Dr. Karen Seif

Dr. Karen Seif is a Partner and Head of the Arbitration Department at Habib Al Mulla and Partners, based in the United Arab Emirates. She is a distinguished consultant specialising in Arbitration and Mediation and international arbitration.

Her expertise spans the construction, corporate, energy and public defence sectors, where she navigates complex disputes under the auspices of leading international and regional arbitration centres including DIAC, ADCCAC, LCIA, AAA-ICDR and ICC.

With a robust academic background and extensive practical experience, Dr Seif holds esteemed faculty positions at Sorbonne University (Abu Dhabi) and previously at New York University (Abu Dhabi). She has also served as a judicial fellow in the United States Federal Courts (Northern District of California).

Dr Seif is a published authority on UAE arbitration law, recognised for her profound insights and adept handling of intricate arbitration proceedings.

She holds a Licence and Master's (with Honors) from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (2012), an LL.M. in International Dispute Resolution and Economic Law (with Merit) (2015) and an LL.M. from the University of California at Berkeley (2015), and a Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD) from the University of California at Berkeley (2022). She was admitted to the New York bar in 2017. She speaks English, French and Arabic.