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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 Center.
Representative Matters
Investment treaty claim against Asian government in connection with petroleum resources
Multi-billion dollar ad hoc arbitration contract claim involving lessees of commercial interests
Defense of sovereign East Asian government in investment treaty arbitration against British and Saudi bankers
Offshore entity in arbitration enforcement proceedings in New York
Silicon chip manufacturers in international disputes involving Singapore,Vietnam and China
Aircraft manufacturer in dispute against European military purchaser
International publishing company on anti-corruption compliance in international matters
Defense of claim by parastatal entity against alternative energy concern
Prosecution of claim by gas-to-liquids entity in Caribbean
African offshore unitization claim
Parallel commercial and investment treaty mining claim
Fraud-related telecommunications claim by Brazilian entity against Italian entity
Defence of claim by investor against African government
Defence of claim by European pharmaceutical company against owner of rival entity
Annulment proceeding for State against oilfield developer
Defence of plastics manufacturer against acquirer of a plant in Brazil
Claim by European oil company against seller of refinery
International publishing company on anti-corruption compliance in international matters
Defense of claim by parastatal entity against alternative energy concern
Fraud-related telecommunications claim by Brazilian entity against Italian entity
Defence of claim by investor against African government
Defence of claim by European pharmaceutical company against owner of rival entity
Annulment proceeding for State against oilfield developer
Representative Matters
Represented witnesses in largest US criminal tax fraud trial to date
Internal investigation of major European insurance company in trade sanctions inquiry;
Numerous clients in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations (all resulting in non-prosecution or deferred prosecution)
International financial institution in connection with a multi-agency money-laundering investigation
Major cruise line in a criminal investigation involving alleged violations of US and international environmental law
Leading financial institution in securities litigation stemming from the collapse of WorldCom
Internal investigations of mutual fund companies in connection with regulatory inquiries into market timing and late trading
Worldwide insurance and financial services company in criminal and regulatory investigations arising out of industry-wide bid-rigging revelations
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia,
Office of the Prosecutor Bill Clinton Presidential Campaign,
Speechwriter and policy advisor for Governor Bill Clinton and Senator Al Gore.
“A riveting speaker; tribunals pay attention”
“Incredibly creative in his thinking and presentation. Quite simply unrivaled as a big stage advocate for major arbitrations”
“A brilliant analytical mind wrapped up in an unassuming, user-friendly package”
“The man you want in your corner for the impossible case or the seemingly lost cause; he’ll find an argument and make it count”
“A terrific writer and an even better oral advocate”
“Goes to the heart of the matter; finds the winning points and hammers them home”
“Utterly original” “Watching him work actually put a smile on my face”
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A partial indication of the value of construction disputes in Dubai can be seen by recent figures which show that the Dubai International Financial Centre (’DIFC’) Courts, in the first six months of 2023, have had claims totalling AED15 billion lodged (as of September, 2023 around £3.25 billion).