George Sourris, Legal Practice Director at Empire Legal, was named Queensland Solicitor of the Year (Small Firm) at the 2026 Queensland Law Society Excellence in Law Awards. Winners were announced at the QLS Excellence in Law Awards Gala on Saturday 22 August 2026. The category is partnered by Westpac.
What the award is
The QLS Excellence in Law Awards are run by Queensland Law Society, the professional body and regulator for solicitors in this state. They are judged by panels drawn from the profession itself, which makes them one of the few forms of recognition in law that does not come from a directory, a paid listing or a marketing budget.
Queensland Law Society announced the 2026 finalists on 13 July and described the field as a record number and calibre of nominations, with a highly competitive selection process.
What Queensland Law Society said
The citation published by Queensland Law Society reads:
George Sourris is the Legal Practice Director of Empire Legal, a property law firm with offices in Brisbane’s CBD and bayside, and the Gold Coast. Empire Legal helps Queenslanders buy and sell homes, backed by 3,000+ five-star Google reviews. George has been a solicitor for 9 years. He hosts Raising the Bar, a QLD property podcast, with guests including REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella and former REIQ Chairman Peter Brewer. He sits on the boards of several charities, and is in his third year on the QLD PEXA Practitioner Advisory Council.
Why this matters if you are buying or selling
Conveyancing is a market where it is genuinely hard to tell one firm from another until after you have hired them. Every firm says it is careful. Every firm says it is fast. An award judged by other solicitors is one of the few outside signals a buyer or seller can actually use.
Empire Legal has helped more than 16,000 clients through Queensland property transactions and holds a 5.0 rating across more than 3,000 Google reviews. Every matter runs on a fixed fee published up front, with a practice manager and a senior lawyer across the file.
The other 2026 Solicitor of the Year winners
Chelsea Baker of Baker Hastings Lawyers was named Queensland Solicitor of the Year (Sole Practitioner) and Andrew Shute of MinterEllison was named Queensland Solicitor of the Year (Large Firm). The full list of 2026 winners is published by Queensland Law Society.
Talk to us about your property matter
Fixed fees are published on our pricing page. You can read how we run a purchase or a sale on our residential conveyancing page, or call 07 3088 7675.
