1. Home /
  2. Industries / Legal services

Legal

Home of the world's business law

The UK's offer

  • The UK is the world's second largest legal centre in terms of revenue
  • Over 200 foreign law firms have chosen the UK for overseas offices
  • English law is used in 40% of all global corporate arbitrations
  • A talent pool of 365,000 people in the sector across the UK

Leading legal expertise

The popularity of English and Welsh law drives the UK’s position as a provider of the world's legal services. Some 27% of the world’s 320 legal jurisdictions are governed by systems based on English common law - by far the most popular choice for cross-border contracts. 

The UK legal services sector, second in size only to the US, is recognised globally for its quality of advice. Over 2,100 members of the Bar of England and Wales receive instructions from clients abroad.

Supported by excellence in legal training and education, the UK is renowned as the leading global centre for dispute resolution.

Download the factsheet

Research

Providing professional services to the world

The UK professional services sector continues to be a key contributor to the wider UK economy. Find out more about the UK’s professional sector, and its role in delivering leading professional services expertise across the world.

Resolving international disputes

The UK is the leading global centre for international dispute resolution. In 2019, English law governed around £250bn of global mergers and acquisitions and 40% of global corporate arbitrations.   

200+

foreign law firms

from over 40 jurisdictions have offices in the UK

All

of the top 50 law firms by revenue

have an office in London

1/3

of all Western European legal services fee revenue

is generated in the UK

Lawtech

Innovation in the UK’s legal sector is creating new roles, skills, and uses for the technology. Our Global City campaign highlights the strengths of this ecosystem and how collaboration between technology and the legal sector is leading to greater competitiveness.

Read more

Growth in legal services

Revenue generated by legal activities in the UK has trended strongly upward in the past decade to £36.8bn in 2019, and increased by 10% in the past two years, up from £33.4bn in 2017. 

The UK’s legal sector also makes a significant contribution to the UK’s public finances. Combined with the UK’s accounting sector, both areas had an estimated joint total tax contribution of £20.5bn in 2020 – up by 5.4% from 2018. 
 

The UK legal and accounting sectors made an estimated contribution of £20.5bn to the economy in 2020 .

Growth in exports

The UK supplies legal expertise to the world - trade surplus of legal services grew by more than 85% in the last decade

Growth in exports

Growth in revenues

Legal services revenue in the UK grew by 44% between 2010 and 2019

Growth in revenues

Europe's legal centre

The largest centre in Europe, the UK accounts for a third of Western European legal services fee revenues

Europe's legal centre

International reach and services

The largest international law firms in London have between 45% and 65% of their lawyers based outside the UK, and many other London-based firms have between 10% and 20% of lawyers overseas.

The CityUK, “Legal excellence, internationally renowned: UK legal services 2021”

Read the report at TheCityUK

Future proofing the UK’s legal capabilities

A new flagship 18 courtroom legal centre providing world-class expertise in tackling cybercrime, fraud and economic crime will be completed in 2025 in the Square Mile.

It is being developed jointly by the City of London Corporation, HM Courts and Tribunal Services.  

Partner story

Ignition Law

Ignition Law

Partner Story

Burness Paul LLP

Burness Paul LLP

Partner story

Legatics

Legatics

Partner story

King & Wood Mallesons

King & Wood Mallesons

See more case studies

Everything you need

The UK offers you everything you need to grow your business.

We have a global outlook, which means we understand your business needs. The depth and breadth of our offer mean unparalleled opportunities for you to grow. Innovation is what we do - creating an inspirational ecosystem where you can thrive. 

Choose the UK

Need more information?