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, Heidi Alexander, 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.