Gilbert + Tobin

Gilbert + Tobin is a commercial law firm in Australia with more than 115 partners and 1,000 employees working across its Sydney, Melbourne and Perth offices.^[1] The firm specialises in transactions, disputes and regulation.^[2]

Gilbert + Tobin

Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Offices	Sydney Melbourne Perth
No. of attorneys	500+ lawyers
No. of employees	1000+ employees
Major practice areas	Artificial Intelligence, Banking and Finance, Corporate Advisory, Competition Consumer and Market Regulation, Climate Change and Sustainability, Disputes and Investigations, Intellectual Property, Pro Bono, Real Estate, and Technology and Digital.
Key people	Danny Gilbert (Chairman), Sam Nickless (CEO), Tim Gordon (Executive Partner).
Date founded	1988
Company type	Partnership
Website	www.gtlaw.com.au

History

The firm has grown significantly since its founding in 1988 to become a top tier law firm in Australia.

In 1996, G+T was the first firm in Australia to appoint a full-time in-house pro bono lawyer. In 2025, the pro bono team includes two partners and four lawyers who are solely dedicated to pro bono matters.

In 2001, the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law was founded at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. It functions as a research centre specialising in constitutional and administrative law, Indigenous legal issues and human rights.

In 2022, Danny Gilbert stepped down from Managing Partner ^[3] after 33 years. Sam Nickless became Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Partner, Tim Gordon became Chief Executive Partner.^[4] Danny remains with the firm and focuses on partner engagement, culture and future strategy.

In 2023, Gilbert + Tobin advocated for the voice referendum to alter the Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia and establish a Voice to Parliament.^[5][6] Danny Gilbert was co-chair of Yes23 and is currently Co-Chair and Director of Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Ltd.

Awards and recognition

• Best Law and Relates Services firm (200m+ revenue) in the Beaton Client Choice Awards for 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2020.
• Most Innovative Law Firm in Asia-Pacific at the 2024 and 2025 FT Innovative Lawyers Awards.
• Financial Times Innovative Lawyers 20-Year Global Summit: Top 20 Innovative Global Law Firm. Danny Gilbert was named among the Top 20 Law Firm Leaders globally and Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, Caryn Sandler, was recognised as a Top 20 Intrapreneur.

Ranked Band 1 in 11 Chambers Asia-Pacific areas of law 2025 including: Climate Change, Banking & Finance: Acquisition Finance, Banking & Finance: Corporate Finance, Capital Markets: Equity, Charities, Competition/Antitrust, Corporate/M&A, Intellectual Property, Private Equity, TMT: IT & Telecommunications and Fintech Legal.

Other awards include:

• Private Equity Legal Adviser of the Year in conjunction with AVCJ at the MergerMarket M&A awards in 2024 and 2023.

• Transactions and Advisory Law Firm of the Year and Impact Case of the Year at the Managing IP Asia-Pacific Awards 2024.

• Law Firm of the Year for Information Technology Law and Private Equity Law at Best Lawyers 2024.