Rise of the English Law Promotion Panel: the master plan behind the UK’s hidden superpower

What the new English Law Promotion Panel means for global business

The English Law Promotion Panel (the “Panel”), an advisory board established by the Ministry of Justice, convened for the first time in December. Its role is to develop a strategy to promote the use of what the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy describes as a “hidden super-power of our economy”: the UK’s legal services sector. It will focus on the use of English law in international transactions, and strengthen the UK’s position as a centre for global legal services. This initiative forms part of the broader modern industrial strategy designed to future-proof the £46.2 billion legal sector and reinforce the UK’s contribution to global commerce.

At the Panel’s first meeting in December, David Lammy emphasised the significant contribution of legal services to the UK economy and he stressed that despite English Law's prominence, ongoing effort is essential to strengthen its international standing. The Panel explored strategic promotion approaches, potential challenges and areas for further analysis and improvement. Additionally, legal consultancy Hook Tangaza will be producing an independent research report to assess the economic value of English law and ways to maximise its impact.

Why English law and dispute resolution remain global benchmarks

English law already governs an estimated 40% of international business and financial transactions. As a common law system, it shares familiar principles with jurisdictions such as the United States, Canada, Australia, India and Singapore. In practice, businesses also benefit from London’s central time zone, the availability of high quality judicial processes and legal professionals, and the speed with which disputes can be resolved.

Recent data from the Law Society’s 2025 International Insights Report highlights why England continues to lead in commercial litigation and arbitration. The London Commercial Court delivered more judgments than any other major international court between October 2023 and September 2024, and more than 60% of litigants were based overseas. Contested trials are often completed within a matter of days, and parties benefit from procedural flexibility through schemes designed to streamline litigation and reduce cost. Mediation also plays a prominent role, with success rates of more than 90% reported by the largest UK mediation bodies.

In arbitration, English law remains the most frequently chosen governing law in cases administered by the LCIA and the ICC, and it is commonly selected in other major arbitration hubs including Singapore, Stockholm and Hong Kong. Moreover, London continues to be the world’s preferred seat of arbitration globally, which in part is due to its cost-efficiency (with the LCIA reporting lower arbitration costs than comparable major arbitral institutions such as the SIAC, SCC, ICC and HKIAC). The Arbitration Act 2025 has further strengthened the UK framework by providing increased legal clarity and reinforcing London’s position as a leading forum for international dispute resolution.

A strategic advantage for life sciences and technology

For innovation-driven companies with a focus on technology and life sciences, the benefits of English law are reinforced by the strength of the UK’s strong science and innovation landscape. The country offers advanced research clusters and world-class universities, strong regulatory expertise and a deep pool of technical talent. These features create an environment which enables international collaboration between leading global institutions.

The Ministry of Justice has made clear that the legal system must continue to support these high-growth industries by providing the certainty required for investment, intellectual property management and the scale-up of new technologies. The flexibility and adaptability of the common law system, combined with pragmatic and commercially-minded courts, allows for English law to develop alongside cutting edge technologies. For example, in 2019 the AA v Persons Unknown[1] case demonstrated that courts are willing to stretch the traditional definitions to adapt to new business practices, when it recognised that cryptoassets such as Bitcoin are property. Currently the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce are consulting on their draft Legal Statement on Liability for AI Harm, which does not propose legal reform but rather seeks to clarify how existing common law and legislation applies to AI harms, in order to provide legal certainty to businesses working with emerging technologies.

Looking ahead

The formation of the English Law Promotion Panel reflects the UK’s intention to reinforce its global leadership in commercial law and dispute resolution. For international businesses, this provides a renewed opportunity to benefit from a legal system known for its reliability, neutrality and commercial sophistication. It is possible that, with the influence of the Panel, more businesses will choose to adopt English law in cross-border agreements and to resolve disputes in English courts or in London-based arbitration.

Bristows has a longstanding international focus and works with clients across the world on transactions and disputes governed by English law as well as the laws of other jurisdictions. For organisations seeking certainty in cross-border dealmaking or support in navigating English law disputes, our experts in our commercial and IP transactions and litigation and dispute resolution teams would be happy to assist.