Derains & Gharavi has extensive experience as counsel and arbitrator in both commercial and investment arbitrations related to distribution and agency agreements, having been entrusted with counsel mandates for both for principal and for agents/representants, by large international groups and high-net individuals.
The below non-exhaustive examples demonstrate the firm’s extensive experience in this sector (For full list see the CVs of Yves Derains and Hamid Gharavi):
- Successfully represented as lead counsel a Qatari company in annulment proceedings before the French courts and upon annulment, in an ICC arbitration in Paris against one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world regarding the termination of several distribution agreements (ICC Case No. 24069/FS);
- Successfully represented as the lead counsel the Republic of Albania in post-privatization investment disputes initiated by a large Czech electricity producer under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules and the ICC Arbitration Rules, in relation to the regulatory framework applying to Albania’s main electro-energy distribution company (settled);
- Successfully represented as the lead counsel an Iraqi company in an ICC arbitration in Paris against the French subsidiary of a multinational medical group in relation to a distribution agreement (ICC Case No. 18074);
- Successfully represented as the lead counsel two French companies in an ICC arbitration against a French multinational corporation in relation to an agency and lobbying services agreement (ICC Case No. 16937/ND);
- President of the Tribunal in a GCCIS (Swiss Rules) arbitration between a German company and an Indian company in relation to alleged breaches of a distribution agreement [Hamid Gharavi];
- President of the Tribunal in an ICC arbitration between an Algerian company and a French company in relation to a dispute under a contract for the distribution of cosmetics and hygiene products (ICC Case No. 18457/ND/MCP) [Yves Derains];
- President of the Tribunal in an ICC arbitration between a Brazilian Group and a Cuban public entity in relation to the termination of a distribution agreement (ICC Case No. 14419/CCO/JRF) [Yves Derains];
- Sole Arbitrator in a SIAC arbitration between an English company and an Emirati company for alleged breaches of a license and distribution agreement (SIAC Case No. 263/2019) [Hamid Gharavi];
- Co-Arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a Turkish company and a Brazilian company and its Spanish subsidiary regarding an alleged wrongful termination of distribution contracts (ICC Case No. 17969/CA) [Hamid Gharavi].