As of its creation in 2009, the firm comprised two renowned arbitration practitioners Yves Derains and Hamid Gharavi and was a pioneer in the field then dominated by large full-service law firms.
Since its inception, Derains & Gharavi has consistently set the standard for excellence in international arbitration, earning recognition as a leader in France, Europe, and worldwide.
The firm’s expertise covers complex commercial arbitrations, high-stakes investment arbitrations, inter-State disputes and sports arbitrations. Having acted in over 600 arbitrations, the team has extensive experience under all major institutional rules (ICSID, ICC, LCIA, AAA/ICDR, SCC, CAM, CRCICA, NAI, DIAC, SIAC, and Swiss Arbitration Association) as well as in ad hoc arbitrations conducted under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules or others.
Derains & Gharavi’s clients range from multinational public corporations and leading private companies, to high-net-worth individuals, international organizations, States and State-owned entities. The firm’s lawyers have served as counsel and co-arbitrator, sole arbitrator, and presiding arbitrator in a variety of cases across a wide range of sectors and geographies.
Derains & Gharavi’s strength lies in its diverse team of lawyers. Specialized in international arbitration, they bring a wealth of experience, having trained and qualified in jurisdictions including France, the US, England & Wales, the Dominican Republic, Iran, Turkey, and Lebanon. Its team members are fluent in a number of languages, including Arabic, English, Farsi, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Turkish. This diverse pool of talent allows the firm to assemble bespoke legal teams tailored to the specific needs of each case, complemented and strengthened by a network of long-standing local correspondents around the globe.
The firm also acts as counsel in pre-, para- and post-arbitration proceedings, including for purposes of securing the appointment of arbitrators in case of defective arbitration clauses, obtaining injunctive relief or interim measures prior or during arbitration proceedings, and seeking the annulment of awards (both before ICSID and national courts) and the enforcement of arbitral awards in different jurisdictions.
In addition, the firm provides a wide range of services to support potential or pending arbitrations or disputes, including mock arbitrations (its members acting as both mock counsel and arbitrator), second opinions, and expert testimony as well as training sessions to in-house counsels and/or State officials.
The firm is also committed to supporting alternative means of dispute resolution such as mediation/conciliation with its partners offering to serve as conciliators and mediators before, during, or after the arbitration proceedings, drawing from their unique expertise as arbitrator, counsel and negotiators in high-stake disputes, and also to advise its clients on the negotiation and drafting of settlement agreements.