Paul Taylor

Practice Areas

Paul Taylor is a partner at Hill Dickinson LLP in London. He is an English solicitor, having qualified in 1997, and a French avocat, having worked in Paris for 6 years where he qualified in 2004. He is also qualified with the Irish Law Society. He specialises in dispute resolution in the commodities, shipping and insurance spheres with particular expertise in energy.

Paul advises traders, insurers, ship owners, charterers and operators, P&I clubs, oil majors and companies generally.

Paul handles matters in England in the High Court and appellate divisions as well as disputes before the ICC, the LCIA, UNCITRAL, the LMAA, GAFTA, FOSFA, FCC and LME. He has appeared before arbitrators and courts throughout France. Paul lectures around the world and publishes on issues in the commodities, shipping and insurance fields.

Career

Paul trained in London with Clyde & Co from 1995 to 1997, qualifying into an insurance and shipping role in the Guildford office in September 1997. In January 2001 he took up a position in Clyde & Co’s Paris office and requalified as a French avocat, passing the CAPA in 2003 and being sworn in before the Paris Court of Appeal in March 2004. Paul handled a large portfolio of ICC arbitration, insurance, shipping and international trade disputes whilst in Paris.

He left Clydes at the end of 2006 to join Middleton Potts in London where he became a partner in January 2008. By this time Paul had specialised in international trade arbitration and litigation focusing in particular on oil and gas disputes and insurance disputes.

Middleton Potts merged with Hill Dickinson in 2009 where Paul has been a partner in the Commodities team in London ever since. He heads up the Commodities team in The Broadgate Tower office along with Jeff Isaacs.

Professional Memberships

Member of the Law Society

Member of the Irish Law Society

Member of the Paris Bar

Member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA)

Member of the Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA)

Member of the Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations (FOSFA)

Member of the Association Française de Droit Maritime (AFDM)

Publications

Court’s dismissal of US$500 million fraud claims spotlights difficulties of proving fraud - Lexologhttps://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a0f4a114-165d-4500-9e91-24b4a385ee04

Court’s dismissal of US$500 million fraud claims spotlights difficulties of proving fraud | Hill Dickinson

https://www.hilldickinson.com/insights/articles/courts-dismissal-us500-million-fraud-claims-spotlights-difficulties-proving-fraud

Exclusive jurisdiction clauses and fronting agreements | Hill Dickinson

https://www.hilldickinson.com/insights/articles/exclusive-jurisdiction-clauses-and-fronting-agreements

Brexit update: Impact on English Litigation and Arbitration | Hill Dickinson

https://www.hilldickinson.com/insights/videos/brexit-update-impact-english-litigation-and-arbitration

Security for costs | Hill Dickinson

https://www.hilldickinson.com/insights/articles/security-costs

Worked with David Lucas on 2nd Edition of Shipping & International Trade Law, 2015, published by Thomson Reuters

Personal

It was first suggested to me by my history teacher at school, Antony Beevor, that I consider a career in the law. It proved to be wise counsel. I have always enjoyed law, both as a student and since as a practitioner, in terms of the breadth of disciplines, the interaction of practical, commercial and legal considerations, the art of problem solving and the psychology of negotiation and mediation.

I enjoy going to the gym when possible, golf, snooker, cooking, wines and finding time for a good book.

Clients

Addax Energy, Archer Daniels Midland, Axa, BP International, CHS Inc, DP Survey Group, Generali, Gunvor, Impala Terminals, MS Amlin, SIACI

Work Highlights

Reported cases / case examples:

Recovering in excess of $38m in UNCITRAL arbitration for a Swiss trader with claims for non-performance against the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development of Zambia.

Acting in LCIA arbitration for Singaporean oil trader in respect of a dispute under a long term LNG supply contract with a Pakistan oil distribution company.

Acting in LCIA arbitration for a Swiss oil trader in respect of disputes under a long term LNG supply contract with a Pakistan state oil company.

Obtaining LCIA awards against a Singapore counterparty on behalf of a Singapore trader for non-performance of bill of exchanges issued pursuant to coal purchases.

Advising on sanctions in particular in relation to Russian crude oil and petroleum products in relation to the price caps and trade to third countries

Handling GA, salvage and mitigation sale of coal cargo affected by grounding of a vessel off Indonesia in 2022.

Advising US grain trader in $70m credit insurance recovery arising out of misappropriation of soya beans in Brazil.

Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd -v- Xiang Da Marine Pte Ltd [2019] EWHC 2284 (Comm) - successfully maintaining an anti-suit injunction on new vexatious and oppressive grounds.

Gunvor SA -v- CruGas Yemen Ltd [2018] EWHC 2061 (Comm) - judgment confirmed, inter alia, that demurrage time bar provisions in a contract of affreightment were not incorporated into a gasoline sale contract.

Uttam Galva Steels Ltd -v- Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd [2018] EWHC 1098 (Comm) - disputes under bills of exchange fell within the scope of an arbitration clause in the underlying nickel sale contract.

PHP Tobacco Carib SARL -v- BAT Caribbean SA & Ors [2017] EWCA Civ 1131 – successful defence of an appeal on jurisdiction where the Court of Appeal considered the nature of a jurisdiction agreement.

SARPD Oil International Ltd -v- Addax Energy SA [2016] EWCA 120 - successfully obtaining security for defendant's and third party's costs in product contamination dispute.

Raetsmarine & Swiss Re -v- Voies Navigables de France [2015] Flaux J. - obtaining declaratory judgment bringing competing French proceedings to an end.

Gunvor Belgium NV -v- KAAI 12 N.V. [2015] EWHC 3150 (Comm) - declaratory English law judgment in support of proceedings against guarantor in Belgium.

Quadra Commodities -v- Ergo Versicherung AG & Ors [2014] - defending insurers against soybean heating and misappropriation claims in two High Court cases.

• Addax Energy SA -v -Choil S.A. [2009] EWHC 2472 - successful jurisdictional challenge in a JV trading dispute.

• P -v- A and Another [2008] EWHC 136 - successfully defending owners where a laycan nomination in a long term COA was held to be a condition.

ICC International Court of Arbitration Case No. 12460 of 2004 - defence of manufacturer of ship's engines where issues of French, English and US law arose.

Trygg Hansa -v-Equitas [1998] 2 Lloyd's Rep 439 - incorporation of terms as between insurance and reinsurance contracts.

Amoco -v-TGTL & Philips Petroleum -v-Enron Corp (1996) Waller J - take or pay gas dispute relating to J Block gas fields in the North Sea.

Industry Sector Expertise

Shipping and Trade

I am well versed in dealing with disputes arising from all contracts that are central to the international trade and shipping of goods, namely sale contracts, bills of lading, charterparties, letters of credit, letters of indemnity, bills of exchange, insurance contracts, finance agreements, long term supply contracts, off take agreements and derivative contracts amongst others.

Energy

Over the past 20 years I have increasingly specialised in energy disputes, both upstream and downstream, assisting clients with issues relating to long term supply agreements, joint ventures, contamination claims, pipeline damage, production losses, securitisation, force majeure claims and sanctions issues.

Insurance

I have always maintained a particular specialism in both marine and non-marine insurance. On the marine side I deal with cargo recoveries, hull and machinery claims, general average, salvage and P&I liabilities. In the non-marine sphere I handle credit insurance, political risks, errors and omissions and directors and officers claims. I advise a number of insurers in respect of coverage matters.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

England & Wales

France

Languages Spoken

French (fluent)

Spanish (basic)

Education

Awards