Full article

The BRICS Effect and the Great Opportunity for International Law Firms: Where to Open and Why

The rise of the BRICS bloc is reshaping the global economy, investment flows and, inevitably, the opportunities available to the legal sector. While Europe and the United States face saturated, mature legal markets, the BRICS countries are experiencing economic dynamism, regulatory expansion and exponential demand for sophisticated legal services. For any firm with an international vision, the BRICS Effect is not a geopolitical threat but the greatest growth opportunity of the coming decade.

Far from being only a political alliance, the BRICS represent a genuine expansion of the global legal market, with thousands of companies needing advice in trade, energy, infrastructure, foreign investment, intellectual property, compliance, technology and arbitration. The legal map is shifting, and the firms that understand this movement will position themselves at the center of the world’s new economic corridors.

Why the BRICS are the next major hotspot for legal services

The five original members, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, represent enormous markets with sustained growth, ongoing regulatory modernization and a massive demand for high-level legal expertise. The recently added members, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia and Iran, expand the bloc into regions that control global energy, raw materials, maritime routes, infrastructure and technological development.

These countries are developing their own regulatory frameworks, distancing themselves from traditional Western legal standards. This creates an urgent need: Western companies operating in BRICS jurisdictions must rely on law firms that understand local laws, administrative cultures and geopolitical risks.

The BRICS are not only growing; they are becoming more complex, and every layer of complexity represents a new business opportunity for forward-thinking law firms.

The most strategic BRICS cities to open a law firm office

Not all BRICS capitals offer the same potential. A handful of cities concentrate the highest levels of economic activity, institutional stability, global investment and legal sophistication. These are the cities where an international firm can create real long-term value.

Dubai – The legal and commercial hub of the new expanded BRICS

Although the United Arab Emirates joined the bloc recently, Dubai has become the operational center of the multipolar world. With free zones, world-class arbitration courts (DIAC, DIFC-LCIA), regulatory clarity and thousands of multinational corporations, Dubai offers:

Institutional stability.
A hybrid legal system combining civil law, common law and specialized financial courts.
High volumes of investment connecting Asia, Africa and Europe.
A booming financial and technological ecosystem.

For many international firms, Dubai today is what Hong Kong was in the 1990s: a strategic bridge between global powers.

Shanghai – China’s financial and legal powerhouse

China is the largest BRICS market, but its legal system demands deep cultural understanding and strong local presence. Shanghai is the natural gateway for international firms because it offers:

The highest concentration of technological and industrial companies in the country.
Advanced regulation in trade, data and intellectual property.
Direct access to Belt & Road contracts and arbitration.

A firm based in Shanghai is not merely advising foreign businesses; it is operating inside the most dynamic economic engine in the world.

Bangalore or Mumbai – India’s booming legal frontier

India is set to be the fastest-growing economy in the BRICS bloc. Its legal needs are immense: tech sector mergers, telecommunications, intellectual property, digital regulation, energy, corporate compliance and data governance.

Bangalore serves as the technological capital, the “Silicon Valley of Asia,” while Mumbai remains the financial heart of the country. Opening in either city provides access to:

The largest tech-startup market in Asia.
A rapidly evolving regulatory ecosystem.
Growing demand for arbitration, data regulation and compliance.

India may be the single most promising jurisdiction for legal expansion in the next five years.

São Paulo – The economic engine of Latin America

Brazil leads the region and is a founding member of the BRICS. São Paulo offers:

A massive market in mergers and acquisitions.
High activity in infrastructure, energy and agribusiness.
One of the most sophisticated legal communities in Latin America.
A strong presence of U.S. and European multinationals.

For international firms, São Paulo is the natural gateway into the entire continent.

Johannesburg – The legal hub of Africa

South Africa remains the most institutionally stable BRICS nation in Africa and plays a central role in renewable energy, mining, infrastructure and trade. Johannesburg stands out because it is:

The financial capital of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Home to the country’s leading law firms and multinational headquarters.
A launchpad for operations in Kenya, Namibia, Ghana or Botswana.

Africa is poised to become one of the great regulatory arenas of the next decade, and Johannesburg is the ideal entry point.

Riyadh – The future regulatory giant of the Gulf

The entry of Saudi Arabia into the BRICS reshapes the global legal landscape. Vision 2030 has triggered thousands of contracts in Infrastructure, Urban development, Sports, Energy, Technology, Tourism

Riyadh is building new courts, special economic zones and regulatory regimes that require highly specialized counsel. For many firms, it will be the most lucrative legal market of the next ten years.

Conclusion

The next great expansion of the legal industry

The BRICS Effect does not merely change geopolitics; it changes the global legal business itself.

Where there is economic growth, there are contracts. Where there are contracts, there are disputes. And where there are disputes, lawyers will always be needed.

Law firms that move early and establish offices in Dubai, Shanghai, Bangalore, Mumbai, São Paulo, Johannesburg or Riyadh will not only attract clients; they will become key players in a new multipolar global order. Those who remain anchored in traditional jurisdictions risk losing relevance in the legal map that is now emerging.

The right moment to enter the BRICS is not in the future. It is now, while the new legal architecture is still being written.