London has long been recognised as a primary centre for international and commercial litigation and arbitration. Since 1895 the High Court has incorporated a separate Commercial Court where the procedures are geared to reflect the special requirements of the international commercial community. The judges of the Commercial Court are drawn from the Commercial Bar and are therefore highly experienced in the types of cases with which they deal. 1995 was the Commercial Court's Centenary.

COMBAR has established liaison committees for North America,  the Commonwealth, Europe, the Far East and the Arab Countries, to provide a more permanent means of contact with the representatives of legal professions throughout the world.

In about one-third of all the cases heard in the Commercial Court in 1997 none of the parties was English and in approximately two-thirds of the cases at least one party was resident or incorporated abroad, reflecting the truly international nature of its business. Arbitration in London is provided for in the terms of many standard international contracts.

The importance of London as a commercial and financial centre has created an enormous demand for specialist legal advice in a wide range of areas. The COMBAR chambers listed on this website are concerned mainly or exclusively in serving this commercial market. Their principal fields of practice cover:

• International trade
• Commodity transactions
• Shipping and aviation
• International arbitration
• Banking and financial services
• Insolvency
• Insurance and reinsurance
• Oil and gas/energy law
• European Community law

They also cover related fields of importance to commercial clients including: Employment, Mergers and Acquisitions, Competition law, Intellectual property, Professional malpractice, Licensing, Judicial Review of Governmental Acts, Utilities regulation, Commercial Property transactions and Building and Engineering.

The increasing importance of European Community law in the commercial field is recognised, and most commercial chambers can provide access to specialist EC advice. Other specialisations related to Commercial Law are also covered by certain chambers, and a full list of all the areas covered by COMBAR members can be found on this website in their Directory entries.