Trade Mission to promote UK legal services in Middle East

Mission to showcase the nation’s legal services on an international stage

Expected to bring in £750k in new business for the sector

First trade mission on this scale

Set up by the Ministry of Justice, it includes a delegation of 28 industry leaders – ranging from the President of the Law Society and Chair of the Bar Council to specialists in LawTech. They will showcase the excellence of the UK’s legal sector and highlight the strength of English Law – seeking to seize opportunities to grow exports in countries such as the UAE, Qatar and Israel.

Additionally, a dedicated legal services day will take place at the UK Pavilion in Dubai EXPO on Wednesday 24 November. It will bring together 90 Middle Eastern legal experts with UK counterparts - for the first time at this scale - to help boost trade between the two regions.

The mission has been organised as part of the UK’s international brand marketing campaign, GREAT, to promote the best of the UK abroad. It is expected to generate over £750k in new business for UK law firms, chambers and LawTech companies.

Justice Minister, Lord Wolfson QC, said:

This trade mission will build on our efforts to forge international partnerships to increase trade for the legal service sector, while showcasing the exceptional legal talent we have to offer.

Legal services contribute a massive £22 billion to the UK economy and will be crucial to ensuring we build back better from the global pandemic.

Lord Wolfson will also meet senior justice counterparts on a visit to Israel and Qatar to discuss private international law and LawTech and reinforce the place of English law as the heart of international disputes.

It follows the launch of a 14-week consultation by the Department for International Trade to seek views on a wide-reaching trade deal between the UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that will boost trade and strengthen the UK’s relationship with a strategically important region.

Last year, GCC – which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – spent £233 million on UK legal services, making it one of the most lucrative areas for legal professionals to export their expertise.

This trade mission builds on wider efforts from the government to boost trade with the region, supporting the Global Britain agenda. It follows the ‘UK-GCC Joint Trade and Investment Review’ which confirmed that UK and GCC economies complement each other to a significant extent and there is great scope for collaboration and growth.

Notes to editors

Below is a list of delegates that will join the trade mission. They are all self-funding the trip:

Malcolm Bishop QC, Barrister, 3 Hare Court

Khadija Leuenberger, Barrister, 36 Stone

Simon Astill, Barrister, 3PB

Saima Hanif QC, Barrister, 3VB

Sharif Shivji QC and Alexander Cook, Barrister, 4 Stone

Alexander Cook, Sharif Shivji QC, Barrister

Ben Rigby, Legal journalist, Abitra

Andrew Johnson, Partner & Head of Region, Addleshaw Goddard

Yacine Francis, Partner, Allen & Overy

David Charlier, Partner & Head of Region, Ashurst

David Barnes, Barrister, Atkins Chambers

David Howorth, Director (lawtech), Avvoka

Peter Smith, Senior Associate, Charles Russell Speechley

Alastair Young, Managing Partner, Dentons

Edward Braham, Partner, Freshfields

Stuart Paterson Managing Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills

Sam Karim QC, Barrister, Kings Chambers

Robert Marcus, Lawtech, Legal Utopia

David Russell QC, Barrister, Outer Temple

Tina Blazquez-Lopez, Energy & Infrastructure Head, MENA, Simmons & Simmons

Professor Mark Watson-Gandy, Barrister, Three Stone

Sara Masters QC, Barrister, Twenty Essex

Dr Hakeem Seriki, Solicitor, STEPTOE & JOHNSON UK LLP

Naveen Agnihotri, Barrister, 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square

I Stephanie Boyce, President, The Law Society of England and Wales

Derek Sweeting QC, Chair, The Bar Council of England and Wales