An extremely well regarded Silk practising in crime, fraud and regulatory law. In his last year as a junior, Legal 500 nominated him for its “Crime Junior of the Year” Award. This was crowned by his appointment to Silk in March 2020. In mainstream crime, he has built a substantial mixed defence/prosecution practice embracing the full calendar of grave crime including homicide, sexual offences, terrorism, drugs and serious organised crime. His recent work includes: defending in the Op Ravendale alleged drugs-related murder by shooting case; defending in the Wembley murder/ diminished responsibility manslaughter case (R v Osei); representing the alleged gunman in a four-handed allegation of conspiracy to murder (R v I & others); acting for a defendant acquitted of all charges in the Op. Rawlins murder trial. Other defence instructions include: the extremely high profile stranger-rape case of R v Trotter; a multi-million pound drugs supply case believed to be the largest residential seizure of MDMA and crystal meth in UK legal history (R v Scotland); securing the acquittal of a UKBA employee accused of conspiracy to import drugs through Gatwick Airport, and representing one of the defendants accused in the Op Tendersea Huddersfield rape-grooming case. Paul also successfully led the Op Laius human trafficking and modern slavery prosecution and he is currently instructed by the NCA in one of the leading Encrochat drugs cases (Op Sylleptic). Alongside mainstream criminal practice, Paul also has a very strong reputation in fraud and white collar crime. He appeared for the Serious Fraud Office in the landmark Deferred Prosecution Agreement case of SFO v XYZ Ltd and acted for the Financial Conduct Authority in Op Cotton – the first land-banking prosecution, and the largest criminal matter that the FCA had then brought. He is currently also instructed by the SFO in the prosecution of an alleged legal services funding fraud (Op Totem). He represented the Supply Chain Manager in the Williams Hybrid Power Co alleged bribery case, defended one of the alleged conspirators in the Op Zapote multi-million pound internet banking diversion fraud, and represented an alleged confidence trickster accused of posing as a wealthy aristocrat to defraud finance lenders. Paul also has a thriving regulatory and professional discipline practice, appearing regularly before the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council. Most recently in this field, he acted for the GMC in the highly publicised “napping doctor” misconduct case (GMC v Sawati).
MA (Hons) St John's College, Oxford. Called 1994. Appointed to the CPS external list of advocates at Grade 4 from 2007 (also appointed to the Rape List and Fraud Panel). Appointed to the "4" Panel of the Serious Fraud Office list of counsel from 2009.
Criminal Bar Association; Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers; Public Access Bar Association; Registered with the Bar Council Public Access Directory.
St John’s College, Oxford (MA Hons Philosophy, Politics and Economics); The College of Law, London (postgraduate diploma in law); Inns of Court School of Law (Bar Vocational Course).