Ben Hamer - 5RB Barristers - media and communications law barrister

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).
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 rising star in defamation and privacy as well as data protection in the Legal 500 and as Up and Coming by Chambers and Partners:

“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