The Law Society has today made a submission to the Home Office warning that its proposed limits on non-EU highly skilled migration could damage the legal sector.

The submission follows concerns voiced by Liberal Democrat business secretary Vince Cable this week that immigration limits are damaging British industry.

The Law Society said the proposals will threaten the UK’s position as a prominent legal centre, severely restricting law firms’ overseas work and their ability to employ international lawyers.

Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said the Law Society has worked closely with its members to identify the impact of the cap on the legal sector.

He said: ‘Britain's ability to remain internationally competitive is under threat, and our business community is also feeling the pressure at a time when we need to revive the economy rather than hinder it.

‘The UK could lose large volumes of legal transactional work to other jurisdictions if we are not allowed access the best talent in strong and emerging economies, such as China and India, as well as our partners in the US and Australia, for example.

‘Recruitment of specialist talent from the global marketplace underpins the success of leading international law firms.’

Hudson added: ‘The Law Society will continue to lobby on behalf of our members and work closely with the government to ensure the UK remains the jurisdiction of choice for international legal work.’