families) seeking personalised legal advice.

The firm's service offering spans 17 practice areas, including Corporate & Commercial, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Family & Relationship Law, Superannuation & Financial Services, Tax & Structuring, Intellectual Property, Workplace Relations & Safety, Commercial Property & Development, Wills & Estates, Construction/Infrastructure/Energy, Competition Law, Data Privacy/Cyber/Digital, Food & Beverage, Insolvency & Restructuring, Private Wealth Law, Technology, and Notary Public. Underlying technology is conventional for the legal sector — standard practice management systems for matter and document handling, plus third-party client-facing integrations with Settify (online intake for family law and estates matters) and QuickFee (payment portal). The firm supplements fee-earning legal services with content and thought-leadership products, including the Super Alert weekly newsletter, the Family Law Roadmap video series, and the KHQ Inner Circle knowledge hub.

KHQ generates revenue through professional service fees — primarily hourly rates and matter-based engagements — billed to corporate and private clients. Go-to-market is sales-led, driven by direct client relationships, referrals, and credibility signals from international ranking directories (Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Doyles Guide, The Best Lawyers). The firm maintains a strategic alliance with DeHeng, a China-based international law firm, to support cross-border matters. It is a bootstrapped, founder/management-owned business with no external investment, parent company, or public listing.

Name

KHQ Lawyers

Legal name

Kelly Hazell Quill Pty Ltd

Website

https://khq.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KHQ Lawyers is a privately-held Australian boutique top-tier law firm, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Melbourne, serving leading corporates and high-net-worth private clients across 17 practice areas from offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Commercial legal services
• Corporate and commercial law
• Litigation and dispute resolution
• Family and relationship law
• Wills and estates planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: KHQ Lawyers generates revenue through professional legal service fees rendered to clients for legal advice, representation, and document preparation across their practice areas including Corporate & Commercial, Litigation, Family Law, Property, Superannuation, Tax, and other commercial law matters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KHQ Lawyers is a boutique top-tier Australian law firm that delivers full-service commercial legal advice and representation across 17 practice areas to leading corporates and high net worth private clients. Core offerings include corporate and commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, litigation and dispute resolution, family and relationship law, superannuation and financial services regulation, wills and estates planning, commercial property and development, intellectual property, tax structuring, employment and workplace relations, and industry-specific advice for the food and beverage sector. Services are delivered through offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide via traditional time-based billing, fixed fees, and matter-based arrangements.

Product overview

KHQ Lawyers is a boutique top-tier Australian law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services across 17 practice areas including Corporate & Commercial, Family & Relationship Law, Superannuation & Financial Services, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Wills & Estates, and more. The firm positions itself as a 'boutique top-tier' firm combining personalized client service with high-level expertise. Their service offering includes legal practice across multiple specialties, supported by content series like the Family Law Roadmap video series, the KHQ Inner Circle knowledge hub, and the Super Alert weekly newsletter providing regulatory updates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Property & Development Legal services covering commercial property transactions, development projects, and property law matters for owners, developers, investors, and other commercial parties.
• Competition Law & Regulatory Compliance Legal services related to competition law, regulatory compliance, and antitrust matters for businesses operating in regulated industries.
• Construction, Infrastructure & Energy Legal services for construction projects, infrastructure development, and energy sector matters including project delivery, contracts, and disputes.
• Corporate & Commercial Corporate and commercial legal services including business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial agreements for companies and businesses.
• Data Privacy, Cyber & Digital Legal services addressing data privacy regulations, cybersecurity issues, and digital law matters for organisations handling personal and digital data.
• Family & Relationship Law Family law services including separation, divorce, parenting arrangements, property settlements, and family violence matters for individuals and families.
• Food & Beverage Legal services for the food and beverage industry covering regulatory compliance, labelling, food safety, and other food-law specific matters.
• Insolvency & Restructuring Legal services for insolvency proceedings, corporate restructuring, and bankruptcy matters for distressed companies, creditors, and stakeholders.
• Intellectual Property Legal services protecting intellectual property rights including copyrights, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets for rights holders.
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution Litigation and dispute resolution services including commercial disputes and class actions for corporate and commercial clients.
• Notary Public Notary public services for authentication and notarisation of documents for individuals and organisations.
• Private Wealth Law Legal services for high net worth individuals including asset protection and wealth management.
• Superannuation & Financial Services Legal services for superannuation funds, financial services regulations, and retirement planning matters for trustees, funds, and financial services entities.
• Tax & Structuring Tax law services including tax structuring, compliance, and dispute resolution for businesses and high net worth individuals.
• Technology Legal services addressing technology law, digital transformation, and tech sector regulations for technology and digital businesses.
• Wills & Estates Wills, estate planning, estate administration, and estate litigation services for individuals, executors, and beneficiaries.
• Workplace Relations & Safety Legal services covering employment law, workplace relations, and workplace health and safety matters for employers and senior executives.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DeHeng (KHQ-DeHeng Strategic Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKHQ has established a strategic alliance with DeHeng, a China-based international law firm network, enabling cross-border legal services and collaboration for clients with interests in both Australian and Chinese markets. This alliance extends KHQ's capability to serve clients with international business interests, particularly in China-related commercial matters.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Corrs Chambers Westgarth: Australian full-service commercial law firm of comparable mid-tier size with offices across Australia's east coast. Most directly comparable peer given similar boutique-to-mid-tier positioning, full-service practice breadth, and Australian-only footprint.
• Piper Alderman: Australian mid-tier commercial law firm with multi-office presence. Direct competitor for mid-market corporate, property, and family law matters; similar in scale and full-service orientation.
• Holding Redlich: Australian full-service commercial firm with multi-state footprint. Strong direct comparator given overlapping practice areas (corporate, property, litigation, workplace) and similar mid-market positioning.
• Lander & Rogers: Australian full-service commercial firm with multi-office presence and similar size to KHQ. Competes for the same enterprise and private client segments across corporate, family, and property law matters.
• Sparke Helmore: Australian mid-tier commercial firm with national footprint. Comparable in scale, full-service offering, and positioning between boutique and top-tier status.

Broad incumbents

• MinterEllison: One of Australia's largest full-service commercial law firms with deeper headcount and broader resources. Comparable in practice breadth (corporate, litigation, family, superannuation) but at significantly larger scale than KHQ.
• Clayton Utz: Top-tier Australian full-service firm with similar practice area coverage (corporate, litigation, property, workplace relations). Overlaps significantly with KHQ's 'boutique top-tier' positioning but operates at substantially greater scale.
• Allens: Premier top-tier Australian firm with international linkages. Competes with KHQ for premium corporate and litigation mandates and represents the 'top-tier' side of KHQ's 'boutique top-tier' positioning.
• King & Wood Mallesons: Asia-Pacific's largest law firm by revenue with extensive cross-border capability. Competes with KHQ for premium corporate mandates and is the type of global firm that KHQ's DeHeng alliance partially offsets for China work.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global law firm with substantial Australian practice and comparable full-service capability. Represents the international network against which KHQ's DeHeng alliance and boutique differentiator compete.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/khq-lawyers
• Instagraminstagram.com/khqlawyers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KHQ Lawyers