London Calling: The Strategic Edge of English Law in International Disputes

A bold statement.  But so says a recent report published by the Law Society, which highlights that the law of England and Wales (defined for the purposes of this article as “English law”) continues to dominate as the law of choice on the international stage, with English dispute resolution institutions likewise continuing to enjoy global pre-eminence.

English law has long been popular internationally, particularly in commercial matters. It provides a stable, predictable and commercial legal basis for contracting parties to carry out business, and resolve disputes if things go wrong. The common law system is based on published precedents which brings a high degree of transparency and predictability within a neutral and reliable framework and does not interfere with parties’ autonomy to agree whatever terms they wish.

The substantive lure of English law is coupled with the attractions of the jurisdiction for the resolution of disputes, both through commercial litigation and arbitration. Institutions such as the London Commercial Court have a reputation for internationally respected, independent and impartial with judges having deep commercial expertise and a reputation for respecting contractual autonomy.

Similarly, the framework of the Arbitration Act 1996 provides a well-tested and internationally respected legal procedural framework for arbitrations seated in London. The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) remains among the world’s most respected arbitral institutions.

The Law Society report

Statistics taken from the Law Society’s 3rd Edition of the International Data Insights Report, published earlier this month, highlight that the dominance of English law on the international stage shows no sign of abating.

The annual publication explores the performance of the UK’s primary dispute resolution centres in comparison to other jurisdictions and looks at the value of UK legal services sector in an increasingly competitive global legal services market.

The data in the report suggests that the UK has not only maintained, but has significantly enhanced its position as the second largest legal market in the world after the United States, and that there is a growing international demand for expertise in English law, with most of this trade attributed to solicitors providing their services to clients outside of the UK.

The report highlights that English law remains the preferred choice for international commerce, governing approximately 40% of global business and financial transactions¹  across sectors such as derivatives, metals, insurance, and maritime trade. This widespread use of contracts governed by English law is not always followed by a choice of forum in the UK, but there are many practical benefits of choosing English law and English courts and/or an English seat of arbitration:

• A leading dispute resolution hub: The UK is a global hub for both commercial litigation and international arbitration. The specialist Business and Property Courts situated in London, including the London Commercial Court, have extensive experience handling complex and sensitive international disputes.
• Predictability and clarity: English law’s well-developed jurisprudence provides legal certainty.  Its judiciary possesses deep commercial expertise and has a reputation for a pro-business approach which respects contractual autonomy.
• Efficient resolution: The English court system is known for its practical approach, (particularly the London Commercial Court, which adopts a unique judge led case management approach). London is home to numerous alternative dispute bodies, such as the LCIA that offer flexible alternatives to litigation, including arbitration and meditation.
• Global enforceability: Judgments and arbitral awards issued under English law are widely recognised.  The UK is a signatory to the New York Convention, which ensures that UK arbitral awards are recognised and can be enforced in over 170 countries.  The UK also benefits from a number of international agreements and conventions which enable certain court judgments to be automatically enforced overseas. Concerns around reciprocal enforcement of court judgments following Brexit has been alleviated by the UKs recent accession to Hague 2019 – as detailed further in our briefing on cross border enforcement.

For businesses navigating cross-border disputes or structuring international commercial arrangements/contracts, this market leading capability offers both strategic advantages and practical benefits.  These translate as reduced litigation risk, faster resolution timelines, and access to a legal framework trusted by international partners.

What trends are we seeing in dispute resolution?

Litigation

The London Commercial Court remains the leading international commercial court.  The number of litigants appearing before the London Commercial Court increased in the year to March 2025, with 6 out of 10 litigants coming from overseas.  These litigants represent a total of 93 nationalities with notable growth in parties from the UAE, Russia, and the Cayman Islands².

The LCC remains ahead of its main international counterparts, delivering 196 written judgments in the same period, at least double the number issued by each of the specialist commercial courts of New York, Dubai, and Singapore.

The English judiciary are prominent members of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts (conceived and established by a former judge of the London Commercial Court in 2016) which has objectives to share best practice in commercial dispute resolution, support the rule of law, and support developing countries in their work on resolving commercial disputes.

Despite a slight year on year dip in new claims, the London Commercial Court’s international caseload remains robust and growing, with 20% of claims arising from arbitration, showing a strong interplay between these two leading mechanisms for dispute resolution.

Data suggests that the London Commercial Court completed 54% of contested trials in under a week, which is suggested may be a result of robust case management which focusses on the key issues in commercial disputes as well as schemes such as Faster Trials and Flexible Trials, codified within the English Civil Procedure Rules, which aim to make commercial litigation faster and more streamlined.

Arbitration

International arbitration is an increasingly competitive field. Parties can choose from a range of arbitral rules and institutions, with broad freedom to select the seat of the arbitration.

London remains a preferred seat for arbitration globally, chosen by 34% of respondents to a recent survey³.  Similarly, from a venue perspective, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitrations take place in 107 cities across 62 countries and territories worldwide but London was the most popular location in 2024 trumping other major and well respected arbitration centres such as Paris, Singapore and New York.

Moreover, in 2024, 95% of cases administered by the LCIA had an international focus, further highlighting the popularity of London as an arbitral seat for international parties.

The LCIA’s popularity amongst international parties can also be attributed to the continued global popularity of English law. Last year, almost four fifths of the arbitrations it administered related to contracts governed by English law. The trend is mirrored overseas. English law governed 15% of all new cases administered by the ICC last year, where it is the most commonly used law, outstripping second placed Swiss law by two to one. Similarly, disputes governed by English law make up over a quarter of cases administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (second only to Singapore law). It was also the second most common governing law in disputes administered by the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre.

The Law Society Report also points to lower costs of dispute resolution in London than in other major dispute resolution centres as a driver for London’s popularity.

The LCIA published a costs and duration analysis, covering all cases from January 2017 to May 2024 showing that the median duration of an LCIA arbitration is around 20 months, with a strong correlation between the length of the dispute and the amount in dispute. Interestingly, the data indicates that the increase in the duration of higher value disputes is driven by the time taken by parties rather than tribunals.

It also showed that the UK offers lower median tribunal fees compared to comparable arbitral institutions globally. Comparing the overall costs of arbitration with the amount in dispute (including ad-hoc arbitrations) arbitrations seated in London have some of the lowest median arbitration costs in the world.

The arbitral bodies based in London and continued popularity of London as a seat of arbitration mean the UK’s capital continues to outperform the other international hubs based on metrics including arbitration caseload and appointments of arbitrators.  These trends highlight London’s dual strength in both institutional and ad hoc arbitration, offering flexibility, strong sector-specific expertise and cost-efficiency for businesses.

How can we help you?

London’s leadership in litigation and arbitration is more than a point of pride — it’s a strategic asset for businesses. Whether you're drafting contracts, resolving disputes, or seeking legal advice across borders, leveraging English law and London’s legal infrastructure can offer unmatched advantages.

We are proud to be part of that ecosystem. Our global dispute resolution team includes many practitioners who are deeply embedded in the London disputes market, advising clients on complex, cross-border matters governed by English law and resolved through litigation or arbitration in this jurisdiction.

Whether you are navigating international contracts, managing multi-jurisdictional proceedings, or seeking strategic advice on enforcement, we offer practical, commercially focused support grounded in deep sector experience and global reach.

If you are facing a dispute or planning ahead to mitigate risk, get in touch to explore how we can support you.

[1] TheCityUK Legal Services report 2024
[2] 2025 Portland Commercial Courts report
[3] 2025 International Arbitration Survey carried out by the School of International Arbitration at Queen Mary University in partnership with law firm White & Case