The Commonwealth Government through its various agencies spent more than half a billion dollars on legal advice in the 2011/12 financial year.

The total legal services expenditure of Financial Management and Accountability Act 1999 agencies (FMA agencies) was A$649.05 million, which was 8.4 percent higher than the previous year. Of that A$339.5 million was spent on external legal services, which represents an increase of approximately A$15.3 million or 4.7 percent, while internal legal services expenditure increased by approximately 12.7 percent from the previous reporting period.

The total expenditure of Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 agencies (CAC agencies) was A$72.7 million, which is a decrease of 6.4 percent from the previous financial year. CAC agencies spent  A$31.4 million on external legal services and A$41.3 million on internal legal services. External legal services expenditure decreased by approximately 10.9 percent and internal legal services expenditure increased by approximately 12.2 percent from the previous reporting period.

The two agencies paid a total of A$279.7 million in professional fees to legal services providers, with the top 10 firms receiving approximately 85 percent of that total. The Australian Government Solicitor received 39 percent of professional fees, which represents a fall of one percentage point on the previous financial year. Clayton Utz was the next most used provider, accounting for 13 percent which is the same as the previous financial year. DLA Piper increased its share from seven to eight percent followed by Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson) which remained on seven percent.

A total of 253 legal services providers were identified in agency reports as providing legal services to the Commonwealth.

 

Firm

Percentage  of professional fees earned 2011-12

Percentage  of professional

fees earned 2010–11

 AGS

39

40

Clayton Utz

13

13

DLA

8

7

Ashurst (formely) Blake Dawson

7

7

Minter Ellison

6

4

Sparke Helmore

5

3

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

4

                      6

King & Wood Mallesons

2

3

Norton Rose

2

3

Maddocks

2

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