Staff profile
Professor Lei Chen
Chair in International Arbitration and Chinese Law
Affiliation | Room number | Telephone |
---|---|---|
Chair in International Arbitration and Chinese Law in the Durham Law School |
Biography
Professor Lei CHEN (PhD) is Chair in International Arbitration and Chinese Law at Durham Law School, Durham University. He founded the Durham International Dispute Resolution Institute (DIDRI) in 2022 and is now its director. Professor Chen is an Adjunct Professor at the City University of Hong Kong, teaching the EMBA and MPA programmes at the City University of Hong Kong Business School and the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University. He is also an Honorary Professor at the School of Law, University Galway, Ireland. Professor Chen has also been a Visiting Scholar at Harvard, Columbia, Emory, Max-Planck Institute for Comparative Private Law, K.U. Leuven, Université Catholique de Lyon, Radboud University, Maastricht University, Chuo University Japan, National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, Reichman University (IDC Herzliya), and the University of Hawaii.
Professor Chen's research areas are comparative private law and international commercial arbitration. He has two L.L.B. degrees (from civil and common law backgrounds). He has had significant success in applying for research grants and has been awarded General Research Funds four times from Hong Kong Research Grant Committee. He has been an external reviewer for grant funding bodies in the U.S.A., Hong Kong, UK, Israel, Poland and Australia. Professor Chen has published seven books (authored and edited) and many leading journal articles. He sits on the editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals published by OUP, Hart, Taylor & Francis, Springer, and Brill.
In 2021, Professor Chen was elected as Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law. He has been a Fellow of the European Law Institute since 2013. He has been a Law Panel of Research Assessment Exercise (R.A.E.) 2020 in Hong Kong as an institutional reviewer. He is now a research grant committee member of the Society of Legal Scholars (S.L.S.).
Professor Chen is on the panel of arbitrators and mediators in many leading arbitration institutions such as HKIAC, SCIA, KCAB, CIETAC, B.A.C., SHIAC, AIAC, C.A.A. and THAC etc. He is also a fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators. Apart from participating in international academic networks, he advises various international organizations and governments and frequently provides expert opinions across multiple arbitration institutions and courts in Hong Kong, P.C.A. (Hague), Washington DC, Geneva, Singapore and England. Professor Chen is an expert member on ODR collaborating with UNCITRAL. He has led consultancy work commissioned by Microsoft Inc. and the Great Britain China Centre, UK.
Professor Chen has supervised 10 PhD, J.S.D., and MPhil (research postgraduate) students in property, contract, civil procedure, company and commercial arbitration. He has also served as an external PhD examiner/panel member in Monash University, Leiden University, Maastricht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Maastricht University.
Selected Grants
- Addressing Impediments or Hardship to Contract Performance: A Comparative Study of the Common Law in Hong Kong and Chinese Law, General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grant Committee (RGC), Hong Kong Government, Amount: HKD $512,904, July 2021, Lei CHEN (Co-I), Qiao Liu (PI), Ewan Mckendrick (Co-I)
- The Availability of Specific Performance in Chinese Courts: An Empirical Assessment, General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grant Committee (RGC), Hong Kong Government, Estimated Amount: HKD $460,000, Jan 2016 - Jul 2018, Lei CHEN (PI).
- Understanding Property Transitions: The Emergence of Rural Land Markets in China, General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grant Committee (RGC), Hong Kong Government, Amount: HKD $510,000, Jan 2015 - Jun 2017, Lei CHEN (PI) .
- Assessing Property Relations and Formalizing Condominium Ownership in China, General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grant Committee (RGC), Hong Kong Government, Amount: HKD $499,000, Nov 2012 - Nov 2015, Lei CHEN (PI) .
- Contract Law in China and Europe: A Comparative Approach, EU-China Research Grant, 2011 - 2014, Co-I Jan Smits (PI).
- Comprehensive Analysis of Diversity of Legal Systems in Asia-Pacific Region and Convergence towards Establishment of Rule of Law, Private University Research Branding Project, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Tech日本文部科學省, Amount: JPY $3,500,000, 2017 - 2018, Co-PI (Lei CHEN); Prof. Nobuyuki Sato (PI) .
- Cross-border Data Transfer among Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, Research Project commissioned by Microsoft Int. Policy Research Grant, Amount: HKD $360,000, 2018 - 2019, Lei CHEN (PI).
Research interests
- Comparative contract law
- Condominium Law
- Corporate and commercial law
- International arbitration
- Property law
Esteem Indicators
- 2023: Editorial Board Member for Humanities & Social Sciences Communications ( SJR 2022 Q1): Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (nature.com)
- 2022: Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts:
- 2022: Honorary Professor of School of Law, University of Galway, Ireland:
- 2022: Editorial committee member of Asia Pacific Law Review: Asia Pacific Law Review Editorial Board (tandfonline.com)
- 2021: Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law/Académie internationale de droit comparé: Members by Country and Status | AIDC - IACL
- 2021: Member of the Research Grant Committee of the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS): Committees - Society of Legal Scholars
- 2020: Editor of the Chinese Journal of Comparative Law published by OUP: Editorial Board | The Chinese Journal of Comparative Law | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
- 2020: Adjunct Professor of City University of Hong Kong: Dr CHEN Lei | School of Law (cityu.edu.hk)
- 2020: Advisor board member for Commercial Law in Asia book series by Singapore Academy of Law: Commercial Law in Asia | Singapore Academy of Law (sal.org.sg)
- 2020: Law Panel Member of Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2020 Hong Kong: Membership (ugc.edu.hk)
- 2019: Visiting Professor at Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore: NUS Law welcomes Visiting Professors – September 2019 - NUS Law
- 2019: Visiting Professor at Harry Radzyner Law School, Reichman University: Visiting Professors | Reichman University (runi.ac.il)
- 2017: International Editorial Board member of Comparative Legal History (SJR 2022 Q1): Comparative Legal History Editorial Board (tandfonline.com)
- 2016: Visiting Professor at College of Law, National Taiwan University (summer school): S5_Civil_Law.pdf (ntu.edu.tw)
- 2015: International Fellow of the Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law, University of Hong Kong: People | Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law (hku.hk)
- 2014: Fellow of the European Law Institute:
- 2012: Founding editor of the Chinese and Comparative Law Book series published by Brill (SCOPUS indexed): Chinese and Comparative Law Series (brill.com)
- 2011: Advisory board member of European Journal of Comparative Law and Governance: European Journal of Comparative Law and Governance | Brill
Publications
Authored book
Chapter in book
- Chen, L. 100 Years of the Chinese Property Law: Looking Back and Thinking Forward. In L. Chen, & C. van Rhee (Eds.), Towards A Chinese Civil Code, Historical and Comparative Perspectives. Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004204881_006
- Promises and Persistent Problems. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009336611
- Wang, J., & Chen, L. (in press). Regulating Smart Contracts and Digital Platforms: A Chinese Perspective. In L. DiMatteo, M. Cannarsa, & C. Poncibò (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Smart Contracts, Blockchain Technology and Digital Platforms. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108592239.010
- Chen, L. Codifying Personality Rights in China: Legislative Innovation or Scaremongering?. In K. Oliphant, P. Zhang, & L. Chen (Eds.), The Legal Protection of Personality Rights in China and Europe. Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004351714_007
- Chen, L. Availability of Specific Remedies in Chinese Contract Law. In M. Chen-Wishart, A. Loke, & O. Burton (Eds.), Remedies for Breach of Contract (21-42). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780198757221.003.0002
- Chen, L. Damages and Specific Performance in Chinese Contract Law. In L. Chen, & L. Dimatteo (Eds.), Chinese Contract Law: Civil law and Common Law Perspectives (377-403). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316816912.016
- Chen, L. (2023). The Security Interests in Chinese Law: Some Nuances. . Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009336611.007
- Leon, T., Qiao, L., & Chen, L. (2020). investor-state Arbitration in China: A Comparative Perspective. In L. Chen, & A. Janssen (Eds.), Dispute Resolution in China, Europe and World (231-261). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42974-4_11
- Chen, L., & Wang, H. (2020). Judicial Control over Arbitral Awards in Mainland China. In L. DiMatteo, M. Infantino, & N. Potin (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Judicial Control of Arbitral Awards (208-223). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316998250.018
- Chen, L., Michalek, A., & Wang, J. (2019). The Norm of Property's Social Function: A Chinese Perspective. In P. Babie, & J. Viven-Wilksch (Eds.), Léon Duguit and the Social Obligation Norm of Property (331-354). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7189-9_14
- Chen, L. (2018). Relaxations of Contractual Privity and the Need for Third Party Rights in Chinese Contract Law. In M. Chen-Wishart, A. Loke, & S. Vogenauer (Eds.), Formation and Third Party Beneficiaries (45-63). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198808114.003.0003
- Chen, L. (2018). The Evolution of the Property System in China: Between the Socialist Heritage and Liberal Market. In H. Fu, J. Gillespie, P. Nicholson, & W. Partlett (Eds.), Socialist Law in Socialist East Asia (385-405). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108347822.014
- Chen, L., & Dimatteo, L. (2017). History of Chinese contract law. In L. Chen, & L. Dimatteo (Eds.), Chinese Contract Law: Civil law and Common Law Perspectives. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316816912.002
- Chen, L. (2016). The Changing Landscape of Condominium Laws and Urban Governance in China. In A. Lehavi (Ed.), Private Communities and Urban Governance: Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives (1-26). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33210-9_1
- Chen, L. (2014). The Legal and Institutional Analysis of Land Expropriation in China. In F. Hualing, & G. John (Eds.), Resolving Land Disputes in East Asia: Exploring the Limits of Law (59-85). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107589193.006
- Chan, P., Chan, D., & Chen, L. (2014). China: Hong Kong. Selective Adoption of the English Woolf Reforms. In C. van Rhee, & F. Yulin (Eds.), Civil Litigation in China and Europe: Essays on the Role of Judges and Parties. Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7666-1_5
- Chen, L., & van Rhee, C. (2012). Introduction. In L. Chen, & C. Van Rhee (Eds.), Towards a Chinese Civil Code Comparative and Historical Perspectives. Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004204881_002
- Chen, L. (2012). Contextualizing Legal Transplant: China and Hong Kong. In P. Monateri (Ed.), Methods of Comparative Law. Elgar Edward. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781781005118.00017
Edited book
- Chen, L., Ge, J., He, J., Liu, Q., Wu, Z., & Xiong, B. (Eds.). (2021). The Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China: English Translation. Brill Academic Publishers
- Chen, L., & Janssen, A. (Eds.). (2020). Dispute Resolution in China, Europe and World. Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42974-4
- Oliphant, K., Zhang, P., & Chen, L. (Eds.). (2018). The Legal Protection of Personality Rights in China and Europe. Brill Academic Publishers
- Civil and Common Law Perspectives. Cambridge University Press
- Howells, G., Twigg-Flesner, C., Micklitz, H., & Chen, L. (Eds.). (2017). Comparative Consumer Sales Law. Routledge
- Comparative and Historical Perspectives. Brill Academic Publishers
Journal Article
- Chen, L. Court-ordered Apologes: A Chinese Law Position. European Review of Private Law, 31(4),
- Chen, L. (2023). Will Virtual Hearings Remain in Post-pandemic International Arbitration?. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-023-10054-7
- Chen, L. (2023). Self-governing organizations and culture: addressing condominium law developments in China. Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law, https://doi.org/10.1108/jppel-04-2023-0014
- Wu, Z., & Chen, L. (2023). Revisiting property transfer theory: English law and Chinese law compared. Legal Studies, 43(2), 259-277. https://doi.org/10.1017/lst.2022.36
- Chen, L., Liu, Z., & Tang, Y. (2022). Judicial Transparency as Judicial Centralization: Mass Publicity of Court Decisions in China. Journal of Contemporary China, 31(137), 726-739. https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2021.2010871
- Chen, L. (2021). Consumer Protection Due to the Pandemic: Chinese Legal Responses
- Chen, L., & de Rey, S. (2021). Non-Monetary Relief for Breach of Contract: A European Perspective on Chinese Contract Law. Asia Pacific Law Review, 29(2), 325-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/10192557.2022.2033086
- Chen, L. (2021). Continuity and Change: Some Reflections on the Chinese Civil Code. Asia Pacific Law Review, 29(2), 287-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/10192557.2022.2033084
- Chen, L., & Wang, Q. (2021). Demystifying the Doctrine of Change of Circumstances under Chinese Law—A Comparative Perspective from Singapore and English Common Law. Journal of Business Law, 6, 475-496
- Group, C. C. L. R., & Chen, L. (2020). Consumer Law and Policy Relating to Change of Circumstances Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Consumer Policy, 43(3), 437-450. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-020-09463-z
- Chen, L., & DiMatteo, L. (2020). Inefficiency of Specific Performance as a Contractual Remedy in Chinese Courts: An Empirical and Normative Analysis. Northwestern journal of international law & business, 40(3), 275-332. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3492796
- Liu, J. Z., & Chen, L. (2020). Jury trial and public trust in the judiciary: evidence from cross-countries comparison. Asia Pacific Law Review, 28(2), 412-436. https://doi.org/10.1080/10192557.2020.1867794
- Chen, L. (2019). Specific Performance as a Contractual Remedy in Chinese Courts: An Empirical Study. Chinese Journal of Comparative Law, 7(1), 95-123. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjcl/cxz007
- Chen, L. (2018). Debating Personality Rights Protection in China: From a European Perspective. European Review of Private Law, 26(1), 31-55. https://doi.org/10.54648/erpl2018003
- Wang, J., & Chen, L. (2018). Will Innovative Technology Result in Innovative Legal Frameworks? – Smart Contracts in China. European Review of Private Law, 26(6), 921-942. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316816912
- Chen, L., & Sng, G. (2014). Whither Adverse Possession in Hong Kong? Some reflections on the Consultation Paper by the Hong Kong Law Reform Commission. Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 2014(5), 413-429
- Kielsgard, M., & Chen, L. (2014). The Emergence of Private Property Law in China and Its Impact on Human Rights
- Chen, L. (2014). Land Registration, Property Rights and Institutional Performance in China: Progress Achieved and Challenges Ahead. Hong Kong law journal, 44(3), 841-864
- Chen, L., & Kielsgard, M. (2014). Evolving Property Rights in China: Patterns and Dynamics of Condominium Governance. Chinese Journal of Comparative Law, 2(1), https://doi.org/10.1093/cjcl/cxt016
- Chen, L. (2010). The Developer’s Role in the Surging Chinese Condominium Housing: Through the Comparative Lens of the US System. Asia Pacific Law Review, 18(2), 233-242. https://doi.org/10.1080/10192557.2010.11788234
- Chen, L. (2010). Private Property with Chinese Characteristics: A Critical Analysis of the Chinese Law on Property of 2007. European Review of Private Law, 18(5), 983-1004. https://doi.org/10.54648/erpl2010073
- Mostert, H., & Chen, L. (2010). The Dynamics of Constitutional Property Clauses in the Developing World: China and South Africa. Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 17(4), 377-405. https://doi.org/10.1177/1023263x1001700403
- Chen, L. (2010). The historical development of the Civil Law tradition in China: a private law perspective. https://doi.org/10.1163/157181910x487350
- Chen, L. (2010). Pure Economic Loss: Can Common Law System Shed Some Light?
- Chen, L., & van der Merwe, C. (2009). Reflections on the role of the managing agent in South African and Chinese condominium legislation. https://doi.org/10.10520/ejc55232
- Chen, L., & Mostert, H. (2007). The Unavoidable Necessity of Formalizing Condominium Ownership in China: A Pilot Study. Asian Journal of Comparative Law, 2(1), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1017/s219460780000003x