Amanda Harrington, the Melbourne commercial and insolvency lawyer who founded Pivotal Law Group, has been named to the 2026 Elite Women list published by Australasian Lawyer and NZ Lawyer.[1][4] Her firm announced the recognition on October 22, drawing attention to both her litigation practice and the working arrangements she has introduced at her own firm.[1]
Harrington is among 105 women recognized in the publishers' sixth annual list, which considers professional achievements and contributions to the legal industry.[1][4] The publishers' report profiles her approach to shared staff rewards, flexible work and mentoring alongside her experience representing creditors in insolvency matters.[4]
From commercial practice to firm ownership
Harrington is principal of Pivotal Law Group in Collingwood, Melbourne, and a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Specialist in Commercial Law.[1][4] Her professional biography confirms that she was admitted to practice after completing a Master of Laws at Monash University and obtained her specialist accreditation in 2021.[6]
According to the firm's announcement, she was admitted in Victoria in 2015 and became a partner at Scanlan Carroll Lawyers in 2020, having joined that firm after university.[1] She launched Pivotal Law Group in August 2025 after five years in partnership.[1][4]
Her work includes commercial disputes and insolvency litigation, with experience in matters reaching the Full Federal Court and High Court.[6] Her firm biography also records her 2022 Insolvency Partner of the Year award and membership in the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, INSOL International and the Law Institute of Victoria.[6]
The Elite Women report describes a practice focused on creditors and the recovery of money following business failures.[4] It also examines the decisions Harrington has made about pricing, working arrangements and staff rewards since opening Pivotal.[4]
Sharing rewards without requiring ownership
Pivotal uses partially fixed pricing and retainers, together with hybrid working arrangements, according to the publishers' report.[4] The pricing approach is intended to help clients budget for legal work and seek advice before problems become more difficult.[4]
The report also describes a staff incentive arrangement that mirrors the economic value of equity without transferring ownership.[4] It is open to all staff and ties rewards to the firm's collective success rather than individual billing targets.[4] Harrington told the publishers that the arrangement offers participation to people who do not want the financial cost or responsibilities of conventional ownership.[4]
Those distinctions matter when describing the model. A share in the firm's financial performance is not the same as a partnership interest, and the report does not suggest that every employee becomes an owner.[4] The practical focus is on how a firm distributes rewards and gives staff a reason to contribute to its overall performance.[4]
Even the firm's name reflects Harrington's plans for colleagues to have a visible place in the business.[4] "The firm doesn't have my name as I'm planning to bring on partners," she told the publishers, adding that she wanted the team to share the spotlight.[4]
Mentorship alongside legal work
Harrington's work with junior lawyers is another part of the record described in the Elite Women report.[4] At her previous firm, she trained at least 12 junior lawyers and students, 11 of them women; the report says all subsequently qualified and two became partners there.[4] It also describes her continued mentoring of former colleagues.[4]
Her professional biography identifies work beyond individual client matters, including submissions to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services' inquiry into corporate insolvency in Australia.[6] It says she consults with members of Parliament about litigation practices, proportionality of costs and possible legislative responses.[6]
For readers interested in women's careers in law, the useful detail here is the connection between professional advancement and the day-to-day choices a firm leader can make. Harrington's reported approach addresses who receives mentoring, how staff participate in financial rewards and how working arrangements are structured.[4] Those are concrete subjects for discussion within other legal workplaces, without assuming that one firm's model will suit every practice.
The publishers selected the 2026 list after inviting nominations in June and reviewing nominees' achievements and initiatives over the preceding 12 months.[1][4] Harrington's inclusion recognizes a lawyer combining an established commercial practice with the responsibilities of building and leading her own firm.[1][4]
Explore more appointments, professional recognition and public-service achievements in the Influential Women in Law™ journal.
Sources
[1] https://einpresswire.com/article/951379446/amanda-harrington-named-australasian-lawyer-and-nz-lawyer-elite-woman-2026 — Pivotal Law Group announcement distributed by EIN Presswire, October 22, 2026 [4] https://www.thelawyermag.com/au/best-in-law/top-female-lawyers-in-australia-and-new-zealand-elite-women/552250 — Australasian Lawyer and NZ Lawyer: Elite Women 2026 report [6] https://pivotallawgroup.com.au/amanda-harrington — Pivotal Law Group: Amanda Harrington professional biography