Karim A.
Youssef, J.S.D.

Karim A. Youssef: Founder of Youssef + Partners and Global Leader in International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution

Dr. Karim A. Youssef is the founder of Youssef & Partners, a Global Arbitration Review (GAR) 100 law firm, and a regional leader in dispute resolution. Karim was named a Star Individual in the Chambers Guide since 2021 –the highest ranking given to practitioners in their fields.

He leads the international arbitration and international law practices at the Firm. His practice focuses on commercial arbitration, investment treaty arbitration, complex high-value disputes, and international law, and is world-renowned in these respective fields.

Karim represents key Egyptian and regional clients, including several Fortune 500 companies and some of the World’s most significant global corporations in high-profile local, regional, and international disputes. His expertise in high-value complex claims is unmatched among MENA practitioners: Karim regularly features as counsel, arbitrator, or legal expert in some of the highest-profile and largest commercial and investment treaty claims in the region.

He also spends part of his time giving strategic advice to some of the region’s most significant corporations across a wide array of key industries and sectors, and he also heads the firm’s high net-worth individuals’ practice.

Karim has received some of the highest distinctions from peers and clients. Among others, he has been described as “a leading light in international arbitration” (Legal 500, 2018), “a leading figure in international arbitration” (Chambers Global, 2024) and “the number one arbitration lawyer in Egypt” (Chambers Global Guide, 2021). He has an impressive, region-spanning practice that sees him represent international companies in investment treaty disputes and other arbitration claims against state entities. With expertise in international law, he frequently represents clients in “multibillion-dollar arbitrations seated around the world” (Chambers Global, 2020).

He has further been praised as “a master of strategy” who thinks “light years ahead” of other practitioners (Chambers Global, 2022) and described as a “leading counsel in the MENA region” (Who’s Who Legal, 2019).

Market sources have described him as “super-smart, very much on top of his game,” with one client adding, “he’ll be our first choice for any future matter” (Chambers Global Guide, 2018). Karim’s distinctions also include earning the 2019 GAR Award for best global speech and being appointed to CRCICA’s Advisory Committee. He also wrote a well-known book on multi-party arbitration and consent issues prefaced by Jan Paulsson.

Karim has garnered a number of additional distinctions. Karim is member of the newly established BVI-IAC arbitration committee. Karim is also the first Arab and the first international arbitration practitioner worldwide to be appointed to the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession’s Advisory Board. He has been elected as the Vice-Chair for the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (“CRCICA”). Additionally, Karim has been named to the Who’s Who legal Global Elite Thought Leaders’ 2024 List. According to WWL, the Global Elite Thought Leaders are those who are “the best of the best across our research, achieved by only around 5% of WWL-listed practitioners.” This list includes the top 95 arbitration practitioners worldwide. (Karim A Youssef – Youssef + Partners Arbitration Leaders – Experts – Lexology)  

Karim has acted as an arbitrator, expert or counsel work exceeds 184 international arbitrations across four continents, focusing on the MENA region and GCC countries and major cosmopolitan seats, including Cairo, Dubai, Paris, London, and New York.

Karim’s “sharp intellect” and “responsiveness as an arbitrator” makes him a favorite on the international arbitration circuit.” (Who’s Who Legal, 2018). “He is held in extremely high regard for his expert handling of investment treaty claims against government entities” and is further praised as an “extremely hands-on” adviser who “gives game-changing strategy.” (Chambers Global Guide, 2021). Timeless highlights of his work include representing Cementos La Union SA v. the Arab Republic of Egypt in the first investment treaty arbitration arising from the cement industry; and the CBC Channel in claims against Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef.

Karim was educated at Yale Law school (LL.M, J.S.D.), Paris 1 (Sorbonne) and Cairo universities.