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 the Rebekah 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 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, 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:
“Incredible intellect, quality drafting and a calm and considered advocate. Ben has the ability of a barrister many years his senior.” Legal 500 2025 (Data Protection)
“His expertise and knowledge far exceed his year of call. He is also extremely pleasant, calm, personable and engaging.” Chambers and Partners 2024 (Defamation/Privacy)
“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)
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.”
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
Cooper v Evans & anor
[2023] EWHC 2555 (KB) 19/10/2023
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
Various Claimants v NGN (TPI)
[2024] EWHC 902 (Ch) 22/04/2024
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 & Ors
2201291/2020 02/04/2024
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
17 Oct 2024
5RB in Chambers & Partners 2025
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
Contact
Email: benhamer@5rb.com
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