Best Lawyers® is proud to announce the release of its 2026 awards across Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore. These new recognitions highlight the strength of the global Best Lawyers network, a community built on mutual respect and professional trust that spans jurisdictions and legal systems worldwide.
These accolades continue to reflect the value of peer review in identifying the top legal talent in each jurisdiction. As part of a growing international network, this year’s awards in the Asia-Pacific region highlight not only individual excellence but also shared developments influencing practice areas, policy and engagement across the legal communities of each country.
About the Best Lawyers Research Process
At the core of Best Lawyers is our unique methodology: a rigorous, multiphase peer-review process that ensures lawyers are recognized for their excellence by those best positioned to evaluate them, their professional peers.
Through this research-driven Purely Peer Review® process, we collect confidential evaluations on legal talent across defined geographic and practice-area boundaries. Each eligible candidate is reviewed for the quality of their legal work, integrity and overall reputation in the legal community.
Lawyers who consistently earn the respect of their peers are included in the awards, with the "Lawyer of the Year" honor given to the individual with the highest overall peer feedback in each location and specialty.
Highlights From the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia™
Now in its 18th edition, The Best Lawyers in Australia features 4,586 lawyers recognized for their outstanding professional abilities, representing the top 5% of the legal profession nationwide. Among those selected, 314 are first-time awardees, an increase supported by growth in the industry compared to the previous year’s total.
In addition, 329 earned "Lawyer of the Year" distinctions—an acknowledgment reserved for those who received the highest overall peer feedback in a specific practice area and geographic region.
Now in its fourth edition, The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Australia™ awards continue to gain momentum as a respected measure of emerging legal talent. This year, 799 early-career professionals were selected, reflecting strong performance and reputation across a wide range of firms and specialties.
As for geographic distribution, Sydney (1,953 honorees), Melbourne (1,514) and Brisbane (920) continue to serve as the country’s primary legal hubs, followed by Adelaide and Perth.
Australia: Growth in Litigation and Environmental Legal Action
When it comes to practice areas, analysis of previous Best Lawyers editions shows a clear pattern: Litigation, Insurance Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Corporate Law have consistently led the Australia awards over the past five years, demonstrating their sustained importance in the national legal market.
The latest results also reflect a broader shift in the types of disputes moving through Australian courts. While class actions and data privacy claims remain prevalent, there is growing legal attention to environmental and climate-related matters.
Notable developments include a 2024 High Court decision that opened the door to legal action against the Director of National Parks for the mishandling of sacred Aboriginal sites, as well as an ongoing class action that challenges government responsibility for the impact of climate change on the Torres Strait Islands.
These cases point to rising demand for legal expertise at the intersection of environmental law, Indigenous rights and public accountability.
There has also been increased momentum in public interest litigation, often driven by nonprofit groups and environmental coalitions. In response, more firms are establishing or expanding practice groups focused on environmental and climate law.
Record-Breaking Engagement in Australia
With more than 3.1 million evaluations submitted in Australia to date, the Best Lawyers awards continue to serve as a trusted reflection of peer judgment and legal reputation. This year’s results mark the highest level of voting on record, with a 60.03% participation rate, further reinforcing the credibility and significance of this recognition in Australia’s legal profession.
To explore who was recognized in this year’s awards, visit our Find a Lawyer in Australia page.
Findings From the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in Japan™
The 16th edition of The Best Lawyers in Japan continues to reflect the depth and specialization of legal talent across the country’s leading markets. A total of 1,663 lawyers were recognized for professional excellence. Together, these professionals represent the top 4% of the legal community in Japan. Among them, 46 also received the “Lawyer of the Year” distinction, signifying the highest peer feedback.
The fourth edition of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Japan™ also spotlighted 417 early-career lawyers whose names emerged through consistent support from peers. This recognition plays an increasingly visible role in spotlighting next-generation legal professionals.
Geographic concentration continues to shape the composition of honorees across Japan. Tokyo stands out as the primary hub of legal activity, with 1,492 awardees. Osaka, the country’s second-largest legal market, follows with 171 included lawyers.
Japan: Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Momentum and Shareholder Engagement
The leading practice areas in Japan in 2026 are set to be Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Litigation, Intellectual Property Law, Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Governance and Compliance. This emphasis mirrors national shifts in business policy.
In 2023, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry issued updated M&A guidelines that emphasized transparency, shareholder value and alignment with global norms. These new standards replaced the 2005 framework and have coincided with a significant uptick in M&A volume.
According to Bain & Company, M&A activity in Japan rose by 23% in 2023. Reuters further reports that inbound M&A deals in the first nine months of 2024 reached a record high. While final figures for the full year have not yet been released, available indicators suggest the upward trajectory has continued into late 2024 and early 2025.
Shareholder activism has also intensified. Japanese investors are increasingly willing to challenge board decisions, seek increased dividends or push for structural changes.
In response, legal departments are strengthening their internal compliance systems, while law firms report increased demand for both deal structuring and post-acquisition litigation. There is also greater emphasis on board independence, disclosure obligations and sustainability reporting.
Participation Trends in Japan
The 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in Japan awards is the result of more than 330,000 total evaluations submitted through the peer-review process. Voter participation grew by 14.5% compared to last year, reflecting broader engagement from the legal community.
Discover all the honored lawyers by visiting our Find a Lawyer in Japan page.
Key Data Points From the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in New Zealand™
With more than 62,000 total historical peer evaluations submitted—and a 4.9% increase in participation compared to 2025— the 17th edition of The Best Lawyers in New Zealand reflects the strongest engagement yet in the program’s history. A total of 659 lawyers were awarded this year, with 59 of those also named "Lawyer of the Year" for exceptional feedback from their peers.
New Zealand’s legal community continues to concentrate around its three leading metros: Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
New Zealand: Tech Disputes and Evolving Liability Standards
Practice areas with the most featured lawyers in 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in New Zealand include Litigation, Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Law, Labor and Employment Law and Banking and Finance Law.
Peer feedback suggests a growing need for legal guidance around IT infrastructure failures, cybersecurity incidents and digital service disputes. A rising number of cases cite the Fair Trading Act 1986, allowing claimants to seek remedies outside contract limitations through consumer protection frameworks.
Cross-border data privacy and jurisdictional issues involving international service providers are also shaping how courts define liability and regulatory scope. These developments indicate that New Zealand’s legal system is steadily adapting to the complexities of a technology-driven business environment.
Learn who the top 4.5% of New Zealand’s legal professionals are in this year’s peer-selected honors by visiting our Find a Lawyer in New Zealand page.
Insights From the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in Singapore™
Singapore’s strength as a hub for cross-border legal work is once again reflected in The Best Lawyers in Singapore. This year, in its 17th edition, the awards recognize 642 lawyers across 49 practice areas, comprising the top 10% of the country’s legal profession.
Best Lawyers also identified 25 recipients for the "Lawyer of the Year" designation, based on the highest overall number of votes received from peers in each practice area and jurisdiction.
Singapore: Arbitration and Global Commercial Leadership
The prominence of Arbitration and Mediation, Litigation, Corporate Law, Shipping and Maritime Law and Mergers and Acquisitions in this year’s accolades reflects the breadth of Singapore’s legal influence across global commerce, maritime industries and cross-border dispute resolution.
Recent developments at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) have helped reinforce the country’s global reputation. In late 2024, SIAC introduced its first major update since 2016, launching the 7th edition of its arbitration rules.
These revisions aim to streamline case handling and improve clarity for all parties involved. Key changes include a new Streamlined Procedure for disputes under S$1 million and a Timeline for Awards Rule that requires tribunals to submit draft decisions within 90 days after the final submission.
Singapore is consistently ranked among the top two seats for international arbitration globally, alongside London. Its legal infrastructure, neutrality and multilingual capacity make it attractive to corporations and institutions across Asia and beyond.
Singapore’s government and judiciary continue to support its status as a neutral venue and many multinational companies designate it as the default location for resolving international commercial disputes.
International Reputation Confirmed by the Legal Community
With nearly 60,000 peer evaluations submitted, it’s clear that The Best Lawyers in Singapore™ awards hold a meaningful place in the country’s legal space. Trust what the legal community trusts, see who earned the Best Lawyers recognition in the 2026 edition by visiting our Find a Lawyer in Singapore page.
Celebrating Legal Excellence Across Borders
Since its founding in 1981, Best Lawyers has built a global network grounded in professional achievement and shared standards of excellence. This year’s awards across Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore continue that tradition, offering insight into the individuals and firms driving legal progress across the Asia-Pacific region.
As the legal profession adapts to evolving regulatory and commercial demands, the Best Lawyers network remains a trusted source for identifying top talent and fostering meaningful professional connections.
To explore honorees in each region, visit our Find a Lawyer page.
