Paul joined Wright Hassall in 2004 after many years in the public sector where, latterly, Paul advised first the Intervention Board ("IB") and latterly the Rural Payments Agency ("RPA") where he was the Deputy Legal Director, in all aspects of the implementation of the CAP incuding, most recently, the Single Payment Scheme.
His work includes advising on all aspects of domestic and European legislation as it impacts on farming and rural businesses. He can assist in advising on the detailed workings of the SPS and ELS and their relationship with routine farming practices. With his background as an advocate he can represent, on an individual basis, those members of the rural community who do happen to find themselves at odds with the authorities, whether it be an appeal against an RPA decision or responding to a summons issued by the Environment Agency.
Paul lectures widely on the subject of SPS and other agriculturally-related topics and was nominated again by Chambers UK 2009, a leading legal directory, as a leader in his field.
In what time Paul has left in the week he is Warwickshire County Chairman of the NFU and is also on the steering group of Warwickshire Rural Hub.
Background
Paul qualified in the mid 1980's in a West Country practice and has since then developed and maintained an interest in the law as it affects rural communities.
After a period of time as an army lawyer and prosecutor in the CPS, Paul joined the IB as a prosecutor, initially dealing with cases such as the sale of "black" milk and the entering of non-eligible animals into the Over Thirty Month Slaughter Scheme. Having been involved in the process that abolished the IB and created RPA, Paul developed his role as an advisory lawyer and ended his time in the RPA advising on the practical consequences resulting from some of the policy decisions made during the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme.
