A global survey of lawyers and arbitrators has confirmed that London remains the premier location for international arbitrations, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore. This solidifies London’s central position in the legal world.
The research was conducted by US law firm White & Case in partnership with the School of International Arbitration at Queen Mary University of London. It involved surveying 2,402 individuals involved in arbitration and conducting 117 in-depth interviews. Respondents were globally distributed, with 47% in the Asia-Pacific region, 21% in Europe, and 10% in North America. The remaining respondents were from the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
London was named the preferred seat for international arbitration by 34% of those surveyed, making it the overall top choice. Hong Kong and Singapore followed with 31%, Beijing with 20%, and Paris with 19%. London’s appeal was evident as it was among the top five preferred seats for respondents in each of the six regions surveyed.
Factors influencing the preference for London included support for arbitration by local courts, the neutrality and impartiality of the local legal system and national arbitration law, and a strong enforcement track record. Clare Connellan, an international arbitration partner at White & Case, noted: “The sustained appeal of London and Singapore highlights the importance arbitration users place on judicial reliability and proactive legislative support. Both jurisdictions have made significant legislative advances, demonstrating a clear political commitment to maintaining their positions as leading global arbitration hubs.”
The report also addressed AI innovation in international arbitration. A staggering 90% of those surveyed expect to use AI tools for research, data analytics, and document review. However, there was strong resistance to using AI for tasks requiring discretion and judgment, with concerns over errors and bias being the primary obstacles to adoption.
