4-5 Gray's Inn Square

Paul Cohen is among the world’s foremost international arbitration practitioners. He is also highly experienced in international anti-bribery and fraud work. Paul heads the international group at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square Chambers. He is called to the Bars of New York and England and Wales. Paul practiced for many years with the late Arthur Marriott QC, one of the founding fathers of modern international arbitration. Paul got his start in international law working at the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. A former speechwriter on the Clinton/Gore Presidential Campaign, Paul later worked on high-profile international cases with the late Ted Sorensen, John F Kennedy’s legendary speechwriter and counsel.

Paul is particularly well known for his work in the energy, financial, and technology sectors. He has appeared in commercial disputes involving all the major arbitral institutions, as well as in ad hoc arbitrations. He has represented both investors and host states in investment treaty disputes.  In February 2022, Paul won a $15 billion award on behalf of his clients against Malaysia, to date the largest unconsolidated award in arbitral history.

Paul is often called upon to represent clients in highly complex cases in which clients feel concerned that their case might be lost in the minutiae. Paul’s prior experience as an American-qualified trial lawyer has made him one of the counsel of choice for distilling difficult fact patterns to their essence. Clients have called him “riveting” and “quite simply unrivaled” in his presentation to arbitral tribunals.

Paul is one of the world’s authorities on the topic of bribery in international investigations and disputes. He is the co-author of International Corruption (Sweet & Maxwell, 2nd ed 2018), the first book to address bribery and corruption from a multinational perspective.

Paul acts exclusively as counsel and does not serve as an arbitrator.  He accepts direct instruction from clients.  Paul holds a longstanding interest in technology in arbitration, and currently serves as President of the Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Centre.

Co-Chair, International Task Force, Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Technology in International Arbitration Editorial Board Member, Global Arbitration Review New York City Bar, International Commercial Disputes Committee, Member New York International Arbitration Center, Former Director International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), Member International Arbitration Club of New York, Member International Bar Association, Member

Columbia Law School

Juris Doctor. Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Senior Editor, Human Rights Law Review.

University of Paris (Panthéon-Sorbonne)

Advanced studies in Private International Law.

Harvard University

Post-doctoral research fellow.

Oxford University

Doctorate in Political Science. Full scholarship from the UK Economic and Social Research Council.

University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor of Arts. Summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa; Dean’s List all years.