Karim is an established lawyer with over 35 years of professional experience. He was born in the Democratic Republic of  the Congo and moved to Canada in 1975. Having graduated from the UBC Faculty of Law in 1989, he has shaped a diverse legal practice encompassing both litigation and commercial matters, with a focus on working with First Nations.

Karim was the lead counsel representing Indigenous Peoples forced to attend Indian Residential Schools in the precedent setting decision from the Supreme Court of Canada in F.H. v. McDougall, 2008 SCC 53. This decision has since been cited in more than 7500 judgements. This landmark decision highlights the long road to recovery that remains in the path to reconciliation between Canada and Indigenous Peoples. In addition to representing over 500 survivors of Residential schools, Karim has represented hundreds of victims of abuse in other cases. Karim is also involved in a significant Charter litigation in British Columbia on behalf of dozens of men who were abused while they were incarcerated in a former prison, now closed.

In the area of resource development, Karim has extensive experience on the interface between companies looking to develop real estate, forestry, mining, and energy projects in the traditional territories of First Nations and the First Nations who exercise their jurisdiction over such projects. His work is guided by principles of reconciliation and recognizes that this work entails economic and governance protocols, centered on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

More generally, he is passionate and a consummate thinker-practitioner on the dual role that the development of law and progress play, often unevenly, in creating a more just society. He is committed to creating a more pluralistic society while aiding individuals and communities to better understand their past, present and future.