Ben Hamer

Ben Hamer

Ben joined 5RB in 2018. He specialises in privacy, defamation and data protection law, acting for both claimants and defendants. Examples of Ben’s recent work include:

  • Acting for the successful defendant, Coleen Rooney, in thRebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney libel action (led by David Sherborne).
  • Acting for Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex; Sir Elton John; David Furnish; Elizabeth Hurley; Baroness Doreen Lawrence; Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes in their claims for misuse of private information against Associated Newspapers Ltd, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
  • Appearing for the successful claimant in the online harassment case of Dew v Mills-Nanyn.
  • Acting for Andrew Neil in his ongoing libel action against Jennifer Arcuri.
  • Acting for actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard in a privacy claim against the Mail Online in Bell Shepard v Associated Newspapers.
  • Acting for the successful defendant in the strike out of multiple causes of action and transfer from the High Court in the Johnson v Eastlight data breach claim.
  • Acting for the claimants in the ongoing phone hacking litigation against The Sun and former News of the World relating to a large number of claims from celebrities and others in respect of phone hacking and other unlawful activities.
  • Acting for the claimant in Blackledge v Persons Unknown where libel and harassment damages of £70,000 were awarded against the Defendant. This was the first case where a section 13 order has been made against Google (the operator of the defamatory blog) to remove a site.
  • Advising the successful claimant in the first privacy injunction of a British Overseas Territory.
  • Acting for the successful appellant in Soriano v Forensic News & Ors in the Court of Appeal on the extra-territorial reach of the GDPR and s.9 of the Defamation Act 2013 (led by Greg Callus).

Ben is listed as a Leading Junior in defamation and privacy as well as a Rising Star in data protection in the Legal 500 and as Up and Coming by Chambers and Partners:

A great tactician with a depth of knowledge far beyond his year of call. He has an incredibly sharp legal mind.” Legal 500 2024 (Data Protection)

Ben is an excellent advocate, measured, and instils a great sense of confidence that he is putting the client’s best case forward in the best possible manner” Legal 500 2024 (Defamation/Privacy)

He continues to stand out as the best of the next generation” Chambers and Partners 2023 (Defamation/Privacy)

 

Ben has a depth of knowledge that is years beyond his call and an ability to demonstrate his expertise through written work and advocacy of the highest standard. He combines this with being unwaveringly calm, personable and courteous” Legal 500 2023 (Data Protection)

 

Ben is very hard-working and incredibly bright” Chambers and Partners 2023 (Defamation/Privacy)

 

He’s always on hand to respond, is very pragmatic and trusted implicitly” Chambers and Partners 2023 (Data Protection)

 

Ben is one to watch – great at detail and excellent drafting skills” Legal 500 2023 (Defamation/Privacy)

 

For a number of years Ben has provided pre-publication advice to various publications such as The Times and The Sunday Times as well as HarperCollins and Bloomsbury publishers. He is security cleared to SC level.

Ben began as a tenant at 5RB after successful completion of pupillage at Chambers. His supervisors were Adam Wolanski KC, Jonathan Barnes KC, Richard Munden and Adam Speker KC.

Ben was called to the Bar in 2017 at Lincoln’s Inn, where he was a Lord Bowen and Lord Denning scholar.

In 2017, Ben was presented with the Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize, run in conjunction with the Daily Telegraph, for his writing on free speech, social media and ‘fake news’. As an undergraduate, he edited Palatinate, where he won the Hunter Davies Prize for Student Journalism.

Scholarships and Awards

Hubert Greenland Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
Lord Denning Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
Lord Bowen Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
Hardwicke Entrance Award (Lincoln’s Inn)
Buchanan Prize (Lincoln’s Inn)
Advocacy Scholarship (BPTC)
5 Paper Buildings Prize for Cross-Examination (BPTC)
Resolution of Disputes Out of Court Prize (BPTC)
Judicial Review Prize (BPTC)
Law First Scholarship (GDL)
Maltby Exhibition (best dissertation)
How Prize (top First in Finals)
Maltby Prize (best mark in year)

Called

2017 Called to the Bar of England and Wales

Education

University of Law, Bloomsbury (BPTC: Outstanding)
University of Law, Moorgate (GDL: Distinction)
University of Oxford (MSt)
University of Durham (BA (Hons): First Class)

Areas of work

Privacy and Confidence
Harassment
Defamation and Malicious Falsehood
Data Protection and Information Law
Pre-publication Advice
Reporting the Courts and Contempt
Human Rights
Injunctive Relief

Testimonials

Leading junior:

Ben is an excellent advocate, measured, and instils a great sense of confidence that he is putting the client’s best case forward in the best possible manner.”

Legal 500 2024, Defamation and Privacy 

Rising star:

A great tactician with a depth of knowledge far beyond his year of call. He has an incredibly sharp legal mind.”

Legal 500 2024, Data Protection

Memberships

Member of the Bar Representation Committee of Lincoln's Inn
Joint Chair of the Junior Members' Committee of Lincoln's Inn

All cases

Defamation and Malicious Falsehood

Soriano v Le Point & Anor

[2022] EWHC 3370 (KB) 17/03/2023

Smith v Backhouse

[2022] EWHC 3011 (KB) 17/03/2023

Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney

[2022] EWHC 2017 (QB) 29/07/2022

Soriano v Le Point & Anor

[2022] EWHC 1763 (QB) 08/07/2022

Vardy v Rooney

[2022] EWHC 304 (QB) 14/02/2022

Soriano v Forensic News LLC & ors

[2021] EWCA Civ 1952 21/12/2021

Blackledge v Persons Unknown

[2021] EWHC 1994 (QB) 15/07/2021

Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney

[2021] EWHC 1888 (QB) 07/07/2021

Soriano v Silverstein

[2021] EWHC 873 (QB) 13/04/2021

Soriano v Forensic News & ors

[2021] EWHC 56 (QB) 15/01/2021

Privacy and Confidence

Baroness Lawrence & Ors v Associated Newspapers Ltd

[2023] EWHC 2789 (KB) 10/11/2023

Pendragon Plc v Person(s) Unknown

[2022] EWHC 2985 (KB) 24/11/2022

Johnson v Eastlight Community Homes

[2021] EWHC 3069 (QB) 16/11/2021

Soriano v Forensic News & ors

[2021] EWHC 56 (QB) 15/01/2021

Harassment

Smith v Backhouse

[2022] EWHC 3011 (KB) 17/03/2023

Blackledge v Persons Unknown

[2021] EWHC 1994 (QB) 15/07/2021

Blackmail

Pendragon Plc v Person(s) Unknown

[2022] EWHC 2985 (KB) 24/11/2022

Reporting the Courts and Contempt

Clifford v Millicom Services UK Ltd

[2023] EWCA Civ 50 17/03/2023

Millicom Services UK Limited & Ors v Michael Clifford

[2022] EAT 74 11/05/2022

Guardian News & Media v (1) Rozanov; (2) EFG Private Bank Ltd

[2022] EAT 12 23/03/2022

Dimitri Rozanov v EFG Private Bank Limited

2208031/2017 03/01/2020

Injunctive Relief

Pendragon Plc v Person(s) Unknown

[2022] EWHC 2985 (KB) 24/11/2022

Data Protection and Information Law

Soriano v Le Point & Anor

[2022] EWHC 3370 (KB) 17/03/2023

Smith v Backhouse

[2022] EWHC 3011 (KB) 17/03/2023

Soriano v Forensic News LLC & ors

[2021] EWCA Civ 1952 21/12/2021

Johnson v Eastlight Community Homes

[2021] EWHC 3069 (QB) 16/11/2021

Blackledge v Persons Unknown

[2021] EWHC 1994 (QB) 15/07/2021

5RB Talks

5RB talks - Back to Basics - Introduction to GDPR

1 Oct 2021
With Ben Hamer & Chloe Strong

In 5RB News

8 Feb 2024

Judgment in rare slander trial 

Richard Spearman KC sitting as a High Court Judge today dismissed a slander claim after a one-day trial in the Royal Courts of Justice.

5 Dec 2023

Statements in Open Court in Mobile Telephone Interception Litigation

21 Nov 2023

Consequentials hearing in Lawrence & Ors v Associated

10 Nov 2023

Lawrence & Ors v Associated privacy claims can go to trial

20 Oct 2023

5RB tops rankings in Chambers & Partners

5 Oct 2023

5RB named Tier 1 set in Defamation and privacy by The Legal 500

15 Sep 2023

Gabby and Kenny Logan paid substantial damages over libels

25 Jul 2023

Court of Appeal upholds undertakings in online harassment case

11 Jul 2023

Undertakings appeal in Smith v Backhouse

5 Jul 2023

Applications in Duke of Sussex v NGN

14 Jun 2023

5RB supporting London Legal Walk 2023

27 Mar 2023

Lawrence & Ors v Associated: four-day hearing begins

10 Feb 2023

Injunction granted over tweets in Soriano v Silverstein

3 Jan 2023

5RB cases dominate Spear’s reputation cases roundup 2022

11 Oct 2022

Statement in open court in international online harassment claim

7 Oct 2022

5RB named top set by The Legal 500

Directory rankings also released

4 Oct 2022

Rebekah Vardy ordered to pay indemnity costs

Costs of up to £1.5m ordered with an interim payment of £800,000

29 Jul 2022

Coleen Rooney succeeds in truth defence in Vardy v Rooney

Steyn J finds that Rebekah Vardy leaked posts from private Instagram account

21 Jul 2022

Contemnor in online harassment case sentenced to six months

Judgment given in Dew v Mills-Nanyn [2022] EWHC 1925 (QB) by Mrs Justice Collins Rice

30 Mar 2022

Jurisdiction hearing in Andrew Neil v Jennifer Arcuri

Permission to serve out libel claim granted

8 Feb 2022

Vardy v Rooney Hearing

21 Dec 2021

Landmark GDPR appeal allowed in Soriano v Forensic News LLC & ors

The Claimant’s GDPR cross-appeal is allowed and the Defendants’ libel appeal is dismissed by the Court of Appeal

16 Nov 2021

Lloyd v Google Supreme Court decision

5RB barristers review key takeaways from the judgment in this short 5RB talk

13 Oct 2021

Statement in Open Court in Bell Shepard v Associated Newspapers Limited

Mail Online settles privacy claim over photograph of the daughter of Hollywood actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard

15 Jul 2021

Academic awarded £70,000 in damages over blog

7 Jul 2021

Rebekah Vardy’s summary judgment application fails

18 Jun 2021

Hearing in Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney

21 Nov 2020

Meaning of Coleen Rooney’s social media posts determined in Vardy v Rooney libel case

The meaning of Instagram and Twitter posts by Coleen Rooney decided by High Court

18 Jun 2019

5RB at the London Legal Walk 2019

4 Oct 2018

Ben Hamer joins 5RB

Chambers welcomes new tenant and new pupil

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