London’s enduring dominance in global dispute resolution

Against forecasts of decline post-Brexit, political uncertainty, evolving global markets and moves by other jurisdictions to steal London's litigation crown, recent statistics reveal the UK law sector to be as robust as ever and as world-leading as at any time in its history.

According to the Law Society's 2025 International Data Insights Report, the UK legal trade balance grew from £4.8 billion in 2020 to over £7.4 billion in 2024, and legal service exports rose by 44% to £9.02 billion. These are not just numbers, as they represent a more profound and more enduring global demand for English law and London-based dispute resolution services.

This article analyses the reasons why London remains the undisputed centre for commercial dispute resolution (CDR), the long-standing popularity of English law, and the role of arbitration and court hearings in maintaining the UK's global legal dominance.

The Destination of Choice for Commercial Disputes

The London Commercial Court (LCC), which is a part of the Business and Property Courts, remains at the forefront in both volume and prestige. The LCC received 1,192 new claims and issued 196 judgments between October 2023 and September 2024, which is more than twice the productivity of its closest rival, the New York Commercial Division (88). Singapore (43), Dubai (82), and Qatar (83) are left far behind.

Overseas litigants constitute the majority of LCC's customers. Half of the claimants are foreigners from 93 different nationalities, excluding the UK. This is a testament to London's superiority in cross-border commercial litigation. Russian litigants stand out, having increased from 27 in 2023-2024 to 60 in 2024-2025, while other key jurisdictions are the UAE, the US, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Cayman Islands.

Speed and procedural efficiency also add to the appeal of London. The LCC settled 54% of contested trials within four working days. This is a gap that very few international commercial courts can adhere to.

The Legal System Behind the Success

English law underpins approximately 40% of all global business transactions across various sectors, including banking, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), derivatives, insurance, and maritime trade. 

The core principles of English law are the following: freedom of contract, certainty in law, fairness, and commercial practicality. All those principles are familiar, stable, and progressively codified through precedent.

According to Richard Atkinson, President of the Law Society, "The UK is a global centre for legal excellence known and admired all over the world because of our laws and top legal professionals." He again added that "legal exports power the UK economy and create jobs," but warned that investment in court facilities is key to continuing this pace.

Arbitration: London's Parallel Engine of Influence

Arbitration is another field where English law leads the way. In 2024, 78% of the 318 arbitrations administered by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) were administered under English law. Even outside London, English law was the second most frequently used in arbitrations administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC).

The ICC’s International Court of Arbitration (ICC) reported that 15% of its new cases in 2024 were under English law, more than double the number under Swiss law. Maritime arbitration is particularly robust, as evidenced by the London Maritime Arbitrators Association, which handled 1,733 new cases in 2024, up from 1,657 in 2021.

Post-Brexit Challenges 

Despite apocalyptic predictions, Brexit has not deterred the world from viewing London as a centre of conflict resolution. Legal professionals say clients still prefer English law due to its neutrality, predictability, and transparency, whereas cross-border disputes have no relation to the UK.

John McElroy, of the London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA), states, “The UK legal sector has changed and thrived. Legal services are one of the UK's most successful exports, and the 44% increase in legal exports shows the overseas demand for English law and the high regard in which UK litigators are held.”

London's rivals are investing heavily in modernising their facilities. Singapore's workload of arbitrations rose from 469 in 2021 to 625 in 2024. The workload at the Hong Kong hub increased from 277 to 352 over the same period. Qatar's International Court doubled its rulings from 37 to 83. None of these hubs, however, has displaced London.  However many City law firms confirm that English law remains first choice of governing law in cross-border business, based on their experiences in LCIA, ICC, SCC, SIAC, and HKIAC arbitrations. 

Certainty, Credibility, and Legal Infrastructure

Why has this long-standing supremacy persisted? Legal commentators point to the fact that English law is known to be based on good principles, having a civil justice system and process that has integrity, is open and transparent, with a long track-record of consistency in decision-making that provides legal certainty for its users – yet at the same time is adaptable and flexible as the business and wider world evolves." 

Added to this is London's rich talent pool. There were 167,603 practising solicitors in England and Wales as of July 2024. The Bar Council reported 17,864 as of June 2025.

Indeed, the report [Law Society’s International Data Insights Report 2025] confirms what we see in practice at Barnes Law: clients repeatedly choose English law because of its predictability, flexibility, neutrality and effective enforcement mechanisms.  We also believe the new Arbitration Act 2025 will consolidate London's position as an arbitration centre of excellence.

However, despite its strong foundations, London must not assume its laurels. Chair of the Bar Barbara Mills KC warns: "This reputation is under threat due to the chronic failure to invest in the entire justice system for decades." Without sufficient funds to invest in buildings and judges, the UK risks falling behind its competitors.

Nevertheless, recent legislation, such as the Arbitration Act 2025, will ensure procedural efficacy and certainty. Ongoing promotional work by the Law Society and the Bar Council is also essential to ensure London's position at the summit of the global legal world.

London's consistent dominance in global conflict resolution is due to centuries of legal development, institutions in which trust has been established, and leading practitioners, all of which contribute to client confidence in English law.

With 44% greater legal exports, greater demand for English law, and unparalleled service in arbitration and litigation, London is the gold standard for commercial dispute resolution. Now the challenge is for generations to come to maintain that reputation and the institutions on which it is based.