Combined partner count across five of the largest firms in Australia has shrunk by 134 (14%) over the last five years according to figures obtained by Legal Week, demonstrating the impact of domestic economic uncertainty and increased competition from international firms.

The figures also show that between 2009 and 2014 the total non-partner lawyer count across Clayton Utz, Allens, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Ashurst Australia and King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) shrank by 20%.

As of 1 September, there were 824 partners and 3,331 lawyers working across the firms, compared with 958 partners and 4,167 lawyers on the same date in 2009. In partner terms the reduction equates to a firm the size of Slaughter and May, which has 120 partners across its four offices in London, Brussels, Hong Kong and Beijing.

Minter Ellison – the remaining big six firm in Australia – declined to provide figures.

Commenting on the overall trend, one Sydney corporate partner says: "In 2009 we're talking about firms that were bigger in their home market than UK firms in London or US outfits in New York. A lot of firms had five offices in Australia and they dominated the marketplace. Times have changed – we're at the tail-end of the boom. Firms have outgrown the market. The result has been the bigger firms downsizing at partner level, and we've also seen leverage downsizing – so previously you may have had six associates to one partner: that's down now probably to three to one."

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Given the reduction in overall partner count equity partner numbers have inevitably taken a hit. Ashurst in Australia – formed through a 2010 merger agreement between UK firm Ashurst and legacy Australian firm Blake Dawson, culminating in a full financial merger last year – has seen the biggest drop, with 113 lawyers sharing profits compared with 164 in September 2009.

Clayton Utz and KWM each have 27 fewer equity partners than they did five years ago, while Allens has seen a reduction of 36 equity partners. HSF declined to give numbers.

Ashurst's managing partner in Australia, John Carrington, says the decision to "change the size and shape of the partnership" was made in 2010, before the merger took place, because of increased competition in the domestic market, rather than in response to direction from London. "It was before we even commenced discussions with Ashurst about a merger," he explains. "At that time we were essentially an equity-based partnership.

"We opened up the circumstances in which we would make people fixed-income partners and it was for two reasons: one was to make it easier for people to come into the partnership, and the other was to make it easier to retain people who were nearing the end of their legal career who wished to continue an involvement in the practice but did not wish to keep working at the rate they had been working at.

 "There is no question, though, that increasingly there is a drive in all firms – as there is in ours – to improve efficiency and increase focus on profitability and returns. And when you seek to participate on the global stage as we have, the expectations in that area increase."

Outside Australia's big six, DLA Piper – formerly Phillips Fox – has also reduced partner numbers in the country during the period. The firm has lost 36 partners and 106 lawyers since 2009, and now counts 13 fewer equity partners. Norton Rose Fulbright declined to give numbers.