Derains & Gharavi

Regions

Iran and Türkiye Desks

With an extensive track record in or involving Iran, Türkiye, the Middle East and Central Asian States, as associates with the nationality and fluent in the languages of these states, the firm has established foreign Desks in Iran and Türkiye, which are led by Hamid Gharavi, with the support of Partner Emmanuel Foy, Iranian associate Hamideh Barmakhshad, based in Tehran, and Turkish associate Onur Oksan, in Paris. The firm also relies on an extensive network of correspondent firms in these jurisdictions.

Iran Desk

Co-founding Partner Hamid Gharavi, a dual French-Iranian national, leads naturally the Iranian desk and is assisted in this process by Partner Emmanuel Foy and Tehran-based Iranian associate Hamideh Barmakhshad which has joined the firm upon years of practice in Iran.

Hamid Gharavi has lived for nearly five decades in the US and France while remaining at all times very active in Iran via contributions to its academic, professional, artistic and cultural fields.  

He serves as Court Member for Iran at the International Chamber of Commerce Court for the 2024-2028 term upon nomination by the President of the Court.

He also serves as the President of the International Board of the Tehran Regional Arbitration Centre.

He has extensive experience as counsel and appointed as arbitrator by both Iranian and foreign companies, in a large and diverse number of ad-hoc or institutional cases involving Iran and/or Iranian entities and/or Iranian law (see for instance PCA Case No. AA710, ICC Case No. 19732, ICC Case No. 17167, ICC Case No. 14378, ICC Case No. 17451, ICC No. 20003, ICC Case No. 28651, ICC Case No. 25591, TRAC Case No. 109/2, TRAC Case No. 109/9, CAS Case No. 2020/A/7532, CAS Case No. 2019/A/6395 and CAS Case No. 2020/A/7421).

Derains & Gharavi also has leading experience and track record in landmark cases as counsel for Iranian State entities and commercial companies in investment arbitration, including in PCA Case No. 2017-25 where it acted as counsel to Bank Saderat and Bank Melli (each holding 33.33% of the Bahrain Banking joint venture Future Bank) against the Kingdom of Bahrain, which led to a EUR 200+ million favorable award with the tribunal finding that the expropriation was not justified by sanctions, but rather pretextual and motivated by a political agenda [see the press coverage notably in Figaro published on November 28, 2021 and November 30, 2021 and Washington Post on November 26, 2021] as well as in PCA Case No. 2015-38 where it acted as counsel for the Dayyani family, investors in one of the world’s largest home appliance companies, against the Republic of Korea, which led to a USD 68 million award on the ground of a pretextual expropriation, and which was enforced in France and in the UK [see the reports in the Global Arbitration Review published on June 8, 2018 and January 3, 2020].

Derains & Gharavi is also currently representing Iranian entities or Iranian-owned entities in several other ongoing disputes against the Kingdom of Bahrain (including ICSID Case No. ARB/22/34) and the Republic of Korea (reported in the Global Arbitration Review) under BITs in connection with USD billions that have been seized or blocked within their territories.

For full list of Iranian cases see the CV of Hamid Gharavi.

Derains & Gharavi further accepts, on ad-hoc basis. to assist certain companies in structuring their investments under multilateral and bilateral treaties executed by Iran and pursuant to the international arbitration regime, as well on sanctions, alone or with the assistance of its Iranian correspondents on specific questions of Iranian law.

The firm also accepts, on an ad-hoc basis, to assist certain companies in the enforcement of foreign judgments or foreign awards in Iran and of Iranian judgments or awards outside Iran.

Hamid Gharavi regularly speaks at conferences on and in Iran and publishes articles on the Iranian practice of international arbitration, international public law and foreign policy (For full list see the CV of Hamid Gharavi):

Hamid Gharavi is the founder of Bridging in Isfahan, an annual event starting in 2025. The event takes place in a classified 18th century historical house in Isfahan that he has rehabilitated and brings together a selective group of international specialists from diverse backgrounds, functions, confessions and regions for 24 hours to engage on a selected topic of international law and more, namely intellectually, socially, academically, artistically and culturally through events and walks including over Isfahan’s historical bridges.

He also supports modern contemporary art and the restoration of Iranian monuments and antiquities.

Türkiye Desk

Hamid Gharavi has been a member of the ISTAC’s International Board of Arbitration since 2015, and is a Visiting Professor at Galatasaray University for the years 2025-28.

Onur Oksan is qualified in three jurisdictions (Türkiye (Istanbul), France (Paris) and England & Wales), and joined the firm in August 2020 after several years of practice in Istanbul.

The firm has secured landmark awards for the Turkish State and Turkish investors and its partners acted as counsel and arbitrator in a large number of arbitrations in Türkiye as non exhaustively set out below:

The firm acts as counsel for and against Turkish companies in commercial ad-hoc and institutional arbitrations and advises foreign investors in structuring their investments in Türkiye at the outset under bilateral and multilateral treaties.

The firm has further advised Türkiye on the withdrawal from or adjustments to its multilateral and bilateral investment treaties.

The firm also accepts, on an ad-hoc basis, to assist certain companies in the enforcement of foreign judgments or foreign awards in Türkiye and of Turkish judgments or awards outside Türkiye, and has done so successfully, including in relation to ICSID awards, alone and/or via one of its correspondent law firms.