Paul was called to the Bar (1985), building up a substantial practice in Public, Environmental and Planning Law before becoming an MP (1997-2005), during which time he served on the Home Affairs Select Committee, the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform. Since returning to the Bar in May 2005, Paul rapidly re-built his practice and was elevated to silk within six years. Paul acts for developers, Local Authorities and private clients, including local campaign groups. Paul’s recent cases include resisting major infrastructure proposals – including the expansion of Stansted, the first promoted eco-village, Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges; promoting large-scale development – including significant housing developments across the country; leading planning, local government and human rights cases – including ; multi-million pound compensation claims – including one worth £90m for the Welsh Ministers; and the first judicial review in respect of Neighbourhood Planning and the Localism Act 2011. Paul is regularly recommended in the Legal Directories and was named as the Times Lawyer of the week, following on from the successful challenge against a decision to redevelop the house in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Trinity College, Cambridge (1983 BA Hons with double 1st class Hons; MA, ten prizes for academic distinction including a Senior Scholarship from Trinity College and the Squire Law Scholarship (twice) from Cambridge University); Harvard Law School (1984 LLM, Frank Knox Fellowship); Lincoln’s Inn (Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship, Thomas More Bursary, Megarry Scholarship).