Derains & Gharavi

International Arbitration

Founding Partner at Derains & Gharavi

Dr. Hamid Gharavi has acted as arbitrator or counsel in over 200 commercial institutional and/or ad hoc arbitrations as well as in over 50 investment arbitrations under foreign investment laws and/or bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, arising from a broad spectrum of issues and industries, including oil and gas, mining, military ordnance and defense, telecommunications, media, aviation, agency agreements, shareholder agreements, partnerships, distribution, sales, mergers and acquisitions, construction (including all types of design contracts and engineering projects), duty free, hospitality, real estate, cryptocurrency, advertisement, wood and derived products, pharmaceutical, waste management, utilities, water treatment plants, sanctions as well as sport related disputes involving commercial, disciplinary, and doping aspects.

He has been appointed on the Panel of ICSID Arbitrators (Kingdom of Cambodia), as member of the Court of the Istanbul Arbitration Centre (ISTAC since 2015), as member of the Court of the LCIA (from 2008-2012), as member of the Commission on Arbitration of the ICC (2005-2010), as the President of the Board of the Tehran Regional Arbitration Centre (TRAC) as well as on all major panels, including DIAC, SIAC, and CAS. He has also been appointed to the ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

Dr. Gharavi teaches investment arbitration in the Master program “Droit International Économique” at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas. He has published extensively, including books and articles in the main arbitration reviews, and is a regular speaker at conferences.

Dr. Gharavi holds a PhD from the University of Paris II, and post-graduate degrees from the New York University School of Law and University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne.

Both Chambers and Legal 500 rank him in Band 1 of arbitration counsel for France Chambers record that "Hamid has a larger- than-life personality and is personable and hard-working,” and describes him as "extremely dynamic, fearless in hearings and able to think out of the box.” Chambers also notes that Dr. Gharavi “earns considerable praise as an active and effective arbitrator in important cases. Interviewees note his valuable input during hearings, saying: ‘He always raises good questions that are material to the outcome of the case.’" In Legal 500, he is described as “absolutely brilliant” with “a busy practice as counsel in cases but [who] also has ‘impressive success attracting major appointments as arbitrator’."

Before founding Derains & Gharavi, Dr. Gharavi was a partner at Salans (now Dentons) in Paris after having started his career at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP in New York.

French, English, Farsi

Appointed Court Member of the London Court of International Arbitration (2008-2012) Appointed by the Kingdom of Cambodia to the ICSID panel of arbitrators and mediators (2005 to present) Appointed Court Member of the International Arbitration Court of the Istanbul Arbitration Centre (as of 2015 to present) Appointed as the President of the Board of the Tehran Regional Arbitration Centre (as of 11 July 2018 to present) Appointed to the List of Arbitrators of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre Appointed to the Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre Appointed to the Panel of Arbitrators of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration Appointed to the Panel of Arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Sport Appointed to the Panel of Arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Art (CAfA) Appointed to the Panel of Arbitrators of the Pacific International Arbitration Centre Member of the French Commission on Arbitration of the ICC

2000 - PhD (University of Paris II)

1996 - Master of Comparative Jurisprudence (New York University School of Law)

1995 - DEA Droit Nord-Américain et Anglais des Affaires (University of Paris I)

1994 - DESS Juriste d'Affaires Internationales (University of Paris V)

1993 - Maîtrise (University of Paris II)