Karim J Nassif

Practice Areas

Karim J. Nassif has more than 20 years’ experience in arbitration, mediation, civil law, contract law, commercial and corporate law, banking and finance, real estate and construction law.

Professional Memberships

• Member of the Beirut Bar Association.

• Vice-Chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR.

• Vice-chair of the ICC UAE Commission on Arbitration and ADR Steering Committee.

• Co-Chair of the IBA Arab Regional Forum Group.

• Dubai Arbitration Week Organizing Committee Member.

• Member of the IBA Arbitration Committee and Real Estate Committee.

• Member of the ICC Lebanon.

• Member of the LCIA.

• Member of the ‘Association Suisse de l’Arbitrage’ – ASA.

• Initiator of the Arab Arbitration Forum – Civil Law Focus Group.

• Former Vice-Chair of the IBA Mediation Committee and Former Conference Quality Officer of the IBA Mediation Committee

• Qualified to appear before the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts (Formerly).

• Former Member of the Beirut Bar Information Technology Law Committee.

• Former Vice-President of the Lebanese Association for the Development of Information Technology Law.

• Former member of the ICC Task Force on Emergency Arbitration Proceedings.

• Former Member of the ICC Task Force on “ADR and Arbitration”.

Languages Spoken

Arabic French and English.

He pleads in all three languages.

Work Highlights

1- ARBITRATOR’S WORK HIGHLIGHTS

• Acted / Acting as a sole arbitrator in:

• DIAC Cases no. 7/2011, 18/2011, 32/2011, 49/2012, 110/2011, 111/2011, 212/2011, 291/2011, 140/2012, 241/2012, 433/2011, 308/2012, 330/2012, 176/2012, 424/2011, 2/2014, 252/2013, 253/2013, 254/2013, 109/2014, 143/2014, 10/2015, 97/2015, 38/206, 58/2016, 80/2016, 79/2017, 45/2018, 137/2018, 140/2018 and 58/2022;

• ADCCAC case no. 6/2022;

• ICC Cases no. 21106/ZF, 22791/ZF/AYF, 24984/AZF, 25634/PTA and 26930/MDY/OSI;

• DFIC-LCIA Cases no. DL17133 and DL20295;

• BCDR Case no. 22/1; and

• Ad Hoc Proceedings in UAE (under UNCITRAL Rules).

• Acted / Acting as a member of the Tribunal in:

• DIAC Cases no. 97/2012, 104/2012, 122/2012. 202/2012, 124/2014, 11/2014, 132/2014, 85/2015, 99/2015, 67/2016, 180/2016, 19/2017, 79/2017, 18/2019, 93/2019, 111/2019, 150/2019, 109/2020, 161/2019, 87/2020, 49/2021, 50/2021, 51/202, 213/2021, 229/2022 and 1/2023;

• DIFC-LCIA Cases no. DL14038, DL18182, DL19275, DL20282, DL20293 and DL20298;

• ICC Cases no. 22609/ZF, 22541/ZF/AYZ, 23447/AYZ, 23498/AYZ, 23603/MK, 23687/GR, 25846/PTA, 26587/MDY and 27857/GL;

• ADCCAC cases no. 18/2020, 12/2021 ,7/2021 and 35/2022;

• IICRA Case no. 70/2015;

• QICCA Cases no. 13/2021 and 9/2021; and

• Ad Hoc Proceedings in Qatar, Bahrain (under UNCITRAL Rules), KSA and the Sultanate of Oman.

• Acted / Acting as a Chairman of the Tribunal in:

• DIAC Cases no. 398/2011, 357/2011, 358/2011, 414/2011, 157/2012, 159/2014, 180/2016, 60/2017; 61/2017, 90/2017, 81/2017, 141/2019, 189/2019; 198/2019, 31/2020, 27/2021 and 89/2022;

• ICC Case no. 24404AYZ;

• DIFC-LCIA Cases no. DL16082, 20300 and 20301;

• CRCICA Case nos. 1356 and 1601;

• LCIA case no. 204799; and

• Ad Hoc Proceedings in the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman.

2- ADJUDICATOR’S WORK HIGHLIGHTS

• Acted / Acting as an Adjudicator in DIAC file no. AA1 and in boards in Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman.

3- MEDIATOR’S WORK HIGHLIGHTS

• Acted / Acting as a Mediator in DIAC file no. 1/2017 and under the OHADA Uniform Act on Mediation.

4- COUNSEL’S OR CO-COUNSEL’S OR EXPERT’S WORK HIGHLIGHTS

a- Commercial Contracts

• Counsel to the Respondent in an ICC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to distribution of perfumes and fragrances products under the laws of France – Brussels is the place of arbitration.

• Counsel to the Respondent in an ad hoc arbitration concerning a dispute relating to the manufacturing, sale and erection of steel structures under the laws of the UAE – Dubai is the place of arbitration.

• Counsel to the Respondent in an ICC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to the sale of chemical products under the laws of France – Paris is the place of arbitration.

• Counsel to the Respondent in an LCIA arbitration concerning a dispute relating to the sale of chemical products under the laws of England and Wales – London is the place of arbitration.

• Counsel to Claimant in a DIAC arbitration concerning an AED 4 billion shareholders’/takeover dispute relating to a major property developer in the Gulf – Dubai is the place of arbitration.

• Co-Counsel to the Respondent in a DIAC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to a half a billion US dollar worth port concession – Dubai is the place of arbitration.

• Co-Counsel to the Claimant in a DIAC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to the termination of a media concession agreement against the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority – Dubai is the place of arbitration.

• Co-Counsel to the Claimant in an ICDR arbitration concerning a dispute relating to the distribution of jewellery and watches under the laws of the State of New York - New York is the seat of arbitation.

• Team leader for legal expertise under ICC arbitration proceedings in the hospitality sector; seated in London; UAE law.

• Expert in court proceedings in England and Wales; debt restructuring; UAE law.

b- Financial Matters

• Counsel to the Respondent in an ad hoc case concerning the manufacture, sale and installation of steel products in Abidjan – Dubai is the place of arbitration

• Counsel to the Respondent in a G.C.C. Commercial Arbitration Centre case concerning an AED 100 million shareholders’ dispute – Bahrain is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to the Respondent in an ADCCAC arbitration concerning a dispute over half a billion Dirham worth IPO (150 million US Dollars) – Abu Dhabi is the place of arbitration.

• Counsel to the Respondent in an LCIA arbitration concerning a dispute relating to sale of chemical products under the laws of England and Wales – London is the place of arbitration.

• Co-Counsel to the Respondent in a DIAC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to a shareholders’ agreement and a put option matter – Dubai is the place of arbitration.

c- Construction and Contract for Works

Counsel to the Respondent / Counterclaimant in an ICC arbitration concerning a 25 million US Dollars claim relating to the construction of a chemical industrial plant in Abu Dhabi under the laws of England and Wales – Abu Dhabi is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to the Respondent / Counterclaimant in an ICC arbitration concerning an AED 150 million (45 million US Dollars) claim relating to the construction of a chemical industrial plant in Abu Dhabi under the laws of England and Wales – Abu Dhabi is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to the Respondent in an ADCCAC arbitration concerning an AED 200 million (55 million US Dollars) dispute relating to escalation of steel prices in subcontract works – Abu Dhabi is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to the Respondent/Counterclaimant in an ADCCAC arbitration concerning a 50 million US Dollars dispute relating to the non-payment of subcontracted works in the framework of a major Abu Dhabi based construction project – Abu Dhabi is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to the Claimant in a DIAC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to the non-payment of ID&FFE subcontracted works in the framework of a major Dubai based hotel construction project (Marriott Hotel) – Abu Dhabi is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to the Claimant in a DIAC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to the termination of subcontracted A/V works in the framework of a major Dubai based theme park (the biggest indoor theme park in the world – Marvel themed) governed by the laws of England and Wales - Dubai is the place of arbitration.

Co-Counsel to the Claimant in an ICC arbitration concerning SACS and IPCCTV works contract at Terminal 3 – Dubai Airport, under the laws of France – Paris is the place of arbitration.

Co-Counsel to the Respondent in an ICC arbitration concerning an AED 45 million (13 million US Dollars) dispute relating to the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in a chemical / aluminium industrial plant in Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi is the place of arbitration.

Team leader for legal expertise under ICC arbitration proceedings in the contract for works seated in Paris; UAE law.

Team leader for legal expertise under ICC arbitration proceedings in the satellite industry seated in Paris; UAE law.

d- Property Development

• Counsel to the Respondent in a DIAC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to a major Dubai-based project development worth AED 900 million (245 million US Dollars) – Dubai is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to the Claimant in a DIAC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to a major Dubai based project development worth AED 300 million (90 million US Dollars) – Dubai is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to the Claimant in a DIAC arbitration concerning a dispute relating to a major Ras Al Khaima-based project development worth AED 100 million (27 million US Dollars) – Dubai is the place of arbitration.

Counsel to two property developers in a set of more than 50 DIAC/ADCCAC property disputes.

Expert in court proceedings in Australia and Hong Kong; property sale and purchase agreements; UAE law.

Expert in an ICSID case; UAE law.

Awards