Managing Partner Julian Overton was honoured to attend a reception at 10 Downing Street, hosted by the Lord Chancellor, The Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP. The event brought together a diverse and distinguished group of legal professionals from across the UK to mark the government’s renewed commitment to legal services as a key part of the UK’s Industrial Strategy.
Also in attendance was Sarah Sackman KC, Minister of State, who joined the Lord Chancellor in highlighting the crucial role that the legal profession plays in supporting economic growth and innovation.
Published on 1 July, the government’s Industrial Strategy outlines plans to drive growth by supporting eight critical sectors of the UK economy, including Professional and Business Services (PBS). within which legal services play a central role. The dedicated plan for PBS aims to position the UK as the world’s most trusted adviser to global industry by 2035, underpinned by a dynamic and productive sector at the forefront of emerging technologies such as AI.
Read the full strategy here.
This marks the first time that legal services have featured so prominently within a government industrial strategy. The plan recognises the sector’s strengths and its barriers to growth, many of which reflect the Law Society’s recommendations, including the need for enhanced technology and AI training, improved SME support for tech adoption, greater business mobility, investment in court infrastructure, and tackling court backlogs.
Speaking after the event, Julian said he was “delighted to see the government acknowledging the strength and significance of the legal sector, not only as a cornerstone of justice but as a driver of economic success and innovation.”
The reception underscored the government’s recognition of the UK legal profession as both a premier jurisdiction for national and international legal matters and a global hub for lawtech and professional excellence.
