UK maintains its reputation as a world leader for international legal services

UK maintains its reputation as a world leader for international legal services

TheCityUK’s 13th annual report on UK legal services looks at the sector’s contribution to the UK economy through revenue, exports, employment and innovation

New research out today from TheCityUK reveals revenue generated by UK-based legal services increased by 7.7% year on year to £47.1bn in 2023, underlining the continued strength and reputation of the UK as a world leader for international legal services.

Published in partnership with Barclays, the report ‘UK legal services 2024: Legal excellence, internationally renowned’, finds that the sector also made a significant contribution to the UK economy, contributing £37bn - or 1.6% - of gross value added in 2023 and a trade surplus of £7.6bn.

The sector is also a major employer, with over 368,000 people employed in legal services across the country, including in centres such as Manchester (13,000), Birmingham (12,000), Leeds (9,000), and Edinburgh and Glasgow (7,000).

The report also highlights the UK’s global appeal, with over 200 international law firms based here and seven of the top 20 law firms by revenue having their headquarters in the UK. The industry continues to attract talent from across the world, with more than 7,000 foreign lawyers practising in England and Wales. The UK is the largest legal services market in Europe and second only to the US globally.

The UK’s strong position in legal services is helped by the international prestige of English common law, which forms the basis of the legal systems for some 27% of the world’s 320 jurisdictions. Meanwhile, the UK’s reputation as the leading centre for international dispute resolution continues to be strong driver for commercial parties to frequently opt for their contracts to be governed by English law.

The UK is a global hub for legal sector innovation, underpinned by a highly developed legal market, a technology talent pipeline, liberal regulatory regime, and support from government. It has also become a LawTech hub, home to 44% of all startups in Europe and more than 350 companies attracting £5.5bn of investment in 2023. Belfast in particular is emerging as a leading centre for legal innovation and LawTech.

Miles Celic, Chief Executive Officer, TheCityUK, said, “The UK’s legal services sector continues to make a vital contribution to jobs and growth right across the country. The UK’s globally renowned reputation for legal excellence and its status as a jurisdiction of choice for international dispute resolution is underpinned by the rule of law, and the government’s commitment to upholding this is vital to its continued success. Ultimately, a strong legal services sector is crucial to maintaining the UK’s status as a leading international financial centre and supporting business activity across the economy.”

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said, “TheCityUK's report celebrates the vital contribution of the UK's legal services sector in advancing economic growth. Not only is the legal services sector a huge contributor to the economy in its own right, it is also a facilitator for wider trade and investment across a whole host of different sectors.

“Key to our growth mission is ensuring that the legal services sector continues to go from strength to strength. This year's report findings reinforce our steadfast commitment to the rule of law, respect for international standards and the UK's status as a world-leading legal services hub. We remain dedicated to promoting our legal expertise and strengthening the international influence of English and Welsh law around the world.”

John Aldred, Head of Professional Services, Barclays Corporate Banking, said, “TheCityUK’s report confirms the critical importance of the UK's legal sector to the country, both from its direct contribution and the huge range of economic activity it underpins. We are proud to be a key enabler for the legal services ecosystem, supporting new LawTech start-ups through to established international firms achieve their goals.”

Other key facts about UK legal services highlighted in the report include:

• Net exports of UK legal services in 2023 stood at £7.6bn, a year-on-year increase of 14%.
• London continues to be the world’s preferred centre for alternative dispute resolution. Over 28,600 civil disputes were resolved through arbitration, mediation and adjudication in 2023.
• The North West is the second largest legal services centre outside London, with 43,000 people in employment, followed by the South West (31,000), West Midlands and South East (25,000 respectively) and Yorkshire and the Humber and Scotland (24,000 respectively).
• The Business and Property Courts continue to attract high numbers of international users. In 2023, 75% of case in the Patents Court, 64% in the Commercial Court and 54% in the Competition Court had at least one international party.
• The number of solicitor apprenticeships has more than doubled to 584 in 2022 (up from 222 in 2021)
• In 2023, there were 1,102 people undertaking their pupillage at the Bar in England and Wales, a slight increase on the previous year (1,055 pupils)
• The number of barristers who act for clients located abroad has more than doubled over the past decade. More than 2,475 members of the Bar of England and Wales now receive instructions from abroad, earning more than £506m in revenues in 2023.

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