Paul’s recent practice in criminal, commercial, administrative, maritime and admiralty law has lately tended towards regulatory litigation, particularly in environmental protection, terrorist related cases and professional ethics.
Paul served his articles at Mallesons before signing the Bar Roll in 1966.He quickly developed a busy general practice until1976 when he was appointed a Prosecutor for the Queen. He was responsible for the formation and establishment of the Commercial Crime Group now an adjunct of the State OPP; and went on to become the first General Counsel to the National Crime Authority.
This experience ideally suited his return to a broadly based private practice in 1986. He became involved in foreign exchange litigation both in the criminal and commercial arenas; particularly in the prosecutions in the Halabi (Westpac letters) matters and both before and after taking silk in 1991 as part of the successful team in AWA v Daniels (trading as Deloite Haskins & Sells) & Ors [1992] 10 ACLC 93. He continues to practice in the broad commercial domain. His criminal practice is also extensive he having both prosecuted and defended in many murder trials, a serious piracy investigation and a number of complex commercial fraud and computer related criminality cases. His computer expertise is reflected in associated intellectual property work in that area, as a founder of Time Base Pty. Ltd. an electronic publisher, and in film media litigation such as "Dark City”.
Paul’s wide ranging administrative law practice stems from his extensive experience in Boards and Inquiries, medical negligence, sexual, workplace harrassment, and administrative law cases as well as and coronial inquests (Anderson v Blashki [1993] 2 VR 89; Secretary to the Department of Health and Community Services & others v Gurvich [1995] 2 VR 69; R v Boxtel [1994] 2 VR 98), senate inquiries (Dr. C. Wheat: Report Senate Select Committee Sexual Harrassment in the Australian Defence Force, August 1994); The ‘Children Overboard’ Incident 2004) and environmental law. Paul has formal computer qualifications and an extensive exposure to IT.
Paul's background as a Naval diver fostered a healthy practice in Admiralty and Maritime law (Challenge Plastics Pty. Ltd. v Collector of Customs 42 FCR 397; Margaret Philippa,The Ship v The Ship MV Santo Rocco di Bagnara). In the military law arena Paul first served as advisor to the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) in 1997. He continued to act as advisor to CDF and the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Airforce from 1997 to 2006. In 1997 Paul was appointed to conduct the inquiry into the findings and evidence in the Black Hawk Board of Inquiry. The following year, he successfully argued Hembury v Chief of General Staff [1998] 193 CLR 64. Service in Cambodia culminated in the successful appeal in Chief of the General Staff v Stuart 58 FCR 299. Paul was a Defence Force Magistrate and Judge-Advocate appointed under the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982.
Paul is a mediator accredited with the courts and is admitted to practice in New Zealand, the ACT and all Australian states except South Australia and Queensland. Paul is the Bar’s appointee to Monash University’s Law Faculty Board and a member of the Board of Examiners.