A very successful Opening

The President of the Law Society gets to go to some good gigs and earlier this month was no exception. Westminster Abbey, the House of Lords, Middle Temple Hall, Lancaster House and, of course, Chancery Lane itself were some of the up-market locations; the occasion was the Opening of the Legal Year, with invited guests from all over the world combined with the ABA Section of International Law ‘Fall’ conference with a record attendance of US lawyers here in London.

It was very enjoyable but also a very successful week showcasing the City of London as a centre of international law. My message throughout the week was of the pre-eminence and vibrancy of London as a place to do legal business.

At Lancaster House I launched the Law Society’s Jurisdiction of Choice Brochure before an international audience of several hundred US lawyers and representatives of many other jurisdictions from around the world. Copies of the brochure  can be obtained from the Law Society or online.

The aim is to showcase London as the place to resolve international disputes on the basis of our worldwide reputation for quality, integrity and efficiency. The production of the brochure is the result of a partnership between the Law Society and 26 firms but I am particularly grateful to Herbert Smith, Norton Rose and Eversheds for their sponsorship.

The latest figures show that more than 20% of international legal work is now done out of London and that is an achievement we need to trumpet both at home and abroad. And that is precisely what I and the Law Society intend to do at every opportunity.

By the way, we even got Jack Straw to contribute a foreword to our brochure. This is the first time I can remember when the Government, City firms and the Law Society have ever worked in partnership on such an initiative. Long may it continue.

Next I will be in Singapore at the International Bar Association (IBA) and I may even meet some of you globetrotters there.