Member Profile

Karen Millls, J.D., FCIArb., FHKIArb., FSIArb.is a chartered arbitrator recognized as one of the leading arbitrators in Asia according to every publication and survey published. She sits as arbitrator in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the US and is also on the panel of arbitrators of institutions in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, New Zealand, ICDR in the US, CACD in India and the online Domain Name Dispute Panel of ADNDRC, Hong Kong, Beijing and Seoul. As arbitrator, Ms. Mills has sat in cases involving oil, gas, mining, power, insurance, finance, tax, commercial real estate, and various matters of general investment and trade. As counsel she often acts as lead counsel for the Indonesian Government in investor-state disputes, including successfully winning a multi-billion dollar mining dispute and successfully dismissing one ICSID claim for lack of jurisdiction, and another multilateral treaty case on the merits. She also represents a number of state-owned companies and acts for many multinational and local companies in arbitration as well as in structuring transactions in all sectors. Ms. Mills founded and Co- Chairs the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Indonesia Chapter, is a founding member and serves on the Executive Board of ArbitralWomen International, and advises various other institutions and publications on dispute resolution matters. She teaches arbitration and ADR in Indonesia and throughout the region, coaches moot teams for three Indonesian Universities, and has published over 150 papers and chapters in professional journals and textbooks.

Ms. Karen Mills focuses is well experienced in Investor-state and other International Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution; Financing; Oil and Gas, Energy, Natural Resources, Mining & Infrastructure; Insurance; Restructuring, Hospitality, and other international transactional and dispute resolution practice. Familiarity with both Civil Law (30+ years practice in Indonesia) and Common Law (education and practice in the U.S.).

During its establishment in 1997, KarimSyah Law Firm was one of the very few Indonesia firms with both transactional and contentious practices, and has quickly become recognized as one of Indonesia’s premier Law Firms, in particular with respect to International Dispute Resolution.

Other than being recognized as an Indonesian Market Leader in Dispute Resolution, Financing and Resources, areas of specialization on the transactional side include Oil, Gas and Energy and Infrastructure matters, Insurance, all manner of Financing and Restructuring, including Islamic Financing and Capital Markets, Information Technology, Land Transactions, Bankruptcy, Joint Ventures and other cross-border transactions and business structures, Mergers and Acquisitions as well as Foreign and Domestic Investments. On the contentious side, the firm handles commercial litigation and both local and international arbitration and mediation, with recent unique specializations in medical malpractice defense and aviation disaster settlements.

Lawyers at the firm also have extensive experience assisting clients in the Energy Sector, including Managing Partner, Mr. Mirza Karim, who, prior to joining the firm had spent 12 years as an In-House Legal Counsel at PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia.

KarimSyah’s lawyers are both qualified in both civil and common law jurisdictions, with long experience representing foreign companies doing business in Indonesia, and vice versa, and are well attuned to the cultural nuances necessary to make cross-border relationships succeed. Our lawyers use their legal skills and knowledge of business practices to arrive at a customized legal solution for each client. Working as a team, both internally and together with external financial and other support-service organizations, KarimSyah can lead the client through all aspects of its transaction of business.

Ms. Karen Mills has assisted and represented clients ranging from the Government of Indonesia, State-Owned Enterprises, multinational, foreign as well as local companies.

1997 to present:

Founder and International Legal Advisor, KarimSyah Law Firm, Jakarta.

Practice Specialities: Arbitration; Mediation; Debt & Corporate Restructuring; Oil, Gas Mining & Energy; Financing; Hotel Management; Information Technology;

Infrastructure, Insurance, Investment & Tax Structures.

1984 to 2007:

Senior Consultant

Financing, Cross-Border Transactions; ADR; Insurance; Oil, Gas, Energy.

PT. Dharma Raksa, Jakarta, Indonesia

1992 - 1997

Of Counsel, Albert Hasibuan & Rekan, Jakarta

Also:

Legal Advisor to GPU/Arthur Andersen (Tax Division), Jakarta (1986 - 1993)

Lecturer, Tarumanegara University Faculty of Law, Law Laboratory: Joint Ventures; Arbitration; Financing; Tax; Practice Ethics, International Business Relationships.

and currently:

Lecturer, Arbitration and Moot Competition Coach, University of Indonesia;

Arbitrator, various institutional and ad hoc arbitrations, mediator and domain name panelist: Jakarta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, USA.

Chairman, teacher & speaker at various seminars and courses on investment, arbitration, ADR, energy, financing, oil services, e-commerce and tax: Jakarta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, USA.

Various advisory boards and numerous notes and chapters published in law books and professional publications.

1973 - 1983:

Legal and Business Consultant

Independent International Practice

Pacific Basin and Southeast Asia

Los Angeles & Sydney based

1968 - 1972:

Attorney-at-Law

Associate, specialising in Maritime & Transportation Financing

Messrs. Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens

New York, New York

1967 (Summer):

Law Clerk

Messrs. Rubin, Wachtel, Baum & Levin

New York, New York

Member of the Bar of the State of New York since l969

Admitted to practice before the Federal District Courts

for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York

Member of the New York State Bar Association

- International Law and Practice Section

- Empire State Counsel, 2007 - (honor)

Certified as International Attorney by PERADI, Indonesian Bar Regulator

Honorary Member (First expatriate ever) Asosiasi Advokat Indonesia (Bar assoc.)

Member of the International Bar Association

- Legal Practice Division:

- Vice Chair, Mediation Committee, TF Investor-State Mediation

- Arbitration Committee

- Committee on Maritime and Transportation Law

- Section on Energy and Natural Resources Law

Chartered Arbitrator & Fellow, Chartered Inst of Arbitrators (F.CIArb.)

Founder & Co-Chair, Indonesia Chapter, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Fellow, Hong Kong & Singapore Institutes of Arbitrators (F.HKIArb. F.SIArb.)

Member of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Commission on Arbitration

BANI Arbitrator and former Special Assistant to the Board (1995 -2005)

(first expatriate, and first woman, empanelled; Drafted 2000 Rules)

Arbitrator:

Singapore & Hong Kong International Arbitration Centres

Arbitrator

CIETAC (Beijing), SIArb (Singapore Inst.), PDRCI (Philippines), KAB (Korea) and KLRCA (Malaysia), SCIA (South China), ICDR (AAA, US), New Zealand.

Executive Editor & Executive Board Member (since 1995), ARBITRALWOMEN

Panelist, Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre, HKG, Beijing, Seoul

Approved Tutor, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Professional Development.

Appointing Authority, First Chamber, Chinese European Arbitration Centre (CELA)

Member, Editorial Board; Journal of World Energy Law & Business

Member, International Mediation Institute, Taskforce on Investor-State Mediation

Vice Chair, International Fiscal Association (IFA), Indonesia (1996-2003)

(1992 - 1995: Editor, IFA Newsletter, Jakarta)

News Section Correspondent, International Arbitration Law Review

Member, Inter-Pacific Bar Association

- Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee

- Organising Committee for Seminar on Economic Law Reform, 1995

- Program Chair, Host Committee for 2005 Annual Meeting, Bali

Board of Advisors, Vindobona Journal, William C. Vis Moot Alumni Association

AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce) Indonesia

- Founder and Chair, Legal Services Committee (1992-2003)

- Co-Chair, Taxation Committee (1986 - 2004)

- Power, Energy & Mining & Services Committees (1996-2004)

1. Legal 500 for Asia Pacific 2005-2014

Top tier for Dispute Resolution

2. Asian In-House Handbook 2011

Best Firm for Islamic Finance

3. Global Arbitration Review

KarimSyah is the only Indonesian Firm included in the GAR 100 from 2009 to 2014 as the Specialist Arbitration Firms.

4. AsiaLaw Profiles 2012

Tier 2 Firm for Dispute Resolution

5. Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2014

Band 1 for Dispute Resolution

Karen Mills is ranked in Band 1 for Dispute Resolution in Indonesia and in Band 3 for Arbitration in Asia Pacific

6. Corporate USA Today, Annual Awards 2018

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Firm

7. Corporate USA Today, Law Awards 2018

Firm of the Year – Arbitration – Indonesia

8. In-House Community, Firms of the Year 2018

Islamic Finance - Indonesia

9. Corporate LiveWire Legal Awards 2017-2018

Arbitration Law Firm of the Year – Indonesia

10. Expert Guides

a. 2010: Woman in Business Law - Commercial Arbitration - Indonesia is Karen Mills

b. 2010: Litigation Lawyer - Indonesia is Firmansyah.

c. 2011: Emerging Markets Practitioners - Litigation - Indonesia is Firmansyah

d. 2011: Expert in Commercial Arbitration - Indonesia are Karen Mills and Iswahjudi A. Karim

11. Asia Pacific Regional Arbitration Group (APRAG)

Karen Mills is listed as a member of Panel of Arbitrators from Indonesia.

12. Who's Who Legal

Karen Mills is selected to appear in the International Who's Who of Arbitration from 2006 to 2014 for the practice areas of arbitration, insurance and reinsurance, and energy.

13. The Lawyers Worldwide Award Magazine 2018

Karen Mills is selected as an “Innovative Lawyer” of the 2018 list

14. Marquis Who’s Who 2018

Karen Mills is awarded the “2018 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award”

15. Chambers Asia Pacific 2018

Karen Mills is ranked in the 2018 list of Chambers Asia Pacific