Paul Sills brings a rare and powerful combination of experience to his international dispute resolution practice—spanning law, business leadership, and commercial turnaround. With more than 30 years of global experience resolving complex commercial disputes, Paul now works full-time as a neutral—arbitrator, mediator, adjudicator, and dispute board member—operating from London and appointed globally.

Paul began his career as a civil and commercial barrister and retains his practising certificate. Beyond the courtroom, he served as CEO and Managing Director of international businesses, including a global construction group, and was appointed as a company receiver in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis. These commercial leadership roles—along with his work navigating insolvency, regulatory, and restructuring challenges—give Paul a first-hand appreciation of the business pressures facing parties in dispute. He brings not only legal clarity but also strategic acumen, practical insight, and a deep understanding of stakeholder dynamics.

This multidisciplinary foundation is central to Paul’s dispute resolution style. He integrates legal analysis with business realism, balancing doctrinal rigour with commercial common sense. Whether sitting as arbitrator, facilitating settlement, or leading a dispute board process, Paul is known for cutting through complexity, building trust with parties, and focusing on outcomes that resolve rather than prolong disputes.

Paul is also an internationally recognised educator and thought leader. He lectured on international commercial arbitration at Westminster University Law School and leads Fellowship training in mediation and arbitration for AMINZ in New Zealand. He has been trained at the Harvard Program on Negotiation and regularly publishes on topics including cognitive bias, climate change, energy transition, and dispute system design. His blend of practical, academic, and strategic expertise has seen him appointed to high-profile roles, including Chairperson of a European Commission arbitration panel for EU trade disputes and multiple global panels.

Key Areas of Practice

Paul accepts appointments across a wide spectrum of sectors and dispute resolution processes. His practice spans:

Arbitration

Paul is a Fellow of CIArb and AMINZ and sits as arbitrator in both ad hoc and institutional arbitrations, including under the LCIA, SIAC, DIAC, LMAA, HKIAC, and ADGM rules. He is experienced in both common law and civil law frameworks and regularly chairs tribunals in high-value disputes across construction, energy, marine, and finance.

Mediation

As one of Who’s Who Legal’s Global Leaders in Mediation (2022, 2023 and 2025), Paul has conducted over 400 mediations—ranging from one-day matters to multi-year facilitated negotiation processes. He is known for his ability to manage complex, high-stakes disputes involving public and private parties, often in regulated or politically sensitive sectors.

Adjudication

Paul is a member of the Society of Adjudicators and regularly acts as adjudicator in time-sensitive construction and infrastructure disputes, including under statutory and contractual schemes.

Dispute Boards

Paul sits on Dispute Boards (DBs) and Conflict Avoidance Panels across infrastructure and energy projects. His approach blends early intervention, facilitation, and—when required—determination. He is trusted to maintain neutrality while supporting ongoing project relationships.

Facilitation and Conflict Avoidance

Paul has extensive experience in facilitating pre-dispute negotiations and multi-stakeholder dialogues, particularly in sectors affected by ESG pressures and energy transition. His ability to manage process design and complex party dynamics has made him a go-to neutral in politically and commercially sensitive contexts.

A full CV is available at https://arbitra.co.uk/our-members/profile/paul-sills