Economic recovery will not lead to decline in the disputes sector

We are delighted to sponsor the Disputes Yearbook, which now forms a central part of Legal Business’ wide-ranging and insightful disputes coverage.

There is no doubt that litigation continues to be a dynamic and rapidly developing sector of the legal market. Although there is a possibility that the improving economic climate will have a negative impact on a sector that is, to some degree, counter-cyclical, it is the rise in regulation and enforcement, and the rise in international arbitration, which show no signs of slowing and continue to drive the market.

We anticipate an incredibly busy period for our commercial litigation, competition litigation and international arbitration departments. Forex, Libor and other regulatory investigations are likely to give rise to substantial litigation.

The UK, and London in particular, remains a critical hub for commercial litigation and international arbitration. This looks set to continue. The UK litigation market will also benefit from what commentators have identified as the increasingly narrow jurisdiction of the US courts, particularly in securities litigation. Cases or parts of cases that would have been brought in the US now have to be brought in alternative jurisdictions, with England and its robust obligations of disclosure often being preferred to other European jurisdictions.

The dynamic environment of UK litigation is evidenced by both the rise and sustained success of the litigation boutiques. Not just Stewarts Law but Enyo Law, Signature Litigation and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and Three Crowns in the arbitration space, are part of this trend, with other US firms poised to move across the Atlantic.

This year’s Disputes Yearbook includes a lead article focused on outstanding young partners to watch in dispute resolution. In addition, there is a report on current trends in the vast US litigation market and assessment of attempts to reform arbitration. There are also interviews with leading practitioners, including Brick Court Chambers’ Mark Howard QC, Emmanuel Gaillard of Shearman & Sterling and Sir Bernard Eder, all of which explore the changing disputes scene for 2016 and beyond.

As we at Stewarts Law celebrate 25 years, we are pleased to be a part of such a dynamic and evolving UK litigation landscape.

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