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Paul joins Coinbase from Facebook, where he served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. Prior to Facebook, Paul spent more than 5 years as the US magistrate judge for the Northern District of California. Throughout Paul’s career, he has repeatedly encountered some of the largest and most complicated legal issues in tech, and we look forward to him bringing that experience to bear for Coinbase.

During Paul’s tenure as a magistrate judge, he oversaw more than a thousand cases and earned the trust of companies and individuals alike for his objectivity and deep understanding of complex technological issues. He played significant roles in Apple v. Samsung and Oracle v. Google, two of the most closely-watched technology cases of the decade. At Facebook, he grew his legal team to more than 200 people, overseeing regulatory affairs, litigation, and commercial issues, among others.

At Coinbase, Paul will oversee all legal functions of the global business and will manage the continuing growth of our best-in-class legal team. As part of our commitment to operating the world’s leading regulated crypto business, Paul will also lead the team’s continuing work to partner with financial services regulators, contribute to the development and rollout of innovative, regulated products and services, and support the company’s global growth and regulatory strategy. Paul’s unique mix of experience in private practice, as a federal judge, and as a leading in-house lawyer and business leader will make for another phenomenal addition to the executive management team at Coinbase.

When I asked Paul what made him want to join the company, he said, “I came to understand the vision for an open financial system for the world. And I got to see just how talented and committed the entire Coinbase team is in making that vision a reality. I decided then and there that I just have to be a part of this.”