Benny Lo is a Barrister and Chartered Arbitrator practising from Des Voeux Chambers, Hong Kong. A law graduate of Cambridge University and called to the Bars of Hong Kong and England & Wales (Inner Temple), he provides advocacy and advisory services in complex civil and commercial disputes, with specialist focus on intellectual property, technology, and the life sciences.
Positioned at the intersection of law and science, Benny brings a first-career in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to his practice. He devoted six years to laboratory research, notably as a Croucher Foundation Fellow to Nobel Laureate Prof Sir Gregory Winter FRS at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge on antibody engineering. He was the invited sole editor for Antibody Engineering, Methods and Protocols (Springer; 2004). His technical expertise in the sciences has allowed him to navigate the growing number of disputes from the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology arena. This is exemplified by a recent 23-day High Court liability trial (leading 2 juniors) in Hong Kong of a breach of confidence claim concerning the misappropriation of genetic testing trade secrets.
Ranked as a Band 1 Junior for Intellectual Property (Hong Kong Bar) and a Most-in-Demand Arbitrator (Hong Kong-Seated & International Arbitrations) by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500, Benny is recognized, inter alia, for “distilling complex issues into compelling, judge-focused arguments.”
- Judicial Experience
Arbitration: Appointed arbitrator in over 200 cases; one of the few practitioners at the Hong Kong Bar to sit in an investor-state arbitration alongside a former ICJ judge and a former UN International Law Commissioner (Seo v Republic of Korea).
Judicial and Quasi-Judicial: Appointed by the Chief Justice of Hong Kong as a Deputy District Judge and Temporary Deputy Registrar of the High Court, with further appointment as a Deputy High Court Judge (Non-Refoulement Claims) pending later in 2026; also appointed as a Member of the Copyright Tribunal in Hong Kong since 2020.
Jurisprudence: His High Court decision in Deltatre SPA v HK Sports Industrial Development Ltd [2018] HKCFI 1942 was adopted by the Court of Appeals in Hong Kong and in Singapore. In the latter case, Vinmar Overseas (Singapore) Pte Ltd v PTT International Trading Pte Ltd [2018] SGCA 65, the Singapore Court of Appeal overruled its own standing authority on the court’s approach to exclusive jurisdiction clauses.
- Education
University of Hong Kong:
2006-2007 – Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) with Distinction
University of Cambridge, UK
2004-2006 – Bachelor of Arts (Law Tripos) (with firsts in Contract, Land and Equity)
2010 – Master of Arts
University of Nottingham, UK
1998-2001 – Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in pharmaceutical biotechnology
1994-1997 – Bachelor of Pharmacy (1st Class Honours & Top of Year)
- Professional Qualifications and Memberships
- Called to the Bar of England and Wales (Inner Temple) (2025)
- Called to the Bar of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2008)
- Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow, The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
- Accredited General Mediator, Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited (HKMAAL) and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)
- Member, Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA)
- Appointment to Public Offices
Judicial
- Temporary Deputy Registrar, High Court of Hong Kong
- Deputy District Judge, District Court of Hong Kong
Quasi-judicial
- Member, Copyright Tribunal, Hong Kong
Others
- Member, Proceedings Committee of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)
- Member, Advisory Body on Outcome Related Fee Structures for Arbitration under Part 10B of the Hong Kong Arbitration Ordinance
- Chairman, Appeal Tribunal Panel (Buildings), Hong Kong (2015-2024)
- Member, Hong Kong Law Reform Commission subcommittee on “Outcome based Fee Structures for Arbitration”(2019-2021)
- Member, Liquor Licensing Board, Hong Kong (2018-2021)
- Member, Fishermen Claims Appeal Board (Trawl Ban), Hong Kong (2017-2023)
- Member, Appeal Panel (Housing), Hong Kong(2017-2021)
- Affiliations to Arbitral Institutions
- HKIAC (Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre) – Panel of Arbitrators, Panel of Emergency Arbitrators, Panel of Arbitrators for Intellectual Property Disputes
- SIAC (Singapore International Arbitration Centre) – Panel of Arbitrators (with Emergency Arbitrator endorsement)
- CIETAC (China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission) – Panel of Arbitrators
- BAC/BIAC (Beijing Arbitration Commission / Beijing International Arbitration Centre) – Panel of Arbitrators
- SCIA (Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration) – Panel of Arbitrators
- LCIA (London Court of International Arbitration) – Database of Arbitrators
- KCAB (Korean Commercial Arbitration Board) – Panel of International Arbitrators
- WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) – List of Arbitrators
- CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sports) – List of Arbitrators (General)
- BAT (Basketball Arbitral Tribunal, established pursuant to the statutes of FIBA, the International Basketball Federation) – Arbitrator
- Selected Awards
- 2007 – Charles Ching Memorial Scholarship, Hong Kong Bar Association
- 2001, 1998 – Croucher Foundation Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research and Research Scholarship for
- 1997 – Fitzhugh Memorial Prize for the most outstanding student, University of Nottingham, UK
- Anita and Nicola Lee Prize for Research, University of Nottingham, UK
- Languages
English
Mandarin
Cantonese - *Practising Status
Dr Benny Lo is fully qualified as a barrister in England and Wales, having been called and granted a full exemption from pupillage from the BSB. As his practice is primarily based in Hong Kong and internationally, he does not currently hold a UK practising certificate and is classified as an “unregistered barrister” under the BSB Handbook.
For further information on instructing Benny please contact the clerks.
Contact Dr Benny Lo's clerks
Whilst barristers have a designated practice management team, all the clerks have the capacity and knowledge to assist in cases involving all counsel.