The value of UK legal services exports has increased by nearly 40% in two years (2021-2023) according to analysis carried out by the Law Society based on new government data. This represented a trade surplus of £7.6bn in 2023, 

The growth from £6.7bn in 2021 to £8.4bn in 2022 to £9.5bn in 2023 shows that the international demand for English law is rising year-on-year, Society president Richard Atkinson said.  ’The UK legal sector continues to thrive and the UK remains in a strong global position as one of the largest legal markets in the world for legal expertise and a hub for international legal work.’

Thge Society released the figure as lobby group TheCityUK reported that 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 in international legal services.

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

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.'

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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Notes to Editors:

TheCityUK’s ‘UK legal services 2024: Legal excellence, internationally renowned’ looks at the comparative contribution and revenue of the UK legal services sector from 2022 to 2023, using the latest disaggregated data available to produce the most complete study of the industry to date.