The City’s legal sector was notably absent from the high-powered business delegation accompanying London mayor Boris Johnson on his trip to China last week.  

Johnson said during his visit that there is ‘massive potential’ for London businesses to export their expertise to the world’s second-largest economy. His trip coincided with a high-profile visit by the chancellor George Osborne.

Samant Narula, partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner, said it was surprising that no law firms were included, given the pre-eminence of the UK’s legal sector. ‘It would be useful for law firms to work with the government and mayor’s office to make sure they are involved in future trips,’ he said.

Narula noted the raft of Chinese investment plans announced last week. He said firms could gain traction by working with investment managers and boosting their presence in east Asia.