From Global Prosecutions to Client Defense: Paul Hayden Joins AXS Law

Former Federal Prosecutor Brings Decades of Global Enforcement and Trial Experience to AXS Law.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AXS Law announced today that Paul Hayden—an accomplished federal prosecutor who led the prosecution of several high-profile cross-border criminal schemes—has joined the firm as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Hayden will lead AXS's international fraud and corruption, national security, and congressional investigations practices.

Mr. Hayden most recently served as a federal prosecutor for nearly a decade in the Department of Justice's White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section (formerly the Fraud Section), where he prosecuted significant corporate and securities frauds, government program and procurement fraud, money laundering, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, and other complex cases. Mr. Hayden's cases at the DOJ spanned the globe and resulted in landmark international bribery prosecutions, including the trial conviction of a former executive of a Chinese energy conglomerate for bribing the former President of the United Nations General Assembly and the presidents of two African nations, and the trial convictions of the former Treasurer of Venezuela and her husband in a multibillion-dollar money laundering and bribery scheme. He conducted over 50 complex, cross-border corporate investigations in highly regulated industries, including a $231 million resolution of Fresenius Medical Care FCPA violations spanning 13 countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the $84 million resolution of Stericycle FCPA violations in Central and South America.

Mr. Hayden has deep national-security expertise, having served as an attorney in the DOJ's National Security Division and as an Associate Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Defense, where he handled high-profile national-security-related matters. 

Mr. Hayden also has extensive experience on Capitol Hill that will help him guide clients navigating sensitive congressional investigations, including working as a registered lobbyist, a U.S. Senate staffer, and the DOJ's dedicated congressional liaison for National Security.

Anna Kaminska, a founding partner of the AXS D.C. office and the former Chief of the Department of Justice's Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit, added: "Paul has led some of the most consequential matters at the DOJ, and what sets him apart is his ability to see the full picture — the criminal exposure, the regulatory risk, the political dimension — and act decisively. Our clients face exactly that kind of complexity, and Paul has the unique experience to navigate them through when it matters most."

Mr. Hayden said: "After decades at the federal government, including its highest levels, I understand how it thinks, what it looks for, and where it pushes hardest. I'm looking forward to putting that knowledge to work for clients at the moments that matter most — alongside some of the most talented lawyers I know."

About AXS Law

With established trial lawyers in Miami, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., AXS Law aggressively attacks and resolves consequential, high-stakes disputes nationwide. The firm combines elite legal talent with a direct, no-nonsense approach, delivering meaningful results for clients. For more information, visit www.axslawgroup.com

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