Lei Chen

Lei Chen is Chair of Comparative Law, Lee Kai Hung Chair in Chinese Politics, and Director of the Manchester China Institute at The University of Manchester. Before joining Manchester in August 2026, he held the Chair in International Arbitration and Chinese Law at Durham Law School, Durham University (2020–2026), where he also served as Deputy Dean for Strategic Development and Internationalisation (2024–2026) and founding Director of the Durham International Dispute Resolution Institute (2022–2026). He maintains an academic affiliation with Durham University.

His research spans comparative private and commercial law, Chinese law, and international arbitration, with particular interests in property, contract, civil justice and transnational commercial dispute resolution. He is an elected Ordinary Member of Academia Europaea and of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, a Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law, and a Fellow of the European Law Institute. His books include Property Law in China: Transition and Trend (Cambridge University Press, 2025), Contract Law in China (Kluwer Law International, 2025), and The Making of Chinese Condominium Law (Intersentia, 2010).

He was called to the Bar of England and Wales (Inner Temple) in 2025 and is an independent arbitrator at Newmans Row, London. He also serves on the International Commercial Expert Committee of the Supreme People’s Court of China.