Sarah Malik is an award-winning lawyer who founded SOL International Ltd, a boutique legal consultancy registered at the ADGM in 2018. Sarah achieved ‘Litigator of the Year’ (2022) at the first GCC Women in Law Awards and received an honourable mention as ‘Law Firm Leader of the Year’ category at the same awards. In March 2022, SOL was named by Legal 500 EMEA as ‘A Firm to Watch in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation’. Sarah was a finalist at the First Middle East Blockchain Awards 2022 for ‘Most Influential Woman in Blockchain and Crypto’. In 2023 Sarah was listed as a ‘leading practitioner’ in The Arbitration Powerlist: Middle East Legal 500 EMEA.

In March 2023, Sarah was appointed to the inaugural Advisory Committee for the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Advisory Board for ThoughtsLeaders4 FIRE Middle East Summit 2023. She was also appointed to the Advisory Board for Juris Centre for Excellence in Legal Education and Training at Middlesex University, Dubai in January 2023.

Sarah is a member of the SIAC Users Council in the Middle East and is one of 20 appointed on the Lagos Panel of Arbitration Neutrals. Sarah is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and accepts appointments to sit as an Arbitrator.

Sarah undertakes international commercial arbitrations as Counsel (DIAC, ADCCAC, DIFC-LCIA, ICC) and practises commercial litigation at the DIFC and ADGM Courts. She deals with a varied arbitration caseload from construction through to international commercial arbitrations and has enjoyed successful awards in multi-million value.

In November 2023, Sarah moderated a panel discussion on ‘Metaverse Litigation: The New Age of Disputes in a Virtual World’ organised by ThoughtsLeaders4. 

In October 2023, Sarah spoke on a panel at IBA Paris on ‘Litigating in and About the Metaverse’.

Sarah is appointed to various boards regionally and internationally which include the Advisory Committee for Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), the Advisory Board for ThoughtsLeaders4 FIRE, the Advisory Board for Juris Centre for Excellence in Legal Education and Training at Middlesex University, Dubai, and the DIFC Court Users' Committee.

Sarah has been a visiting lecturer at Middlesex University, Dubai since 2014 on the LLM and previously on the LLB and she also lectures students of the DIFC Certificate in Common Law for Civil Lawyers programme.  

Sarah appears as Counsel in litigation, arbitration and mediations before the ADGM and DIFC. Sarah was instructed as Counsel on the first race discrimination claim against a multi-national bank before the DIFC Courts in 2023. She successfully mediated disputes at the ADGM Courts. She has successfully mediated a 7-figure dispute in the UK in relation to a company dispute.

Prior to founding SOL, Sarah practiced as a Barrister at a leading set of Commercial Chambers in London for fifteen years, worked as employed Counsel at a prominent UK law firm for two years and headed the Advocacy and Investigations team of an international law firm in Dubai for three and a half years. She is known as a straight-talking, no-nonsense lawyer and her approach and commitment has resulted in a loyal client following.

Sarah is a keen sports enthusiast and has enjoyed fitness training over the last 20 years, particularly boxing and HIIT training. 

In the UK, Sarah was instructed on behalf of a Premiership football club in a six-week medico-legal investigation involving allegations of doping and presented the findings to the Board. 

Sarah was also instructed in relation to the relegation of a football club and the consequent dismissal of various staff members. 
Sarah was instructed as a GCC partner in relation to the Mike Tyson gym in Saudi Arabia and contracts for the Trainer and General Manager. 

In September 2023, Sarah attended the IBA The Law of Sports Conference in Qatar. 

Sarah has been published in respect to HR issues in the sports world and has co-authored an article on  ‘Reform in Gaming and Gambling Laws in the UAE and the GCC’.

In 2024, Sarah will be undertaking a Sports Law Online course from Johan Cruyff Institute.