AUSTRALIAN CORPORATE LAWYER AWARDS 2026
Recognising leadership, excellence in legal services and the contribution made by in-house lawyers
Finalists Announced!
Winners will be crowned Thursday, 12 November 2026
The 2026 Australian Corporate Lawyer Awards recognise leadership, excellence in the provision of legal services and the contribution made by in-house lawyers whether in government, NFP or corporate legal departments.
Finalists will be announced in a range of categories, covering various sectors and experience levels. The awards highlight the importance, and reward the dedication, of in-house lawyers in their role as leaders, ethical guardians, legal advisors, and innovation partners in organisations across Australia.
The winners will be recognised among their peers at the glamorous Australian Corporate Lawyer Awards Ceremony and dinner at the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney on Thursday, 12 November 2026.
Award Categories
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General Counsel of the Year
Awarded to the General Counsel who has shown highest excellence beyond the expectations of their role and demonstrated added value to their organisation.
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In-house Lawyer of the Year
Awarded to the in-house lawyer who has shown highest excellence beyond the expectations of their role and demonstrated added value to their organisation.
Sole Legal Officer of the Year
Awarded to the sole in-house lawyer who has shown highest excellence beyond the expectations of their role and demonstrated added value to their organisation.
New-to-In-house Lawyer of the Year
Awarded to the in-house lawyer who has demonstrated highest aptitude and achievement beyond the expectations of their role during their transition into an in-house legal career.
For-Purpose Lawyer of the Year
Awarded to an in-house lawyer working within a purpose-led organisation who has demonstrated outstanding excellence in delivering legal services, leadership, and meaningful impact in advancing their organisation’s mission.
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Culture & Impact Award
Awarded to an in-house lawyer or in-house legal team that has made a significant positive impact on their organisation through leadership, culture, collaboration, inclusion, responsible business practices, or broader people-focused initiatives.
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Small Legal Team of the Year
Awarded to the small in-house legal team showing highest level of excellence, being recognised for effectiveness, integration with senior management, management of legal and commercial objectives and people development.
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Large Legal Team of the Year
Awarded to the large in-house legal team showing highest level of excellence, being recognised for effectiveness, integration with senior management, management of legal and commercial objectives and people development.
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Risk & Governance Excellence Award
Awarded to an in-house lawyer or legal team demonstrating outstanding excellence in managing legal risk, compliance, and governance within their organisation, including through the integration of legal and non-legal functions.
Mentoring Excellence Award
Awarded to a mentoring pair who have demonstrated outstanding commitment, collaboration, and impact through their participation in the ACC Mentor Match Program.
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Legal Innovation & Operations Excellence Award
Awarded to an individual or team who has introduced and embedded innovative approaches to legal service delivery within an in-house legal function. This may include advancements in legal operations, process optimisation, technology (including emerging technologies), or ways of working that have improved efficiency, effectiveness, and business outcomes.
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More Than a Lawyer Award
Awarded to an in-house lawyer who has taken on significant responsibilities beyond traditional legal duties as part of their role, contributing to their organisation in areas outside the legal function and demonstrating the breadth of impact in-house lawyers can have.
This award recognises the “multi-hat” in-house lawyer and is distinct from awards focused on excellence in legal practice alone.
Your Guide
The following information is a guide on how to nominate in the 2026 Australian Corporate Lawyers Awards, and the stages your nomination will proceed through.
Do you have further questions? Please contact us.
Who can nominate?
Anyone can be nominated in a category for which they are eligible. You do not have to be an ACC member to be nominated. You can self-nominate or nominate another party. This means all persons with legal qualifications who are employed by corporate, government or semi-government bodies, including statutory corporations in Australia, can be nominated.
Award judges and their organisations are not eligible for nomination. Members of the ACC Australia Board of Directors and Divisional Committee office holders are not eligible for individual awards, but they may be members of an award-winning team.
How to nominate
Please use the online nomination portal to make your nomination
You will be asked to provide a brief bio and photo (or company logo in the case of a team nomination) in your nomination. The photo/logo will be used, if required, for marketing purposes should your nomination be shortlisted. You will also be required to include contact details for the nominator and the nominee.
In additional the this, you will be asked to provide the following information:
Required - You will be asked to respond to all four award criteria as set out in the description of the award category. Responses should be no more than 200 words per criteria.
Optional - You have the opportunity to include supporting materials in your nomination; these can include:
- Your curriculum vitae
- References / testimonials
- Case studies
- Survey results / Evaluation reports
- Relevant video or audio footage - via YouTube link
Your submission should be no more than TEN pages in total PDF (1 PDF) or TEN minutes MP3 or MP4 viewing / listening time (1 link).
Who judges the nominations?
Each category has its own dedicated judging panel. Panels will be comprised of a minimum of three judges. Judging panels will be approved by the ACC Australia Awards Committee and Board of Directors.
Judges will excuse themselves in the case of any nominations presenting a perceived conflict of interest, and a new judge will be appointed.
What happens to nominations?
Upon the close-off date for nominations:
- The online application portal will close and nominations will be forwarded to all judges in each category.
- Judges will use a standardised template to assess nominations, with each nomination receiving a score out of 100.
- The top three scoring nominations will be deemed “finalists”.
- In the case of a 3rd/4th tie, the judging panel on that category will confer to select three clear finalists. If three clear finalists cannot be agreed, the judging panel will have the discretion to name four finalists.
- All finalists will be announced on Thursday 17 September 2026.
- Only the Awards Administrator and Marketing team will be aware of the winners in each category.
Announcement of Winners
Winners will be announced at the 2026 Australian Corporate Lawyer Awards Ceremony and Dinner, held as part of the ACC Australia In-house Legal National Conference, on Thursday 12 November 2026 at the Wentworth Ballroom, Sofitel Wentworth Sydney.
Rights and Expectations of Winners
All winners, are expected to participate in a future judging panel in the category they were awarded.
