New Legal Services Action Plan Welcomed by TheCityUK

LONDON, July 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

TheCityUK (http://www.thecityuk.com/), the independent body promoting UK-wide financial and related professional services, has welcomed the new Action Plan published by the Ministry of Justice and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

The Action Plan is a key part of the government's Plan for Growth, and aims to encourage overseas commercial clients to make use of UK legal services, with particular emphasis on the potential benefits for businesses.

TheCityUK is the cross-sector voice for the UK financial services industry across Britain and overseas, as well as a key contributor to the regulatory and trade policy debate. The organisation is extremely positive about how the new Action Plan will promote the country's commercial arbitration, mediation and court services to a global audience.

The government will be working with industry experts including the Law Society of England and Wales, the Bar Council and TheCityUK to encourage growth and ensure professional representatives attend official visits where appropriate.

The Action Plan also identifies some key tasks including the delivery of a strategy to promote the UK as a centre of excellence for dispute resolution, and a leading role the Legal Services and Dispute Resolution Group.

Chris Cummings, CEO of TheCityUK, stated: "The UK's unrivalled expertise in dispute resolution continues to see London as the place the world's companies come for the definitive legal view on their issues. The Government's new action plan sets out a blueprint for maintaining that leading position, just as our globalised world means cross-border trade and the need for cross-border arbitration are at all time highs. I'm delighted that TheCityUK's Legal Services and Dispute Resolution Group will play a central role in promoting the UK's expertise to a global audience."

Find out more about TheCityUK at http://www.thecityuk.com/

About TheCityUK

TheCityUK is the independent membership body promoting UK-based financial and related professional services industry. It was created with the support and initial financial backing of the City of London Corporation.

The purpose of the organisation is to partner prosperity - supporting the competitiveness of UK financial services and protecting their considerable economic contribution. TheCityUK co-ordinates and facilitates the contribution of its members to drive and deliver its priorities.

Its UK-wide financial services membership covers all sectors in financial services and related professional services. It is independent and politically neutral.

For more on TheCityUK, visit http://www.thecityuk.com/