真实世界里的全球律师事务所：实践局限和所涉伦理问题

摘要: 文章认为，尽管近年来全球律师事务所的数量增加，但由于经济(和法律)升级水平的不确定性，无法对这些事务所的未来进行推断。带来这些不确定性的部分原因是全球及地区冲突的增加，恐怖主义、环境恶化、传染病、强制性迁移、贸易禁运等等，反过来又导致了全球性不平等，南北半球之间及内部的财富差距。有人认为，全球法律事务所，作为“全球资本支配的润滑剂”，需要关注其法律业务会对当地的金融、发展和贸易带来的影响。不仅要确保全球法律事务所未来的安全和收入，更要确保全球民主诉求和民主机构的稳定性。

Abstract: This article argues that despite the rise in the numbers of global law firms in recent years, the fu-ture of these firms should not be assumed given escalating levels of economic (and legal) uncer-tainty. These uncertainties are the result, in part, of growing global and regional conflicts, terrorism, environmental degradation, pandemics, forced migrations, trade embargoes and so on which are in turn linked to global inequalities and disparities of wealth between and within the global south and global north. It is argued that global law firms, as the “lubricators of global capitalism”, should pay attention to the localized real-world impacts of finance, development and trade that their legal work enables. This is important not only to ensure the future security and revenues of global law firms, but more importantly to ensure democratic aspirations and the stability of democratic institutions around the world.