Amanda Harrington named to Elite Women 2026 list

Amanda Harrington, principal and founder of Pivotal Law Group in Melbourne, has been named one of Australia and New Zealand’s Elite Women 2026 by Australasian Lawyer and NZ Lawyer. The recognition spotlights her insolvency practice and her NewLaw model built around flexible work, staff incentives and partially fixed pricing.

Why it matters: - The Elite Women 2026 list recognizes 105 female leaders across Australia and New Zealand’s legal profession. - Harrington’s selection highlights both her insolvency litigation work and a law-firm model designed to change how legal services are delivered and staffed. - The recognition places Pivotal Law Group’s NewLaw approach alongside broader industry leadership in the region.

What happened: - Australasian Lawyer and NZ Lawyer named Amanda Harrington among the Elite Women 2026 honourees. - Harrington is principal and founder of Pivotal Law Group Pty Ltd in Collingwood, Melbourne. - The recognition was published in October 2026. - Harrington was one of three winners profiled in depth in the report.

The details: - The Elite Women list is now in its sixth year. - The report is supported by Queensland Young Lawyers and Otago Women’s Law Society. - In June 2026, the publications invited nominations from legal professionals across Australia and New Zealand. - Nominees had to work in a role connected to the legal profession, show influence on the profession and have not been previously recognised on the list. - Editorial teams reviewed all nominations and selected 105 women for the final list. - The report credits Harrington with building a NewLaw firm that uses an incentive arrangement meant to mirror the value of equity without transferring ownership. - Pivotal Law Group ties rewards to the firm’s collective success rather than individual billing targets. - Harrington said the firm’s first seven months fast-tracked plans to hire lawyers and support staff ahead of her original two-year timeline. - Harrington described resilience as her biggest strength and said she can pivot quickly and create new goals. - Harrington said the firm does not carry her name because she plans to bring on partners and wants the team in the spotlight. - Harrington is a Law Institute of Victoria Accredited Specialist in Commercial Law. - She was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2015. - She became a partner in 2020 at Scanlan Carroll Lawyers before launching Pivotal Law Group in August 2025. - Her practice focuses on insolvency litigation for creditors. - Harrington acted as instructing solicitor in Badenoch Integrated Logging Pty Ltd v Bryant [2021] FCAFC 64 and in the High Court appeal, Bryant v Badenoch Integrated Logging Pty Ltd [2023] HCA 2. - The High Court decision upheld the abolition of the peak indebtedness rule and changed how Australian insolvency law treats preference claims. - Harrington’s work often involves recovery action for creditors and unwinding uncommercial transactions for liquidators. - She helped secure a speculative-basis recovery of about $4 million for creditors of one collapsed investment scheme. - Harrington was named Insolvency Partner of the Year at the 2022 Lawyers Weekly awards. - She was also a finalist in 2022 for Litigation Partner of the Year and New Partner, less than three years. - She was a finalist for Litigator of the Year at the 2023 Australian Law Awards and Insolvency Partner of the Year in 2023. - Before hiring staff began, Harrington was a finalist for Sole Practitioner of the Year at the 2026 Australian Law Awards. - Harrington mentors solicitors at Pivotal Law Group and at other Melbourne firms. - At her previous firm, she helped train at least 12 junior lawyers and students, 11 of them women. - Harrington also meets MPs and members of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services on a pro bono basis about implementation of recommendations from the 2022 inquiry into the insolvency industry. - Harrington made submissions to that inquiry. - Pivotal Law Group operates on partially fixed pricing and retainers so clients can budget and act before legal problems escalate. - The firm offers fully hybrid working and generous incentives to all staff. - More information is available in the firm’s social profiles.

Between the lines: - The recognition rewards more than individual case results. - Harrington’s profile reflects a growing emphasis in legal services on flexible work, incentive-based pay and client budgeting certainty. - Her comments suggest the firm is being built for expansion, not a founder-centric model.

What's next: - Pivotal Law Group is expected to keep hiring as the firm grows beyond its first months in operation. - Harrington’s pro bono policy work suggests continued engagement with insolvency reform and parliamentary stakeholders. - The Elite Women recognition may further raise Harrington’s visibility in commercial law and insolvency circles.