What Cornwalls does

Cornwalls is one of Australia's oldest independent law firms, founded in 1891 in Melbourne by Frank Cornwall and Harry Sugden, and historically notable as the first firm to employ Flos Greig, Australia's first female lawyer. The firm operates as a privately held group of limited partnerships with wholly owned subsidiaries covering Queensland, New South Wales, and the EMT Law practice, delivering multidisciplinary commercial legal services across 20+ practice areas including Banking & Finance, Corporate & Commercial, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Technology, Property, Tax, Migration, Asia, Employment, Building & Construction, Maritime, Planning & Environment, Telecommunications, and Canon Law. Service delivery is partner-led from offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, with international reach into Asia (China, India, Vietnam) via multilingual practitioners and into Dubai via a Special Counsel presence.

The firm generates revenue on a professional services model combining time-based billing, fixed-fee arrangements for defined matters, and project-based fees for transactions, supplemented by licensed tax precedent agreements sold to corporate groups and practitioners. Technology consists of standard legal practice management, document management, and CRM platforms, with a dedicated online reporting system for banking and finance clients and digital tax document ordering. The firm's competitive positioning rests on its 1891 heritage, breadth of practice, and affiliations with ALFA International and Andersen Global for cross-border referrals; in 2024 it acquired EMT Law to add an Entertainment, Media, Sports & Technology vertical and entered a partnership with Jadig Finance to offer integrated legal-financial solutions.

Customer mix is concentrated in mid-to-large enterprises and institutional clients, including major Australian banks, listed and unlisted corporates, high-net-worth property developers, infrastructure principals (e.g., Brisbane Airport), and Asian clients seeking Australian market access. Distribution is exclusively direct via office engagement; marketing relies on thought-leadership content, industry awards (Best Lawyers, Doyles Guide, Lawyers Weekly, Australasian Lawyer), and referral pipelines through global networks and the FLOS women-in-law programme.

Name

Cornwalls

Legal name

Cornwalls

Website

https://cornwalls.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cornwalls is one of Australia's oldest independent law firms, founded in 1891, offering multidisciplinary commercial legal services across 20+ practice areas from offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, serving enterprises, financial institutions, and Asian and HNW clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK), Trust & Estate Tax Planning & Compliance (FSAEAKAE)

Keywords

• Commercial legal services
• Corporate law advisory
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Banking and finance law
• Litigation and dispute resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Professional Services: Cornwalls generates revenue through time-based billing for legal services rendered, fixed-fee arrangements for defined matters, and project-based fees for specific transactions. The firm also offers licensed tax precedent agreements for purchase by corporate groups or practitioners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cornwalls is an independent multidisciplinary commercial law firm founded in 1891, providing legal services across 20+ practice areas including Banking & Finance, Corporate & Commercial, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Property, Tax, Migration, Intellectual Property, Employment, and specialized areas such as Canon Law and Maritime. The firm delivers partner-led legal advice and representation to enterprises, financial institutions, government entities, high-net-worth individuals, and international (particularly Asian) clients through offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, supported by global affiliations with ALFA International and Andersen Global.

Product overview

Cornwalls is a multidisciplinary commercial law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services as a single integrated practice. The firm operates across 20 distinct practice areas including Banking & Finance, Corporate & Commercial, Litigation, Technology, Property, Tax, and Migration, serving domestic and international clients from offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Core offerings are organized around major legal disciplines (Banking, Corporate, Litigation, Property, Tax, etc.), supplemented by specialized products such as Tax Documents (precedent agreements available for purchase licence) and the FLOS Program (women in law initiative). The firm also maintains a global network affiliation with Andersen Global and ALFA International, and operates an external Innovation Lab.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FLOS: Women in law program honoring Flos Greig, the first woman admitted to practice law in Australia. Includes sponsorship of Flos Greig Public Lectures at University of Melbourne and Flos Greig Trailblazer Award at Women in Law Awards.
• Young Business People

Products and services

• Banking & Finance Legal Services
• Corporate & Commercial Legal Services
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution Services
• Technology Legal Services
• Entertainment, Media, Sports & Technology (EMT) Legal Services
• Fintech, Privacy & Emerging Technologies Legal Services
• Intellectual Property Legal Services
• Building & Construction Legal Services
• Property Legal Services
• Tax Legal Services
• Migration Legal Services
• Asia Practice Legal Services
• Restructuring, Turnaround & Insolvency Legal Services
• Maritime Legal Services
• Employment, Workplace Relations & Safety Legal Services
• Canon Law Services
• Planning & Environment Legal Services
• Telecommunications Legal Services
• Transport & Logistics Legal Services
• Wills & Estates Services
• Tax Documents (Precedent Agreements)

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognised across multiple tiers and practice areas in Best Law Firms to Work in Australia 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Jadig FinanceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Strategic partnership built from the ground up with Jadig Finance to provide integrated financial and legal services solutions.
• EMT LawminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EMT Law joined Cornwalls in July 2024, expanding the firm's Entertainment, Media, Sports and Technology practice area capabilities.
• ALFA InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal legal network membership providing Cornwalls with access to member law firms across the United States, Europe, Asia, and other regions. Enables cross-border legal referrals and coordinated international client service.
• Andersen GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBy formal agreement, Cornwalls makes periodic referrals for professional accounting, tax consulting, and/or legal services to member firms of Andersen Global. Provides access to global tax and accounting capabilities for clients.
• Cornwalls CapitalminorOthersInternal network entity associated with the firm, part of the Cornwalls global networks offering.
• Young Business PeopleminorOthersFirm initiative network embracing youth entrepreneurship and business development within the Cornwalls ecosystem.
• Asian Australian Lawyers AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCornwalls is a proud sponsor of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association, which embraces diversity within the legal industry and encourages building close relationships between Asian and Australian economies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ashurst: Global law firm with significant Australian practice across corporate, banking, projects and disputes. Direct peer in Australian commercial legal market.
• Allens: Major Australian commercial law firm with full-service corporate, banking, M&A and dispute resolution practices. Direct peer given overlapping full-service commercial model and shared domestic client base with Cornwalls.
• Lander & Rogers: Mid-tier Australian commercial law firm with similar full-service multidisciplinary profile. Direct peer competing for similar mid-market corporate and commercial mandates.
• Maddocks: Australian commercial law firm with comparable mid-tier positioning, strong corporate, government, property and TMT practices. Direct peer for similar mid-cap commercial work.
• Clayton Utz: Leading Australian commercial law firm with strong banking, corporate and disputes practices. Direct peer for mid-to-large cap Australian commercial work.
• King & Wood Mallesons: Largest Australian-headquartered law firm with deep corporate, M&A, banking and finance capabilities. Direct peer and competitor for premium Australian commercial mandates, particularly cross-border.
• Herbert Smith Freehills: Global law firm with substantial Australian practice covering corporate, banking, disputes and regulatory work. Direct peer for large and complex Australian commercial matters.
• Thomson Geer: Australian commercial law firm with full-service practice and similar independent, partner-led operating model. Direct peer competing for mid-market corporate, banking and disputes work.
• HWL Ebsworth: Largest Australian-owned law firm by headcount, offering full-service commercial, government and litigation capabilities. Direct peer with overlapping client base in mid-market commercial mandates.
• Gilbert + Tobin: Australian commercial law firm renowned for M&A, technology, energy and financial services work. Direct peer for high-end Australian corporate transactions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cornwallslaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/thelastgreatfirst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornwalls-law
• Instagraminstagram.com/antarctica2023

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Cornwalls