Paul is recommended in the legal directories for competition law, public law, financial services, public international law, international human rights law, EU law and civil liberties and human rights. Recent editions report: "Paul has a razor-sharp intellect" (Chambers UK, 2023); "Clearly a star in the field, with a calm and persuasive advocacy style" (Legal 500, 2023); "a powerful, calm, and thorough advocate" ;"He is incredibly smart and a pleasure to work with" (Chambers UK, 2022); "He has a Ferrari of a mind - he just purrs and everything seems effortless - a sign of a real quality barrister and a silk in the making"; "Working with Paul is exceptional, when working with him you know that the case is in very good hands" (Legal 500, 2022); "One of the most talented junior barristers I have ever worked with... there is no question that he will go all the way to being a top silk. He has all the attributes" (Legal 500, 2021).

Paul is regularly instructed in high profile commercial and public law cases. He has been appointed to the Attorney General’s A Panel and the Public International Law B Panel.

Experience

Shortlist

EU & Competition

Paul’s experience includes competition damages claims, challenges to merger decisions and CMA investigations, and competition issues arising in a regulatory context in the utilities and telecoms sectors.

He has been instructed in some of the largest competition damages claims before the UK courts and appeared as sole advocate for the UK in infraction proceedings before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Paul is recommended for EU and competition law in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. Comments include: "Paul is super intelligent and very thoughtful; his advice is always robust and thought through. He is an intellectual barrister who is great for a frank discussion." (Chambers and Partners, 2023);"He has a Ferrari of mind - he just purrs and everything seems effortless - a sign of a real quality barrister and a silk in the making" (Legal 500, 2022); "Paul is very responsive and provides clear and well-reasoned analysis. His understanding of complex legal issues and his experience of work with the courts in practice means his input is always valuable"; "He really keeps the client in mind, and his strategic and practical commercial advice are his strengths" (Chambers and Partners, 2022);"One of the most talented junior barristers I have ever worked with... there is no question that he will go all the way to being a top silk. He has all the attributes... An outstanding all-rounder"; "Paul is extremely bright and is excellent at developing strategic advice for clients. His drafting is also very good. He is calm, capable and incisive in court" (Legal 500, 2021).

Cases

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Public & Regulatory

Paul has a wide ranging public law practice. He acts for claimants and defendants, including individuals, companies, regulators, and the government. 

Paul is on the Attorney General’s A Panel and was an editor for the journal Judicial Review from 2013 to 2016.

His public law experience includes cases where there is overlap with competition law, including challenges to merger decisions and competition issues arising in a regulatory context in the utilities and telecoms sectors.

Comments in the legal directories include: "Paul is excellent with technical points of law. He is easy to work with and is very diligent and hardworking" (Legal 500, 2023);"Working with Paul is exceptional, when working with him you know that the case is in very good hands" (Legal 500, 2022); "He has an incredible strength for honing in on the detail early on and following it through to completion" (Legal 500, 2021); "‘Excellent for mapping out the strategy in a dispute" (Legal 500, 2020).

Cases

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Public International Law

Paul's public international law experience includes cases concerning state immunity, diplomatic immunity, international humanitarian law, trade agreements, and the status of Non-Self-Governing Territories. He has been appointed to the Attorney General’s Public International Law B Panel. In addition to the UK Government, Paul has acted for companies, individuals, international organisations such as UNHCR, and other States.

Comments in the legal directories include: "Has a deep knowledge of public international law and his drafting is first class" (Legal 500, 2019); "Extremely capable and knowledgeable in the field of state immunity" (Legal 500, 2020); "A diligent and conscientious advocate, great to work with and possesses excellent drafting skills" (Legal 500, 2021); "A junior with a very bright future in public international law matters"  (Legal 500, 2022); "Clearly a star in the field, with a calm and persuasive advocacy style" (Legal 500, 2023).

Cases

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Financial Services & Banking

Paul has acted both for and against financial services regulators, including the UK Financial Conduct Authority, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, and the European Securities and Markets Authority. 

In addition to contentious and advisory work in the regulatory context, Paul has considerable experience of commercial litigation in the financial services sector.

Comments in the legal directories include: "Paul is an excellent advocate. He is very good on the detail and very knowledgeable on the subject matter" (Legal 500, 2023); "A very bright advocate and a strategic thinker. He understands the FCA process and provides good cogent, coherent advice" (Legal 500, 2022);"he has great experience in financial services law" (Legal 500, 2021); "He has been involved in some of the highest profile FCA cases to date and his knowledge of the authority's enforcement process is second to none" (Legal 500, 2020); "He consistently stuns me with his intellectual acumen, common sense and strategic thinking" (Legal 500, 2019).

Cases

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Commercial

Paul has experience of a range of commercial litigation including competition damages, shareholder disputes, commercial fraud, banking contracts, professional negligence, applications for freezing orders, and claims for injunctive relief to protect confidential information.

His recent work has included cases across a range of sectors, including financial services, aviation, energy, and hotels.

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Civil Liberties & Human Rights

Paul has a wide ranging human rights practice, including claims where there is overlap with public international law. He also has particular experience in cases involving human trafficking.

Paul’s clients include individuals, NGOs, and public interest groups. His recent work has included cases before the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.

Paul is recommended in both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 for civil liberties and human rights. Comments include: "Paul has a razor-sharp intellect" (Chambers and Partners, 2023); "Paul is excellent with technical points of law. He is easy to work with and is very diligent and hardworking" (Legal 500, 2023); "Paul Luckhurst is a powerful, calm and thorough advocate"; "He is incredibly smart and a pleasure to work with" (Chambers and Partners, 2022); "Brilliant attention to detail and produces thorough, well researched and presented drafting" (Legal 500, 2022);"Very bright, with an eye for legal points that others could miss" (Legal 500, 2020); "He is level-headed and exceptionally clever; a rising star in human rights" (Chambers and Partners, 2021); "an incredibly safe pair of hands. He is intelligent, strategic, creative and not put off by a challenge" (Chambers and Partners, 2020); "He is destined for really great things. He has an incredible intellect and gets straight to the heart of matters"; "He is calm, clear, creative, fiercely intelligent and isn't afraid to push boundaries" (Chambers and Partners, 2019).

Cases

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Sanctions

Paul's expertise in public international law, EU law, public law, and human rights makes him well placed to advise on international sanctions.

He has worked on proceedings involving alleged breach of UN sanctions and, in the domestic context, is familiar with the new OFSI financial penalties regime.

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Achievements

Education

BA in History and Politics (Oxford University) (double first & top of year); MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History (Cambridge University); Graduate Diploma in Law (City University) (distinction); Bar Vocational Course (BPP Law School) (outstanding).

Paul’s MPhil dissertation, for which he received a distinction, examined whether there are universal concepts of human rights or crimes against humanity that legitimise humanitarian intervention.

Prizes & Scholarships

After finishing top of his year at Oxford University, Paul was awarded the Gibbs Proxime Accessit Prize in Politics, a Book Prize for History, and a Wadham College Prize.

Appointments

  • Attorney General’s A Panel
  • Attorney General’s Public International Law B Panel

Memberships

  • Commercial Bar Association
  • Administrative Law Bar Association
  • Bar European Group
  • Human Rights Lawyers Association
  • Financial Services Lawyers Association

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