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 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 holds a longstanding interest in technology in arbitration, and currently serves as President of the Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center.
