Our Legal Services Group focuses on maintaining and building the international competitiveness of the UK-based legal services sector.
The UK has a strong reputation as the leading global centre for international legal services and dispute resolution which underpins the country’s position as one of the world’s leading financial centres. Domestically, we identify opportunities for our members to provide thought leadership on the development of the sector. Internationally, we work with both the UK and overseas governments at central, regional and local levels, to promote the strength of UK law and its institutions, the wealth of expertise in UK-based firms and to increase trade in legal services.
The UK-based legal services sector makes a significant contribution to the UK economy. It employs 350,000 people, two thirds of whom are based outside London. It has nearly doubled its trade surplus over the past decade to £5.6bn in 2020, making a strong contribution to the UK’s overall services trade surplus. In addition to its direct impact, the UK’s legal sector framework has both a multiplying and an enabling effect for business growth and stability, and offers expertise to support all other parts of the economy.
Our Legal Services Group is the sector’s most senior practitioner body. Our members are experts in their field and include solicitors, barristers, in-house counsel, and leaders of legal professional bodies. The group represents the legal interests of the financial and related professional services industry, bringing together industry leaders to influence legal services-related policy and regulation at a strategic level, including championing English law and the UK’s role as a global centre for dispute resolution.
Priorities of the Legal Services Group:
- The provision of a strategic response to UK and international developments which have the potential to impact both positively and negatively on the UK legal services sector.
- Producing an annual legal services report in conjunction with members and stakeholders. The report has become a core briefing for ministers and is recognised widely as a one-stop shop for information on the value of the UK’s legal services sector.
- Building initiatives to maintain the leading global position of London as a centre for all forms of dispute resolution.
- Formulating the sector’s trade and investment policy priorities for key markets with support from our International Trade and Investment Group and our Liberalisation of Trade in Services (LOTIS) Expert Advisory Group.
- Providing a senior, strategic reference point for our legal activities and projects with our other groups.
- Leading our responses to issues related to the long-term competitiveness of the wider financial and related professional services industry.
- Developing and maintaining relations with senior policy makers, regulators, members of the Judiciary and business stakeholders.
For more information about the work of the Legal Services Group please contact us.
