The British Embassy in Mexico City will host a series of
networking events on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 September to
bolster connections between the UK legal sector and global
partners to highlight the UK Government's commitment to driving
economic growth through legal services exports.
Taking place alongside the International Bar Association (IBA)
Annual Conference, the world's largest global legal sector
gathering, these events, held jointly with The Law Society of
England and Wales, build on the success of previous GREAT Legal
Services campaign activity which has resulted in millions of
pounds worth of business deals.
In the last financial year, the campaign generated over £5
million in projected business wins for UK lawyers, and more than
800 business connections for UK legal professionals, and reached
over 2.6 million online in key markets across the world.
Justice Minister, , said:
I'm proud of our legal services' world-leading reputation. These
networking events allow us to share our expertise with others and
learn from them to maintain our competitive edge.
Importantly, promoting the UK's legal sector abroad helps build
connections and ultimately bring investment back to the UK. I
would like to thank The Law Society for their role in helping to
bring UK and international legal professionals together.
The GREAT Legal Services campaign was launched in 2017 to promote
and support the strength of English and Welsh Law, the UK's
world-renowned independent judiciary, and our legal expertise to
the global market.
Overall the UK's legal sector generates billions for the UK
economy with the latest figures showing it contributed £34
billion in 2022. In recent months key agreements have been made
with other nations to strengthen the sector – including
agreements with Japan, Greece and Malaysia – by allowing UK
lawyers to practise abroad.
The IBA conference is the legal sector's largest international
event, with more than 5,000 attendees expected from law firms,
governments, and regulators globally.
Further information
- Tuesday's discussions on arbitration will cover key trends in
Latin America, particularly in sectors such as energy, natural
resources, renewables and infrastructure, with the aim of
fostering dialogue and creating opportunities for UK lawyers in
Latin American markets and related jurisdictions.
- Wednesday's finance roundtable will highlight Mexico's
growing significance as a market, assessing the key challenges
and opportunities that face financial institutions and businesses
in the region and how the legal sector can effectively support
businesses and the market to thrive.
- Also on Wednesday, for younger international lawyers, there
is an event focusing on the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE),
providing the opportunity to learn more about working with
English and Welsh
Law.
- Rounding off the events, the Ministry of Justice and The Law
Society of England and Wales will co-host a drinks reception to
celebrate relationships and partnerships forged, and enable more
business connections to be made.
- The events in Mexico City were supported by the Department of
Business and Trade as part of broader work to grow trade between
the UK and Mexico.