Gary Benton is an internationally recognized Arbitrator with expertise in international business, private investment, technology, IP, and emerging growth matters.
Experience
Gary Benton is an internationally recognized Arbitrator with expertise in international business, private investment, technology, IP and emerging growth matters. Gary has handled hundreds of cases around the world and serves on the panels of the leading international arbitral institutions in the US, Europe and Asia. He is a former IP litigation and corporate partner with leading AmLaw 100 international firms and has 35 years practice experience in U.S. and international commercial arbitration. Website: www.garybentonarbitration.com
Work History
Gary has been a US and International Arbitrator since 1995 and has served as a full-time independent arbitrator since 2013. In addition to his arbitration practice, he is on the Adjunct Faculty of Santa Clara University Law School where he teaches international arbitration practice. He is the founder a Director of the Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (SVAMC), the nonprofit advising the global technology sector on arbitration and ADR. He is also the founder and a Director of California Arbitration (CalArb.org), the nonprofit supporting international arbitration and ADR in California. He was previously a partner with the international law firms Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and Coudert Brothers LLP in San Francisco and Palo Alto. As well, he served as Chief Legal Officer for a cloud and mobile cybersecurity company supporting US national security interests.
Cases
Sole, panel and chair in many U.S. and international commercial arbitrations. Focus on international business contract disputes, private/venture investment, corporate structuring, emerging technologies, intellectual property and competition matters. His casework covers industry sectors including technology (hardware, software, mobile, Internet & cloud, data breach / cybersecurity, blockchain / cryptocurrency, A.I. and quantum computing), life sciences (biotech/pharma) and healthcare, telecommunications (mobile/satellites), and alternative energy - and disputes involving private investment, corporate governance, securities and DeFi; technology development, product distribution, services, licensing, joint ventures, M&A and other exits; infringement (trade secret, copyright and patent), and other emerging company disputes. He has handled matters in over 80 countries throughout Asia (including extensive work in China, India, Singapore and Japan), throughout Europe, Israel, Australia, the US, Canada, and Central/South America.
Training
35 years AAA, ICC, CPR, CIArb and other ADR institution/organization training. USDC Early Neutral Evaluation Panel.
License(s)
Gary is dual qualified as a US lawyer (California, New York and DC) and an English solicitor and serves in administered and ad hoc proceedings worldwide. All California federal district courts, US Ct. App. 9th Cir., Fed’l Cir., DC CIr., US Supreme Court. England & Wales.
Awards
Gary is a Fellow, Board Member, and past Executive Committee member, of the College of Commercial Arbitrators (FCollArb), a Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), and an Academy member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN). He is also an invited Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Gary is the 2025 recipient of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) ADR Hall of Fame Award, making him the fifth honoree in the Award’s history. He was named by the National Law Journal as one of the 25 ADR Trendsetters and Visionaries in the US. He is also named to IAM 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists. He is peer-appointed to the SVAMC List of the World’s Leading Technology Neutrals.
Panels
American Arbitration Association Commercial Panel (Large & Complex Cases, Corporate Law, Securities, High Technology, Communications & Telecom, Contract Law; General Business Commercial; Intellectual Property; Cybersecurity, Data Security & Privacy specialty panels); ICDR International Panel; CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals; (General & Tech); Singapore International Arbitration Centre Panel; Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre List of Arbitrators and IP Panel; Korea Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) International; Asia International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Panel and other major international arbitral institution panels. He has also served as Arbitrator on International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Court of Arbitration and Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) matters, and has served as counsel on London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) matters and on matters seated in Asia, including in China (Hong Kong and mainland China), Singapore, India and Japan.
Associations
Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators; Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb) and Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Member, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals; Institute of Transnational Arbitration - Advisory Board; ICCA; IBA; ABA; SVAMC; CalArb.org; ITech Law.
Miscellaneous
Available for in-person and videoconference proceedings worldwide. For more information: https://garybentonarbitration.com/