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.