Karl-Oscar Dalin
Karl-Oscar Dalin is DLA Piper’s Nordic Head of Litigation and Regulatory, leading the firm’s cross-border work in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland within these practice areas.
With over 25 years of experience in dispute resolution, Karl-Oscar regularly acts in court proceedings, arbitration, settlement negotiations, and mediation. He has extensive expertise in handling complex commercial disputes, often in international arbitration involving parties from diverse countries and legal traditions.
Karl-Oscar has a broad international network, both within and beyond DLA Piper, and frequently collaborates with colleagues from other jurisdictions on cross-border matters. In 2026, he was appointed as a member of the arbitration panel at the China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC).
In addition to his experience at leading Swedish law firms, he has worked as a visiting lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York and served as in-house counsel at Skanska AB. He also accepts appointments as arbitrator and is a regular contributor to the legal publication Lexnova.
Karl-Oscar represents clients in disputes across a wide range of industries and legal areas, including:
- energy and industrial projects
- infrastructure and construction
- life sciences
- machinery and system deliveries
- automotive industry
- technology transfers and trade secrets
- mergers and acquisitions
- financial markets
- liability insurance disputes (defense counsel), including directors’ and officers’ liability and professional liability insurance
Advising UBS in Swedish court proceedings regarding a substantial damages claim brought by the Swedish Pensions Agency related to asset management within the Swedish premium pension system.
Advising multiple clients in the international pharmaceutical industry, including matters related to the financing of clinical trials/research, litigation concerning patents, and pharmaceutical deliveries to hospital pharmacies in the Stockholm region.
Advising a leading U.S. insurance company in SCC arbitration concerning insurance compensation and the impact of sanctions.
Advising an Austrian engineering company in arbitration against a leading Russian mining company regarding the design and construction of an iron pellet plant in southern Russia.
Advising a Dubai-based defense industry company in arbitration against a European supplier of defense equipment, concerning the sale of defense systems and equipment to Pakistan.
Advising a Dubai-based natural gas extraction company in two interconnected ICC arbitrations against a leading U.S. company in gas/oil drilling equipment and a Singaporean gas extraction company, both related to projects in Turkmenistan.
Advising a South African engineering company in SCC arbitration against a Russian mining company regarding the design and construction of a diamond enrichment plant in Siberia. The arbitration was followed by extensive intellectual property litigation in Swedish court.
Advising a leading Chinese beverage company in several parallel SCC arbitrations against a French food conglomerate concerning cooperation agreements in China.
Advising a British manufacturer of oilfield equipment in SCC arbitration against a customer regarding deliveries of equipment to oil platforms in the North Sea.
Advising several construction contractors and an engineering company in arbitrations concerning fiber networks and internet infrastructure.
Advising publicly listed property developers in the Stockholm region in approximately 175 interconnected proceedings concerning project delays.
Ranked in Dispute Resolution, 2026
"Karl-Oscar shows a solid grasp of the commercial context and is able to align legal advice with broader business goals."
"Karl-Oscar shows both an interest and an understanding in the business."
"He's very approachable and available. He manages all the communication quite efficiently and he's the kind of person you can have an open dialogue with."
Ranked in Dispute Resolution, 2025
"Karl-Oscar is an excellent litigation lawyer with perfect knowledge of Swedish laws and other European laws. He is supported by a talented and well-trained team."
"Karl-Oscar is excellent in terms of service delivery throughout proceedings."
"Karl-Oscar is a strategic thinker with a unique ability to persuade."
Mentioned in Dispute Resolution, 2026
"Karl-Oscar Dalin is highly professional and experienced — I was particularly impressed by his performance in the High Court."
Mentioned in Dispute Resolution, 2025
"A team of intelligent lawyers with an open mind and firm basis in legal realism."
"They are a good team that made us feel confident in the whole process. Karl-Oscar Dalin drove the process and was very competent, good to work with, and honest in his assessments."
"A strong team with good division of labour between partners and associates."
"A hardworking and competent team that is always available. They put your interests first and have good knowledge and experience in construction law."
"They are professional and have broad experience in many different areas."
Mentioned in Dispute Resolution, 2022, 2023 and 2024
"The dispute resolution is led by a very astute leader, Karl-Oscar Dalin. The DLA Piper team in Stockholm must rate highly in the space they occupy. I can vouch for the fact that their collaborative approach meant that the client found the legal team on all issues that he felt were important to his case. Their arbitration experience was second to none and their approach was thorough and meticulous.’'
"Karl-Oscar Dalin with extensive experience across in house and private practice has the business touch to his armory of legal skills. He is able to look at the big picture which from a clients’ perspective means that he is capable of looking at innovative solutions to complex matters."
"Karl-Oscar Dalin is client friendly and easy to work with- a good strategist and clear vision in dispute resolution. Good on his feet in court."
"Over the years, I have dealt with multiple legal professionals and firms around the world. DLA Piper has by far been the most thorough, competent and diligent firm I have had the pleasure to work with."