Major Australian law firm Thomsons has taken a significant step up in its commitment to pro bono services, delivering a record number of hours for the firm in FY26, more than triple the previous year.
Thomsons undertook more than 22,260 hours of pro bono work for charities, not-for-profits and other worthy causes in FY26, equivalent to 39.6 hours per full-time employee. The result is a jump of 220% from the 6,946 hours recorded in FY25, equivalent to 18 hours per full time employee representing a 120% increase in pro bono hours per full-time employee.
The FY26 results exceed the Australian Pro Bono Centre's (APBC) national target of at least 35 hours a year per lawyer.
Chief Executive Partner Adrian Tembel said: "With what has already been a major year of growth for the firm, we are delighted to see the progress translate to our pro bono efforts."
Thomsons achieved its pro bono hours record by introducing a new program that drove a greater focus on achieving the APBC target.
The program included making pro bono work a requirement for all lawyers firmwide; adding a pro bono rotation to the firm's graduate program; and increasing investment in staff training to enhance skills in identifying, approaching and servicing the sector.
Impact examples across the sector:
- Thomsons advised the Digital Resilience Project on volunteer health and safety risks, personal injury, insurance and terms of service, while helping the organisation manage client expectations around the limits of its cyber remediation services. The newly established charity supports victim-survivors of technology-facilitated abuse, domestic violence, coercive control and related harm.
- Thomsons assisted youth health and wellbeing charity The Reach Foundation on its merger with The Youth Impact Foundation, coordinating and managing key aspects of the transaction including change of control and governance requirements, and supporting The Reach Foundation at every stage of the process to help facilitate a smooth and successful merger.
- Thomsons provided pro bono support to the Australian arm of Breakthrough T1D, a global organisation supporting research into type 1 diabetes and advocating for people with the condition.
Thomsons has been a signatory to the APBC's national pro bono hours target since 2018.