Derains & Gharavi is headquartered in Paris, France, one of the major arbitration centers, which actors often select as a business meeting hub, seat of arbitration and/or hearing venue, and from where the firm carries out its mandate as counsel and arbitrator worldwide whatever the seat, institution, industry, rules or applicable law is.
From its Paris headquarters, the firm and its partners are naturally appointed regularly as counsel or arbitrator in a large number of arbitrations by French and Western European States, companies and high net individuals, as illustrated by the below non-exhaustive diverse list (For full list see the CVs of Yves Derains and Hamid Gharavi):
- Successfully represented as lead counsel a French construction company in an ICC arbitration against a Central American public entity in relation to the construction of a bridge;
- Successfully represented as lead counsel a French aircraft manufacturer and a French manufacturer in an ICC arbitration against an airline;
- Successfully represented as lead counsel and still representing a leading French telecom company in half a dozen ICC arbitrations against parties in the Middle East, Western Europe and Africa in relation to supply agreements;
- Successfully represented as lead counsel and still representing both European manufacturers and foreign purchasers of MDF plants in a number of institutional arbitrations under the laws of various jurisdictions seated in Paris, Zurich and Amsterdam arising out of the construction of MDF plants in Europe and the Middle East (ICC Case Nos. 15170/FM/GZ/MHM/EMT and 20006/EMT; SAC Case Nos. 300541-2021 and 300540/300542-2021; NAI Case No. 5190)
- Successfully represented as lead counsel European investors in investment arbitrations, such as French investor, Mr. Frank Charles Arif in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Moldova in relation to an investment in the duty-free industry that led to a favorable award on liability including specific performance (ICSID Case No. ARB/11/23) and British publicly-listed company, Oxus Gold plc, in an ad-hod arbitration under the UNCITRAL rules against the Republic of Uzbekistan in relation to an investment in the mining industry that led to a favorable Award on jurisdiction, liability and damages;
- Successfully represented as lead counsel a leading European Tennis federation in an ICC arbitration against a foreign company in relation to the breach of broadcasting rights of a major sport event (ICC Case No. 13373/EC);
- Representing as lead counsel one of the largest Czech energy group in its dispute with a leading French energy group arising out of a fire in a power generating unit while in the course of a share purchase agreement (Ad Hoc);
- President of the Tribunal in an ICC arbitration between several European companies in the aeronautical sector (ICC Case No. 22850/GR) [Yves Derains];
- President of the Tribunal in an ad hoc arbitration under Swiss law and Equity between Swiss individuals in relation to the alleged breach of a partnership agreement [Hamid Gharavi];
- President of the Tribunal in an ICC arbitration between two English companies in the construction sector (ICC Case No. 24679/TO) [Yves Derains];
- Co-Arbitrator in an ICC arbitration between a French State Defense Group and Taiwan in relation to the alleged breach of a contract for the sale of military equipment (ICC Case No. 14575/JB/JEM/MLK/ARP) [Hamid Gharavi];
- Co-Arbitrator in an ICSID arbitration between an Algerian national and Belgium in relation to an alleged expropriation of an investment in a football club (Djamel Ben Ferha v. Kingdom of Belgium, ICSID Case No. ARB/24/15) [Hamid Gharavi]; and
- Co-arbitrator in an ad-hoc arbitration between a major European agri-food group and a franchisee [Emmanuel Foy].