Überblick
Paul Barker is a dual-qualified English barrister and US lawyer, and a strategic advisor who focuses his practice on complex commercial and investment disputes, international arbitration, and advisory matters for founders, investors, private equity fund sponsors, financial institutions, and companies.
Paul’s cross-border disputes and advisory engagements frequently sit at the intersection of law, policy, finance, and geopolitical risk. His practice spans a broad range of sectors and industry verticals – from growth-stage venture to infrastructure – including artificial intelligence (AI), energy transition, and private capital. He has particular experience across the private fund formation and investment lifecycle. Paul is also a member of the firm’s AI Cross-Practice Group, advising on governance, litigation risk, and the convergence of energy and tech investment.
As counsel and advocate, Paul has represented claimants and respondents in commercial and investment/investor-state disputes under all the major arbitral rules, including those of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Permanent Court of Arbitration, Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Convention. His experience covers a wide range of sectors and industries, such as energy, mining, commodities, healthcare, technology, intellectual property, international trade, and sovereign debt restructuring. Paul also provides pre-dispute advice, including international investment structuring to mitigate the risk from sudden government policy change and global supply chain risks.
Paul has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers & Partners Global, Chambers USA, Legal 500, Lexology, and Lawdragon. He is described by clients as “a seasoned arbitration practitioner with wide knowledge” and “a brilliant strategic mind,” and is praised for his strategic judgment, technical acumen, and client-focused approach.
Complementing his work in private practice, Paul writes and speaks regularly on the legal aspects of energy transition investing and carbon markets, and has held appointments as a lecturer at Columbia University in New York and as a lecturer-in-law at Stanford Law School.
Referenzmandate
International arbitration and litigation
- Served as counsel in an SIAC commercial arbitration seated in Singapore concerning a trademark/IP dispute in the cryptocurrency sector*
- Represented the claimant in an LCIA international commercial arbitration seated in London concerning allegations of bribery and corruption in the mining sector*
- Served as counsel in an ICC international commercial arbitration seated in Paris concerning contested exploration rights*
- Represented the respondent in a SIAC international commercial arbitration seated in Singapore concerning a construction dispute*
- Served as assistant to the arbitral tribunal in an SCC investor-state arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty seated in Stockholm concerning changes to renewable energy policy support*
- Represented parties in two ICSID investor-state arbitrations under bilateral investment treaties concerning the global financial crisis and sovereign debt restructuring*
- Served as counsel in international litigation in the US and Ghana, in parallel with International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea interstate proceedings, concerning sovereign debt restructuring and the sovereign immunity of warships*
Private capital advisory
- Advised a private fund sponsor concerning the restructuring of a portfolio company in the renewable energy sector*
- Counseled private fund sponsors on investment strategy and LP negotiations concerning EU and UK sustainable finance regulation*
- Advised an emerging manager on its venture capital secondaries fund strategy and secondaries investments*
- Represented a growth stage venture capital fund sponsor on its $500 million energy/climate transition fund formation*
- Advised a sustainable real assets sponsor on its $2 billion energy/climate transition strategy fundraise*
- Counseled a private equity sponsor on its climate impact and energy transition infrastructure fund strategies*
- Advised an LP on its investment into a natural capital/carbon credit fund*
- Counseled private equity sponsors and companies on carbon credit transactions in the voluntary carbon market and compliance with the California Cap and Trade Program, EU Emissions Trading System, and EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism*
- Advised a sustainable infrastructure fund sponsor on its merger with a growth equity firm*
- Represented a private fund sponsor on its acquisition of a data center investment business*
- Advised on green and sustainability-linked debt financings for data center/AI infrastructure projects*
*Matter handled prior to joining the firm
Auszeichnungen
- Chambers & Partners Global, Impact Investing, 2026
- Chambers USA, Climate Change, 2025; Impact Investing, 2025
- Lexology/Who’s Who Legal, International Arbitration, 2019-2026
- Lawdragon, 500 Leading US Environmental Lawyers, 2023-2026
- Legal 500, UK Bar: Public International Law, 2021
Mitgliedschaften
- Stanford Law School, lecturer-in-law
Qualifikation
Education
Columbia Law School, LLM, James Kent Scholar
Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, BA
Admissions
California
New York
England and Wales
Languages
English