Benchmarking data · October 2026
Prepared by The Business of Cities as a companion to the report Making the Case: Sydney as a global legal hub (October 2026).
Notes
Cities. Cities were selected for their relevance as international legal centres based on (1) presence of at least five of the world’s ten largest law firms by revenue, (2) citation as a significant legal centre in international industry and media sources (2022–2026), and (3) distinctive regional, arbitration or hub roles.
Key Sources. Core figures derive from The Law Society of NSW, Practising Solicitor Statistics, and comparable national and city bar and law society statistics and latest metropolitan population estimates (profession size and density). Firm details based on Global 100 and Am Law 100 directories 2024-25 and firm office pages, as well as Legal Business, Beyond New York and London, March 2026 (for firm presence). Additional details from the annual reports and case statistics of SIAC, LCIA, ICC, HKIAC, CIETAC, SHIAC, DIAC, SCC, DIS, the Swiss Arbitration Centre, KCAB, JCAA, VIAC, CAM Milan, MCIA, ICSID and ACICA, and of the principal mediation institution in relevant cities. Other key sources include: Queen Mary University of London and White & Case, 2025 International Arbitration Survey (preferred seats); QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 and Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 (Law); national and state education and bar statistics (law schools and graduates); Z/Yen and China Development Institute, Global Financial Centres Index 37 and 38. World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index 2025; Heritage Foundation, 2026 Index of Economic Freedom; World Bank, Worldwide Governance Indicators 2023; Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2024 (national frameworks); and The Business of Cities assessments of international commercial court infrastructure and of published foreign lawyer regulator rules, citation analysis of 60+ industry and media sources on international legal centres, 2022–2026.
Caveats. Legal profession counts follow each jurisdiction’s own definitions and are made as like-for-like as possible. Arbitration counts are international cases seated in each city - where an institution does not publish its seat split, cases were attributed to its home city. Mediation counts use each institution’s international commercial caseload where it is published. Law graduate definitions vary so should be treated as indicative.