Paul Hughes focuses on advising international clients on high-profile disputes, in which he deploys creative strategies designed to monetize or dilute cross-border claims. He has extensive experience enforcing judgments and arbitral awards in matters involving global asset recovery, with particular focus on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the wider Middle East region and the United Kingdom.

A leading practitioner in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and English Courts, Mr. Hughes has further extensive experience in fraud investigations, contentious shareholder disputes, and banking litigation. He is also regularly engaged in private client disputes for UHNWIs and has served as litigation counsel in high-value multi-jurisdictional bankruptcy matters.

Mr. Hughes has been practising in the UAE for over twelve years and has been described by Chambers & Partners as having solutions that are “intricately intertwined with business considerations, effectively harmonizing the legal strategies with [a client’s] overarching commercial goals.” He is also recognized by Legal 500 as a "superb legal strategist who has a strong grasp of the legal and commercial drivers in any case" and is "relentless in pursuing the interests of his client in advancing their case," as well as "an exceptional litigator" who is "incredibly hard-working, knows how to lead and delegate where necessary and is measured, but aggressive where appropriate."

• Chambers Global 2025 Recognizes Kobre & Kim and Several Global Lawyers
• Kobre & Kim at Dubai Arbitration Week
• Kobre & Kim Hosts Riding the Waves of Enforcement: An Interactive Offshore and Onshore Asset Recovery Simulation at Dubai Arbitration Week
• Who’s Who Legal 2024 Global Guide Recognizes Kobre & Kim and 13 Lawyers
• Landmark UAE Ruling Strengthens Hand of Creditors
• Chambers Global 2024 Recognizes Kobre & Kim and Multiple Global Lawyers
• Paul Hughes Examines UAE Recovery Options for International Creditors in Law.com International
• Who's Who Legal 2023 Global Guide Recognizes Kobre & Kim and 13 Lawyers
• Paul Hughes to Chair Panel on Best Practices in Obtaining Information for Lawyers During RILPA Conference in Dubai
• Chambers Global 2023 Recognizes Kobre & Kim and Multiple Global Lawyers
• Paul Hughes and John Han Explore Middle East Insolvency Disputes Trends in Dubai Seminar
• Kobre & Kim and Lawyers Recognized in Multiple Chambers Global 2022 Categories
• Paul Hughes and Nada Oteifi Unpack Middle East Dispute Trends at Dubai Arbitration Week Seminar
• Kobre & Kim Enhances Capabilities in Dubai and the Middle East
• Enforcement in Dubai Just Got Easier
• Enforcing a Foreign Judgment in the UAE: New Opportunities
• New tools to defend against aggressive non-U.S. insolvencies
• How Israeli, Middle Eastern and African Individuals Should Respond to Criminal Allegations from Foreign Governments
• Precedent-Setting Win in Dubai Opens Doors for Global Creditors to Fight Fraudulent Conveyance in the Middle East
• New Pathways for International Creditors to Fight Fraudulent Conveyance in Dubai
• Enforcing Claims Against Sovereign Debtors in the Middle East
• Middle Eastern Investors Have Options to Protect Their Investments in China
• Powerful Option for Creditors Enforcing Judgments from Common Law Courts in the United Arab Emirates
• Defending Your Offshore Trusts from Onshore Attacks
• The Differences Between UK and EU Russian Sanctions
• Dissolving a Delaware-Registered Joint Venture: A Key Pressure Tactic in Joint Venture Disputes
• Coronavirus: Buying Time in Uncertainty
• 5 Ways Cryptocurrency Traders in EMEA Can Plan Ahead for U.S. Government Scrutiny
• Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Just and Equitable Winding Up
• Global Crisis Management For Targets of Large-Scale Crypto Fraud
• Managing Risks Amid New Opportunities in Africa’s Extractive Industries
• New York Court Reaffirms Bondholders' Standing
• Stopping the “Snowball Effect” of a Reputation Under Attack
• Creditors Can Enhance Returns Amid Surge in Global Sovereign Debt
• Navigating the Impact of Potential UK Secondary Sanctions on Chinese Companies
• Don’t Overlook China in Difficult Chapter 11 Asset Recovery Efforts
• Global Creditors Can Fight Fraudulent Conveyance in Dubai
• Cross-Border Strategies for Maximizing Returns Against Sovereign Debtors
• Maximizing Recovery Against a Sanctioned Sovereign
• Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Derivative Actions
• Lessons from LBRY: Standing Up to Regulatory Oversight
• Don’t Overlook China in Difficult Chapter 11 Asset Recovery Efforts
• How International Creditors Can Crack Delaware's Notoriously Tough Trusts
• Global Creditors Can Successfully Fight Fraudulent Conveyance in Dubai
• Enforcing Minority Shareholder Rights in Asia: A Comparative Guide to Unfair Prejudice
• Countering Bad-Faith Opponents' Efforts to Publicly Discredit High-Net-Worth Individuals
• More Routes to Recovery for Global Creditors in the Middle East
• International Creditors Can Crack Delaware's Notoriously Tough Trusts
• Cracking Delaware’s Notoriously Tough Trusts
• Pathways for Global Bondholders to Effectively Oppose Unjust UK Restructuring Plans
• What a Landmark Ruling Against Spain Means for Investors in Disputes with Sovereigns
• Cross-Border Strategies for Maximizing Returns Against Sovereign Debtors
• Bringing a Global Perspective to Challenge Offshore Awards Successfully
• Russian Litigants Can Still Access Critical Legal Tools in U.S. Courts
• Two Ways the Art World Could Get Swept into the Sanctions Orbit
• Non-U.S. Companies Beware: New U.S. DOJ Guidelines May Apply
• Companies and Individuals in Greater China Can Protect Themselves from U.S. Sanctions Overreach