Aarta Alkarim


Aarta Alkarimi is an attorney, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and an accredited mediator through the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

She holds a Master of Laws degree (LL.M) in International Trade & Commerce from Fordham University, New York City and a Diploma in International Arbitration (DipIArb) from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She started her practice in 2003 in a boutique construction law firm in the New York offices of a major US law firm. In 2009 she moved to the Abu Dhabi offices of White Shoe US Law firm where she continued her practice in alternative dispute resolution, mostly serving the construction and energy industries.

In 2016 she established Chrysalis, a boutique dispute resolution consultancy where she continues to practice as counsel, arbitrator, and mediator.

Aarta has served in over 40 arbitrations mostly related to the construction, infrastructure and energy sectors.

She serves on the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Council on Diversity & Inclusion and is the past chair of the IBA’s Project Establishment Sub-Committee.

She tutors arbitration and award writing and lectures frequently on construction, energy, and diversity issues.