Gary L. Benton

Gary Benton is an internationally recognized Arbitrator and Mediator with over thirty years major law firm and in-house experience in both corporate/commercial transactions and litigation/arbitration practice. He focuses on US and international business contract disputes, private investment, technology, intellectual property and emerging growth matters. He has handled hundreds of cases around the world and serves on the panels of the leading arbitral institutions in the US, Europe and Asia.

In addition to his arbitration practice, Gary is on the Adjunct Faculty of the Santa Clara University School of Law where he lectures on international arbitration law and practice. Gary is the founder and a Director of the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center (SVAMC), the nonprofit serving the gobal tech sector, and the founder and a Director of CalArb.org, the nonprofit supporting international arbitration in California. 

Gary is one of only a few ADR experts with a background in technology and international business law. He has significant experience as both a litigation partner and a corporate transactions partner. He is one of only a few technology arbitration experts with experience as both a partner in a major law firm and as a General Counsel in an emerging technology company. As well, he is one of only a few Silicon Valley arbitration experts with extensive international arbitration experience. Gary’s training as a U.S. and international litigator and arbitration counsel, coupled with his transactional expertise in emerging technology, make him uniquely suited for resolving complex private investment, technology development / distribution and international business disputes.

He has substantial experience as a single, presiding and panel arbitrator for U.S. and international commercial arbitrations and in mediations focused on corporate, commercial and international business transactions, including technology financing, technology development, sales and distribution, IP licensing, patent, copyright and trade secret infringement and data breaches. His international arbitration experience includes counsel and neutral services involving common law, civil law and developing country matters. He has significant experience with civil law and other non-US style arbitrations.

In addition to his arbitration work, he regularly mediates US and international contract, private investment and technology-related disputes. He serves on the US District Court Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) Panel.

• WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: AB, cum laude-1981, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Political Science and International Development
• TULANE LAW SCHOOL: JD, cum laude-1984
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, HASTINGS COLLEGE OF LAW: legal studies-1984
• STANFORD UNIVERSITY: International Studies-1986

Gary has been appointed to panels of the leading US and international ADR panels, including the the 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); the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) Panel; the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals (General, Tech &Cybersecurity); Singapore International Arbitration Centre panel; the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre –List and IP Panel, and the KCAB International Arbitration Panel and various other panels in Asia. As well, he routinely serves as an Arbitrator on International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Court of Arbitration and as counsel on London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) matters and on other matters in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

In addition to his NADN appointment, Gary is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), a Fellow and Board member of the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA), and a member of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration (ITA) Advisory Board, the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA),  the College of eNeutrals (ACESIN); AIPLA, ITech Law and various other U.S. and international arbitration and legal associations. He is peer-vetted to the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center List of the World’s Leading Technology Neutrals and for many years has been recognized as a Super Lawyer – ADR and is listed in Who's Who in the World. He served on the Queen Mary Univ. of London International Dispute Resolution Survey Task Force and  the International Task Force on Mixed Mode Dispute Resolution. He was named by the National Law Journal as one of the 25 ADR Champions in the US. He is also named in the IAM 300 The World’s Leading IP Strategists.

$650 hour. Cancellation fee applies. Arbitration rate - Includes all services provided following appointment, including study time, hearings and award preparation. Mediation rate - Includes all services provided following appointment, including pre-session and post-session conferencing and study time. 

Available in the US and internationally.
Vaccinated; available for US and international travel per health guidelines. No charge for travel time.

Available for Zoom and other remote videoconference sessions.

Standard and alternative billing arrangements available.

Cancellation fee of one-half of each session day (5 hrs) if cancellation occurs 30 or fewer days in advance of the session (plus any non-refundable travel expense incurred). Any cancellation fee will be reduced if another matter is booked on the cancelled day(s).

Contact for details and scheduling: gary@garybentonarbitration.com