The annual dinner to His Majesty’s Judges

I was proud to host the annual dinner to His Majesty’s Judges at Mansion House where we welcomed, among others, the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice.

Demand for expertise in English law continues to grow. Indeed, according to the Law Society, English common law governs 40% of global corporate arbitrations, 80% of global maritime deals, and a staggering 80% of global trade. It is just one of the reasons why the UK is the world’s leading legal services centre.

Exporting our legal services can be a remarkably effective fillip to developing markets - a means to foster stronger, more resilient and less-corruption prone economies, boost international trade, raise per capita GDP, and ultimately, advance the UK’s soft power.

To those in the legal services, my message was a simple one: get out there, jump on planes, and bang on doors. People want to buy what we have to sell - something I have heard around the world time and again on my travels this year. Our partners trust us, they like what we do, and they want to do business with us.