Living between Dubai and Milan, but litigating in London

Every day we hear stories of wealthy individuals relocating from the UK in the wake of changes to its non-domicile tax laws. But while the rich may be leaving London as their place of residence, they will not be abandoning it as the place to resolve their most sensitive and high-stakes legal disputes. Like the guests of ‘Hotel California’ in the famous Eagles’ album title track, the world’s wealthy may check out of London, but when it comes to their choice of law, they never really leave.

For the world’s high net worth individuals (HNWIs), London will continue to thrive as the beating heart of global dispute resolution because its legal system, judiciary and professional services ecosystem are unmatched anywhere else in the world.

As Lord Denning, an esteemed English judge, said back in 1973 about his country’s legal system: “You may call this ‘forum shopping’ if you please, but if the forum is England, it is a good place to shop in, both for the quality of the goods and the speed of service.” While private wealth may find a new centre of gravity further east, the gravitational pull of London’s courts will stay as strong as ever.

According to a report by Henley & Partners, 10,800 millionaires left the UK in 2024 (a 157 per cent increase in departures from 2023). The number of UK billionaires also slid to 156 in 2025 from 165 in 2024, marking the sharpest decline in the Sunday Times Rich List’s 37-year-history.

Wealth crackdown

This wealth migration follows a crackdown on the UK’s non-domiciled tax regime from consecutive UK governments. The changes, which took effect on April 6 2025, ended a scheme that allowed UK residents claiming an overseas residence to avoid tax in the UK on foreign income and capital gains. London’s wealthy are now packing their bags for more favourable tax jurisdictions, including Dubai, Milan and Singapore.

But there’s an important point to bear in mind in all this: choices around tax residency and preferred legal jurisdiction for business matters have very different considerations for HNWIs.

Where the wealthy live and where they litigate are often different places. Even if they are structuring their lives and tax affairs elsewhere, the wealthy will still choose English law to govern their commercial legal arrangements and turn to London courts when things go awry.

A major reason London retains its global dominance as a centre for dispute resolution is its legal ecosystem. London has a deep and sophisticated network of legal and financial advisers, many of whom have longstanding relationships with clients globally, and an independent and sophisticated world-class court system.

When HNWIs face legal challenges, whether they are personal or commercial, they instinctively turn to their trusted professionals and a familiar legal forum to safeguard their interests. This is why, for decades, the wealthy from Europe, Asia and the Middle East turned to London to enforce their legal rights and protect their wealth. From complex cross-border divorces to trust disputes, shareholder conflicts and commercial litigation involving offshore structures, London’s courts handle the issues with a level of expertise, scale and independence that is unmatched elsewhere.

Family affairs

The legal battle over the estate of Russian billionaire Oleg Burlakov, who died in 2021 leaving behind a fortune of around $3bn and business interests from Panama to Monaco to Switzerland, is currently being litigated in London. And in February 2025, a cousin of Qatar’s ruler lost his ownership battle in London’s High Court against another family member over a 17th century diamond worth approximately £10m ($14m). According to a 2023-2024 report by the English Commercial Court, 75 per cent of its cases involved one or more parties outside the UK, or were related to property or events outside the UK.

This ecosystem of private client lawyers, tax advisers, accountants, investigators and wealth managers will not be going anywhere. Nor will London’s astute and experienced judges. The UK’s capital will remain the forum of choice for resolving the world’s wealthiest disputes, and English law and legal expertise will continue to be a vital asset to the UK economy.

So, what exactly makes London so attractive for resolving legal disputes?

The English judiciary is widely respected for impartiality, integrity and deep expertise. This is particularly the case in commercial, chancery and family law matters. Cases are heard by specialist judges with deep understanding of complex legal and financial issues with adherence to the rule of law, front and centre.

English common law is renowned for its clarity and precedent-based approach, making it a natural choice for cross-border contracts and disputes. This is why so many international agreements, from private equity to trusts, and joint ventures to commercial real estate, are governed by English law, even when the assets or parties are based abroad. You can count on contracting parties from Nigeria to Thailand to still use English law to govern their wealth matters.

London calling

London also offers a neutral, stable environment for resolving high-stakes disputes in English. This is especially valuable in cases involving politically affiliated persons, cross-border family members, or international business partners seeking a trusted third-party venue.

Moreover, London’s courts are known for their procedural efficiency, specialist divisions, such as the Financial List or Technology and Construction Court, and widely enforceable judgments. The UK is also a party to the New York Convention, making arbitral awards rendered in London readily enforceable in more than 160 countries.

Beyond the courts, London offers unrivalled access to litigation support — from asset tracing and forensic accounting to flexible dispute resolution mechanisms like mediation and private adjudication.

For all these reasons, even as wealthy individuals diversify their holdings across jurisdictions, London will remain their legal safety net. Whether based in Riyadh or Geneva, Singapore or Mumbai, the ultra-wealthy will continue to create trusts governed by English law principles, and designate London as the forum for resolving disputes.

True, many family offices have shifted operations abroad in search of tax perks, business-friendly regulations or two-click residence permits. But when reputations are rattled or dynasties are in dispute, the sun-kissed courts abroad will not offer much help. That’s when HNWIs will come running back to London, where real money still trusts the legal system to settle real problems.

Even when there is no choice, the London courts will still retain their grip because of the jurisdictional laws in play. Litigation often lags by several years, meaning the legal ties formed by these departing millionaires while residing in the UK can continue to bind individuals to the London courts long after they have left the country.

All this means London’s role in the world of private wealth is far from fading, it is evolving. The city is transitioning from a place where wealth is held and enjoyed, to the place where it is protected and enforced. It is no surprise that just two weeks after the non-domicile tax laws took effect, Swiss-based private bank EFG International announced it was setting up an Asia desk in London to court wealthy Asian clients.

So, wealth managers, family office advisers and lawyers working with international clients take note: relocation does not mean departure. While tax changes may drive individuals to settle in other domiciles, their professional networks and legal roots will remain firmly embedded here, and advisers should continue to leverage the strength of London’s courts when planning asset protection structures, drafting contracts, or preparing clients for potential litigation.

In wealth, as in war, the battlefield matters. And when it comes to legal battles, there’s still nowhere to fight it out like London. For many of the wealthiest investors, as the Eagles would have it, this is their ‘Last Resort’.

Saqib Alam, partner, Morrison Foerster, London