UK cements position as centre of legal excellence

A new Action Plan has been published by the Ministry of Justice and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), setting out how the country's commercial arbitration, mediation and court services will be promoted to a global audience.

The Action Plan is a key part of the government's Plan for Growth, and aims to encourage overseas commercial clients to make use of UK legal services, with particular emphasis on the potential benefits for businesses.

The plan sets out a series of Government commitments, including creating an online promotional toolkit for trade and investment advisors, and ensuring professional representatives attend official visits where appropriate.

Some of the top reasons to carry out business in the UK, given in the Action Plan, include:

• International dispute resolution continues to grow. The number of disputes resolved through arbitration and mediation in the UK reached 34,541 in 2009, up from 19,384 in 2007

• World-class, streamlined court services for the 21st Century.The Rolls Building, scheduled to open later in the year, will for the first time incorporate onto one site the work carried out by the Commercial Court, the Technology and Construction Court and the Chancery Division.

• English judgments are easily enforceable. The EU Judgments Regulation and European Enforcement Order make these judgments watertight in Europe, but they are also recognised and respected in most other parts of the world

• More international and commercial arbitrations take place in London under English law than in any other city in the world, with 90 per cent of commercial cases handled by London law firms involving an international party

• Our lawyers are regulated through the Legal Services Act 2007 in England and Wales and the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010

• An essential partner of the financial services sector. The biggest areas of practice for UK law firms include corporate work, banking and capital markets.

Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, said:

"As Britain's economy emerges from a difficult period, it is vitally important that the country builds on its strengths to support the recovery. There are few areas where Britain is stronger than in the law.

"People turn to us because they know they will find world class, highly specialised practitioners and expert judges in the specialist courts. They understand that a decision from a court in the UK carries a global guarantee of impartiality, integrity and enforceability."

Minister for Trade and Investment, Lord Green, added:

"Today's action plan takes us even further in promoting the UK abroad, with representatives from legal professional bodies due to participate in visits and trade delegations. This will ensure that these professions remain at the core of the UK offer and that we highlight the key role they have to play in our future economic growth."

The Government will be working with TheCityUK, the Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Council to find a joint approach to encouraging growth. In addition to the Government objectives the Action Plan identifies some key tasks including producing and delivering a strategy to promote the UK as a centre of excellence for dispute resolution and a new leading role for our Legal Services and Dispute Resolution Group.

Khawar Qureshi QC, Chairman, Legal Services and Dispute Resolution Group, said:

"TheCityUK welcomes the Ministry of Justice's Action Plan and the new, leading role for the Legal Services and Dispute Resolution Group. We bring together the institutions and firms providing litigation and arbitration services.

"We will work with our members to deliver an integrated and strategic approach to the overseas agenda. This will include the re-launch the international strategy of our committee."