Derains & Gharavi

Number of partners: 6

Number of associates: 14

Languages: Arabic, Dutch, English, Farsi, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Turkmen

Firm Overview



Derains & Gharavi is a boutique law firm based in Paris that is exclusively handling international arbitrations and arbitration-related litigations. Since its inception in 2008, the firm has consistently been recognised for the high quality of its work, the expertise of its lawyers, and its successful track record in high profile cases. Derains & Gharavi has handled a broad spectrum of investment and commercial arbitrations and arbitration-related litigation, including in actions aimed at obtaining injunctive relief, interim measures, annulment and/or enforcement of arbitral awards, notably before the French and Dutch courts. Its partners have acted as counsel and served as arbitrator in hundreds of arbitrations, conducted under the rules of all major arbitral institutions, such as the ICC, LCIA, DIFC/LCIA, PCA, AAA/ICDR, SCC, CAM, CRCICA, NAI, DIAC, SIAC, Swiss Chambers (SCAI), CAS, ADCCAC and ICSID (including annulments before ad hoc committees and revision proceedings), as well as in UNCITRAL and ad hoc arbitrations.

Main Areas of Practice

Arbitration

■ Represents the Central Bank of Iran in two investor-State disputes, one against Bahrain and another against Korea, in relation to BIT breaches arising from the refusal to return bank deposits

Partners: Hamid Gharavi, Emmanuel Foy

■ Represents Naftiran Intertrade Co. in an investor-State arbitration (ICSID Case No. ARB/22/34) against the Bahrain, in relation to BIT breaches arising from the refusal to return bank deposits

Partners: Hamid Gharavi, Emmanuel Foy

■ Represents TRASTA Energy Limited (UAE) in an OIC Treaty arbitration against Libya arising from breaches of joint venture agreements relating to the operation of Libya’s highest capacity oil refinery

Partner: Hamid Gharavi

■ Represents Altberg Developments LP (UK) et al. in ICSID Case No. ARB/20/37 against the Republic of Albania in a dispute arising from the termination of a Container Terminal concession

Partner: Hamid Gharavi, Emmanuel Foy

■ Represents Mr. Mustafa Orhan Özer (Turkey) et al. in an UNCITRAL arbitration against the State of Libya arising from the destruction of their investment in multiple construction contracts

Partners: Hamid Gharavi, Emmanuel Foy

■ Represents Romania in ICSID Cases Nos. ARB/22/13, ARB/20/15 and ARB/16/19 brought under the ECT in relation to renewable energy investments

Partners: Hamid Gharavi, Sophia von Dewall, Emmanuel Foy

■ Represents Alcatel-Lucent International in an ICC arbitration against a UAE company in connection with the supply of fibre equipment; as well as Nokia in an ICC arbitration against two companies (Italian and Albanian) in connection with the supply of radio equipment

Partner: Hamid Gharavi, Emmanuel Foy

■ Represents the Republic of India in an investment treaty arbitration instituted under the India-Mauritius BIT

Partner: Melanie van Leeuwen

■ Successfully represented the Dayyani family (Iran) in an Iran-Korea BIT (UNCITRAL) arbitration against the Republic of Korea, securing dismissal of the annulment application and obtaining seizure of Korea’s assets

Partner: Hamid Gharavi

■ Successfully represented Caratube International Oil Company et al. in ICSID Case No. ARB/13/13 against the Republic of Kazakhstan, assisting in award enforcement and negotiations leading to a broader settlement agreement encompassing ICSID Case No. ARB/15/13

Partner: Hamid Gharavi

■ Successfully represented Aktau Petrol Ticaret A.Ş. (Turkey) in ICSID Case No. ARB/15/8 against the Republic of Kazakhstan, securing dismissal of the annulment application and obtaining seizure of Kazakhstan’s assets

Partners: Hamid Gharavi, Melanie van Leeuwen

■ Successfully represented Bank Melli Iran and Bank Saderat Iran in an UNCITRAL arbitration (PCA Case No. 2017-25) against the Kingdom of Bahrain, securing an award of more than USD 250 million with interest

Partner: Hamid Gharavi, Emmanuel Foy

■ Successfully represented Enora Wind Energy Development S.A. et al. in an ICC arbitration against Acciona Energiaki S.A. et al., having represented EN.TE.KA SA against Acciona Energiaki S.A. in another ICC arbitration

Partner: Yves Derains

Arbitration-Related Litigation

■ Represents the Republic of India in parallel setting aside and revocation proceedings before the Court of Appeal of The Hague concerning two investment treaty awards rendered under the India-Mauritius BIT

Partner: Melanie van Leeuwen

■ Successfully represented the owner and operator of Libya’s largest oil refinery LERCO in annulment proceedings before the Paris Court of Appeal against the award rendered by an ICC tribunal, obtaining the suspension of the award’s enforcement pending completion of the annulment proceedings and its partial annulment

Partners: Yves Derains, Hamid Gharavi, Bertrand Derains

■ Successfully represented Saad Buzwair Automotive Co (Qatar) in annulment proceedings before the Paris Court of Appeal against an ICC award and secured a landmark judgement before the Cour de Cassation, which affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal to annul the arbitration award, on the ground that the arbitrator had failed to comply with his ongoing duty of disclosure

Partners: Yves Derains, Hamid Gharavi, Bertrand Derains

■ Successfully prevented the enforcement in the Netherlands of a USD 3 billion award rendered between two State-owned national gas companies, which led to a favourable settlement in January 2020

Partner: Melanie van Leeuwen

Clients

Airbus, Alcatel/Nokia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, IMAL, Invista, Iran, Qatar, the Republic of Sudan, Republic of India, Romania, the RTL Group, Thales, TRASTA Energy Limited, Veolia, Vinci Construction Grands Projets, the WeBuild Group (formerly Salini), the United Nations

25, rue Balzac

75008 Paris

France

Tel: +33 (0)1 40 555 100

Fax: +33 (0)1 40 555 105

www.derainsgharavi.com

[email protected]