Prior to joining Magnetar, Paul served as Deputy General Counsel for Amaranth Group Inc. from January 2004 until May 2005. Prior to joining Amaranth, he served as Associate General Counsel for Citadel Investment Group, beginning in late 1999. He previously worked as a Partner with the law firm of Holleb & Coff in Chicago, which he joined in 1991.

Paul earned a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics, magna cum laude, from Princeton University. He was a National Merit Scholar in 1980.