Largest Commercial Court in world opens in London

The Queen has opened the Rolls Building in London. It is the largest commercial court in the world encompassing the Chancery Division of the High Court, the  Admiralty and Commercial Court, and the Technology and Construction Court. It will be the foremost court in the world for resolving commercial disputes.

Currently more commercial arbitration takes place under English Law, in London, than anywhere in the world. Ninety percent of all commercial cases in London involve at least one foreign litigant. Berezovsky v Abramovich is a popular and well known example of such cases.

The new building has up-to-date technology allowing judges secure access to documents. It is the first time a legal IT system will allow secure access from anywhere in the world.

The expertise of the judges in the Rolls Building covers: asset  recovery, banking, commodities, company law, construction, finance, fraud,  insolvency and reconstruction, information technology, insurance, intellectual property, patents, international trade, mining, oil and gas, partnership,  property, public procurement, regulation, shipping, tax and trusts.

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said,

The world’s business leaders come to the UK to settle their disputes … UK courts provide an internationally recognised guarantee of impartiality,  integrity and enforceability. London’s concentration of legal and financial  expertise is unrivalled anywhere.

The Rolls Building has 31 court rooms, including 3 ‘super courts’ and 4 courts  for multi-party cases. There are also 55 consultation rooms. It is just off Fetter Lane.