Staff profile

Professor Lei Chen (PhD) is the Chair of International Arbitration and Chinese Law and the Deputy Dean (Strategic Development and Internationalisation) at Durham Law School. He is also a Director of Durham International Dispute Resolution Institute, which he founded in 2022. 

His research focuses on comparative private law, Chinese civil law, and international arbitration. His work sits at the intersection of comparative private law and transnational dispute resolution, with particular focus on China's evolving role in global legal governance.  He has secured multiple research grants, including four General Research Funds from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council. He has served as an external reviewer for grant bodies in the USA, Hong Kong, the UK, Israel, Poland, and Australia, and as an institutional reviewer for the 2020 Hong Kong Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Professor Chen currently leads a major multi-volume project producing the first article-by-article English-language commentary on the Chinese Civil Code, bringing together leading scholars from China, Europe and abroad. This project is widely regarded as a landmark contribution to comparative and transnational private law scholarship. 

Professor Chen is a member of Academia Europaea (2026), the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2024), a Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (2021, and a Fellow of the European Law Institute. He serves on the Humanities and Social Sciences Panel of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council.

In practice, Professor Chen is a seasoned international arbitrator and mediator, serving on the panels of leading institutions including HKIAC, SIAC, LCIA, ICC (UK), DIAC, CIETAC, ADGM, SCIA, KCAB, ACICA, BAC, SHIAC, AIAC, CAA. In 2024, he was appointed to the International Commerical Expert Committee of the Supreme People's Court of China. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators (FHKIArb), and a specialist mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Centre and Shanghai Oriental International Commercial Mediation Centre. Professor Chen was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 2025.

He holds visiting and honorary appointments at institutions including the University of Galway, Shandong University, Shanghai Jiaotong Univeristy, Hunan Normal University and City University of Hong Kong. 

Selected Grants

• Comparative contract law
• Condominium Law
• Corporate and commercial law
• International arbitration
• Property law

• 2024: Panel Member of Humanities and Social Sciences Panel of Research Grants Council, Hong Kong SAR:
• 2024: International Commerical Committee Member of the Supreme People's Court, China:
• 2024: Ordinary Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts:
• 2022: Honorary Professor of School of Law, University of Galway, Ireland:
• 2021: Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law/Académie internationale de droit comparé: Members by Country and Status | AIDC - IACL
• 2020: Law Panel Member of Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2020 Hong Kong: Membership (ugc.edu.hk)
  
• 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)

Authored book

• Property Law in China: Transition and Trend
  
  Chen, L. (2025). Property Law in China: Transition and Trend. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009194112
• Contract Law in China
  
  Chen, L., & Zhao, L. (2025). Contract Law in China. Kluwer Law International.
• The Making of Chinese Condominium Law
  
  Chen, L. (2010). The Making of Chinese Condominium Law. Intersentia.

Chapter in book

• The use of AI in China’s Internet Courts
  
  Chen, L., & Wang, J. (in press). The use of AI in China’s Internet Courts. In A. J. Schmitz, M. Giacalone, & P. Ortolani (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of AI in Civil Dispute Resolution. Cambridge University Press.
• Contract Termination in Chinese law
  
  Chen, L., & Wu, Z. (in press). Contract Termination in Chinese law. In M. Chen-Wishart, D. Neo, & S. Vogenauer (Eds.), Ending and Changing Contracts. Oxford University Press.
• The Security Interests in Chinese Law: Some Nuances
  
  Chen, L. (2023). The Security Interests in Chinese Law: Some Nuances. In H. Jiang & P. Sirena (Eds.), The Making of the Chinese Civil Code: Promises and Persistent Problems (pp. 131-152). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009336611.007
• Judicial Control over Arbitral Awards in Mainland China.
  
  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. (pp. 208-223). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316998250.018
• Regulating Smart Contracts and Digital Platforms: A Chinese Perspective.
  
  Wang, J., & Chen, L. (2019). 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 (pp. 183-210). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108592239.010
• Relaxations of Contractual Privity and the Need for Third Party Rights in Chinese Contract Law
  
  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 (pp. 45-63). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198808114.003.0003
• The Evolution of the Property System in China: Between the Socialist Heritage and Liberal Market
  
  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 (pp. 385-405). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108347822.014
• Damages and Specific Performance in Chinese Contract Law.
  
  Chen, L. (2017). Damages and Specific Performance in Chinese Contract Law. In L. Chen & L. Dimatteo (Eds.), Chinese Contract Law: Civil law and Common Law Perspectives (pp. 377-403). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316816912.016
• History of Chinese contract law
  
  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
• Availability of Specific Remedies in Chinese Contract Law
  
  Chen, L. (2016). Availability of Specific Remedies in Chinese Contract Law. In M. Chen-Wishart, A. Loke, & O. Burton (Eds.), Remedies for Breach of Contract (pp. 21-42). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780198757221.003.0002
• The Legal and Institutional Analysis of Land Expropriation in China
  
  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 (pp. 59-85). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107589193.006

Edited book

• The Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China: English Translation
  
  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.
• Dispute Resolution in China, Europe and World
  
  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
• The Legal Protection of Personality Rights in China and Europe
  
  Oliphant, K., Zhang, P., & Chen, L. (Eds.). (2018). The Legal Protection of Personality Rights in China and Europe (1st ed.). Brill Academic Publishers.
• Chinese Contract Law Civil and Common Law Perspectives
  
  DiMatteo, L., & Chen, L. (Eds.). (2017). Chinese Contract LawCivil and Common Law Perspectives. Cambridge University Press.
• Towards a Chinese Civil Code Comparative and Historical Perspectives
  
  Chen, L., & Van Rhee, C. (Eds.). (2012). Towards a Chinese Civil CodeComparative and Historical Perspectives. Brill Academic Publishers.

Journal Article

• A Modified Poisson Mixture Approach to Risk and Intensity of School Violent Victimization, 1976–2023
  
  Fu, Q., Zhang, G., Guo, X., & Chen, L. (2026). A Modified Poisson Mixture Approach to Risk and Intensity of School Violent Victimization, 1976–2023. Justice Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2026.2621674
• The Tort Law Reform under the Chinese Civil Code
  
  Chen, L., & Wang, J. (2025). The Tort Law Reform under the Chinese Civil Code. European Review of Private Law, 33(1), 217-249.
• Will Virtual Hearings Remain in Post-pandemic International Arbitration?
  
  Chen, L. (2024). Will Virtual Hearings Remain in Post-pandemic International Arbitration? International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue Internationale de Sémiotique Juridique, 37(3), 829-849. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-023-10054-7
• Revisiting property transfer theory: English law and Chinese law compared
  
  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
• Judicial Transparency as Judicial Centralization: Mass Publicity of Court Decisions in China
  
  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
• Continuity and Change: Some Reflections on the Chinese Civil Code
  
  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
• Demystifying the Doctrine of Change of Circumstances under Chinese Law—A Comparative Perspective from Singapore and English Common Law
  
  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.
• Non-Monetary Relief for Breach of Contract: A European Perspective on Chinese Contract Law
  
  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
• Inefficiency of Specific Performance as a Contractual Remedy in Chinese Courts: An Empirical and Normative Analysis
  
  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
• Debating Personality Rights Protection in China: From a European Perspective.
  
  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
• Will Innovative Technology Result in Innovative Legal Frameworks? – Smart Contracts in China
  
  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
• The Emergence of Private Property Law in China and Its Impact on Human Rights
  
  Kielsgard, M., & Chen, L. (2014). The Emergence of Private Property Law in China and Its Impact on Human Rights. Asian-Pacific Law and Policy Journal, 15(1), 94-134.
• Evolving Property Rights in China: Patterns and Dynamics of Condominium Governance
  
  Chen, L., & Kielsgard, M. (2014). Evolving Property Rights in China: Patterns and Dynamics of Condominium Governance. The Chinese Journal of Comparative Law, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/cjcl/cxt016
• Whither Adverse Possession in Hong Kong? Some reflections on the Consultation Paper by the Hong Kong Law Reform Commission
  
  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.
• The Dynamics of Constitutional Property Clauses in the Developing World: China and South Africa
  
  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
• The historical development of the Civil Law tradition in China: a private law perspective
  
  Chen, L. (2010). The historical development of the Civil Law tradition in China: a private law perspective. Tijdschrift Voor Rechtsgeschiedenis Revue D’Histoire du Droit The Legal History Review, 78(1-2), 159-181. https://doi.org/10.1163/157181910x487350