Andrew Dismore

Legal services and Brexit

Question No: 2018/0244

Andrew Dismore

The Law Society has warned that countries that participate in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) can include limits to the agreement’s scope. When it comes to legal services this means that lawyers wishing to practise in other jurisdictions may have to live in that country, register with the local bar and seek full admission to that bar. If this happens to Britain’s relationship with the EU, then it will be a much more bureaucratic and inflexible model than we currently have, where lawyers can simply fly in and fly out to advise. What steps are you taking to ensure a good deal for London’s legal services, which bring considerable overseas income to London and the UK?

Written response from the Mayor

 

Robert Bournes, who is Chair of the Law Society’s new main board, sits on my Brexit Expert Advisory Panel and has helped my team to understand the Brexit challenges facing the legal sector. I plan to raise these issues with David Davis at one of our regular meetings in the coming months.