Mahlab
Mahlab is an Australian specialist legal executive search and recruitment firm founded in 1968, privately owned by its managing directors, and operating from Sydney and Melbourne. It places lawyers from associate to General Counsel and Partner level across corporates, law firms, government, and not-for-profits across Australia and New Zealand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Mahlab does
Mahlab is an Australian specialist legal executive search and recruitment firm founded in 1968 by Eve Mahlab AO and today privately owned by Managing Directors Lisa Gazis (NSW) and Katherine Sampson (VIC). The firm operates from offices in Sydney and Melbourne and places lawyers at all levels across private practice, ASX-listed corporates, government, not-for-profits, and financial institutions, with activity also covering New Zealand and select international mandates.
The firm's core offerings are Executive Search (for senior roles such as General Counsel, Partner, and Company Secretary), Position Search (a curated legal job board with advertised and unadvertised opportunities plus candidate job alerts), and Market Insights (including the annual Mahlab Report, salary benchmarking across Corporate, Government, NFP, and Private Practice sectors, and market advisory content). The model is relationship-led: every consultant is a qualified lawyer, the firm does not operate a proprietary technology platform, and differentiation rests on 50+ years of accumulated networks, brand trust, and domain credibility rather than software or automation.
Revenue is generated on a professional-services basis through placement fees (typically retained or contingency, percentage of first-year compensation, as is standard in executive search), with secondary recurring touchpoints via the gated Mahlab Report and salary publications. The go-to-market is direct, senior-consultant-led engagement supported by content marketing, LinkedIn presence, and referrals, targeting employers with senior legal hiring needs and candidates seeking career-defining roles.
Mahlab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mahlab
- Legal name
- Mahlab Recruitment
- Website
- https://mahlab.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mahlab is an Australian specialist legal executive search and recruitment firm founded in 1968, privately owned by its managing directors, and operating from Sydney and Melbourne. It places lawyers from associate to General Counsel and Partner level across corporates, law firms, government, and not-for-profits across Australia and New Zealand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mahlab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
Keywords
Where Mahlab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mahlab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Executive Search & Recruitment Services: Mahlab generates revenue through recruitment and executive search services for legal professionals. They place lawyers at all levels from associate through to partner in private practice, and general counsel through to legal counsel in corporate roles. Revenue is generated through successful placements, likely on a retained or contingency fee basis typical of executive search firms.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Mahlab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mahlab is a specialist legal executive search and recruitment firm that places lawyers at all levels—from associates to partners in private practice, and from legal counsel through to General Counsel in corporate roles—across Australia. The firm conducts retained executive search for senior positions (General Counsel, Partner, Company Secretary) and broader position search for lawyers seeking career-defining legal roles, with all consultants being qualified lawyers who combine deep domain expertise with 50+ years of curated professional networks.
Product overview
Mahlab operates as a specialist legal executive search and recruitment consultancy offering three interconnected services: Executive Search for senior legal positions, Position Search for premier legal job placements, and Market Insights including The Mahlab Report and salary benchmarking tools. The company focuses exclusively on placing lawyers in corporations, law firms, government, and non-profit organizations across Australia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Specialised retained recruitment service helping lawyers secure senior positions including General Counsel, Company Secretary, Partner, and other executive legal roles through tailored career guidance, advocacy, and confidential search. Targets senior legal professionals and the corporations, law firms, government agencies, and not-for-profits seeking to hire them.
- Position Search Premier legal job board and placement service connecting top lawyers with career-defining legal roles across corporations, law firms, non-profits, and government agencies. Includes advertised positions plus access to unadvertised opportunities not published on job boards, with filtering by location, category, and experience level.
Companies that use Mahlab
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Mahlab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Mahlab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Stevens & Associates LawyersminorMahlab partnered with Stevens & Associates Lawyers, an award-winning boutique employment law firm in Sydney, to recruit a Senior Associate for their team. This is a client engagement rather than a formal partnership.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mahlab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Legal, Risk, Compliance and Government Affairs practice that places General Counsel and senior legal leaders. Overlaps with Mahlab on top-end Australian and APAC mandates.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Legal, Risk, Compliance & Government Affairs practice placing General Counsel, Partners, and Chief Compliance Officers. Directly competes with Mahlab for senior legal executive mandates across Australia and globally.
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting and executive search firm with a Legal Search practice serving corporate clients and law firms. Competes with Mahlab on cross-border senior legal mandates.
- Robert Walters: International specialist recruiter with a dedicated Legal & Compliance division operating across Australia and the UK. Competes with Mahlab on mid-to-senior legal placement mandates in Sydney and Melbourne.
- Egon Zehnder: Global leadership advisory and executive search firm competing for senior legal appointments including GC and Partner searches, with established Asia-Pacific presence covering the same enterprise clients Mahlab serves.
- Michael Page Legal: Global recruitment firm with a Legal division placing in-house and private practice lawyers across Australian markets. Direct competitor for mid-market legal mandates where Mahlab's Position Search service operates.
- Hays Legal: Global recruitment specialist with a dedicated Hays Legal practice placing lawyers across associate to senior counsel roles in Australia. Overlaps with Mahlab on position-search mandates but typically less specialized at the GC/Partner level.
Regional players
- Charterhouse Legal: Australian legal recruitment specialist competing in Sydney and Melbourne for in-house and private practice law firm placements across mid-to-senior associate level. Closest niche-comparable on geography and legal specialism.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mahlab social profiles
Digital presenceMahlab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mahlab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Mahlab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mahlab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mahlab
What does Mahlab do?
Mahlab is a specialist legal executive search and recruitment firm that places lawyers at all levels—from associates to partners in private practice, and from legal counsel through to General Counsel in corporate roles—across Australia. The firm conducts retained executive search for senior positions (General Counsel, Partner, Company Secretary) and broader position search for lawyers seeking career-defining legal roles, with all consultants being qualified lawyers who combine deep domain expertise with 50+ years of curated professional networks.
Is Mahlab a public or private company?
Mahlab is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mahlab founded?
Mahlab was founded in 1968. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mahlab based?
Mahlab is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Mahlab make money?
One revenue line is on record: executive Search & Recruitment Services.
Who are Mahlab's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry, Robert Walters, Egon Zehnder, Michael Page Legal and Hays Legal. Charterhouse Legal is listed as a regional player.
Does Mahlab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mahlab.
What industry is Mahlab in?
Mahlab's product category is Legal Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAB, Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops), with a secondary code of BPACAAAK, Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.