Ben is Kay & Hughes’ Managing Partner and firm founder. He is recommended lawyer for Media and Entertainment in Australia by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and described as an ‘exceptional leader’ (2023).

Ben has over 15 years’ experience advising and acting for some of the most respected names in the Australian art, media and entertainment sectors. He is highly experienced in negotiating, litigating and advising on the complex interplay between the law and the work of the creative industries in Australia. Tenacious and resourceful, Ben takes pride in extracting challenging wins for his clients.

Active in supporting the arts, Ben is a longstanding volunteer for the Arts Law Centre of Australia (Pro-Bono Print Commission Award winner 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018), board member of Back to Back Theatre, and a former board member of Theatre Network NSW. He also takes an active role in Kay & Hughes’ partnership affiliates, which include the Sydney Writers Festival, Belvoir Theatre, Ensemble Theatre and Sydney Dance Company.

Ben holds a Master of Laws from the University of New South Wales, with a specialisation in Media and Technology Law. 

Representative Experience:

• Representing a prominent public figure in defamation claim against mass-media organisation.
• Representing a prominent television production company in Supreme Court litigation.
• Acting for a celebrated visual artist in claim of copyright and moral rights infringement. 
• Advising and negotiating on behalf of an international advertising agency regarding high profile talent in award winning campaigns. 
• Advising and negotiating on behalf of a major live events company in high-value sponsorship agreements.
• Advising on the adaptation and licensing of an acclaimed television series into an internationally toured stage production.