For more than two centuries, English law has stood at the heart of global commerce and dispute resolution. Celebrated for clarity, flexibility, and the depth of settled case law, English law provides a framework that offers both certainty and adaptability in international transactions. This enduring legacy continues to shape cross-border business.
The Law Society’s International Data Insights Report 2025, recently released, offers a compelling snapshot of how the UK legal sector, anchored in London, continues to lead the world in cross-border litigation, arbitration, and the global trade in legal services.
London’s courtroom magnetism
The London Commercial Court (LCC) remains a venue of choice for international litigants. In the year to March 2025, parties from 93 countries appeared before the LCC – the highest number on record. More than 60% of litigants came from outside the UK, reinforcing London’s reputation as a trusted, neutral venue for complex commercial disputes.
Although the number of judgments fell slightly (196 compared with 212 the previous year), the LCC continued to outpace leading competitors in New York, Singapore, and Dubai. Of note, over half of all contested trials concluded in less than a week, underscoring the LCC’s efficiency and responsiveness.
English law: the global standard
English law continues to dominate as the governing framework for international contracts, covering around 40% of global business and financial transactions – including derivatives, M&A, insurance, and maritime trade. Leading arbitral institutions such as the ICC, SIAC, and LCIA consistently report English law as the most frequently chosen governing law in their caseloads.
London also retains its status as the world’s most preferred seat of arbitration, ahead of Singapore and Hong Kong. The London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) handled over 1,700 cases in 2024, consolidating the city’s dominance in maritime arbitration.
Legal services as a global export
The UK’s legal services exports reached a record £9 billion in 2024, up from £6.3 billion in 2020. While the EU and the United States remain the largest markets, demand is expanding rapidly across Asia and the Middle East. This growth pushed the UK’s legal trade surplus to £7.4 billion, confirming its position as the second-largest legal market in the world, behind only the United States.