Karim A. Youssef

Practice Areas

Dr. Karim A. Youssef is the founder, chairman, and head of international Arbitration at Youssef + Partners (previously Youssef & Partners), a prominent GAR 100 firm, Egypt's premier arbitration practice, and a regional MENA leader in dispute resolution. His practice focuses on commercial arbitration, investment treaty arbitration, complex high-value disputes, and international law, and he is world-renowned in these fields. Additionally, he heads the Firm’s high-net-worth individuals’ practice.

Karim acts as counsel, arbitrator, or legal expert in some of the MENA region’s highest-profile, largest, and most complex commercial and investment treaty claims. His docket of arbitrator and counsel work exceeds 142 international arbitrations across four continents.

Karim has received some of the highest distinctions from peers and clients, having notably been described as “a leading light in international arbitration” (Legal 500, 2018) and “the number one arbitration lawyer in Egypt” (Chambers Global, 2021). 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 "heavyweight arbitration lawyer with extensive experience acting on multibillion-dollar claims" (Chambers Global, 2022). His distinctions also include earning the 2019 GAR Award for best global speech and writing a reputable book on multi-party arbitration and consent issues prefaced by Jan Paulsson.

Karim is ranked as Star Individual in the Chambers and Partners Global Guide and is a Global Thought Leader in Arbitration Who's Who Legal.

Karim is a member of the Advisory Board of the CRCICA, the newly established BVI IAC Arbitration Committee, and also member of the ICCA-ASIL Task Force on Damages in International Arbitration.

Karim has law degrees from the prestigious Yale Law School (where he earned LL.M. and JSD degrees) and Paris and Cairo Universities.