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Tavakoli
& Shahabi was established in the early 1960s
when its founding partners started the firm
as an unincorporated professional
association. Today, the firm practices law
in the English, French and Persian languages
and comprising three partners and five
further fee earners all fluent in at least
two languages.
The members of Tavakoli & Shahabi are
educated, trained and qualified in multiple
jurisdictions, have worked in a number of
countries and are familiar with different
legal systems.
Tavakoli & Shahabi remains a full-service
international business firm whose areas of
expertise over the past four decades include
foreign investment (BOT schemes, buy-back
agreements, direct foreign investment via
joint venture structures and corporate
acquisitions), contracting, international
trade and transportation, agency and
distributorship, taxation, intellectual
property, franchising and licensing,
banking, finance (project finance,
inter-bank and other financial facilities),
arbitration and litigation.
A few examples of matters undertaken by the
firm on behalf of clients in the recent past
include the following:
● Represented European manufacturers of a
wide range of industrial, pharmaceutical and
consumer products in the establishment of
joint venture companies with their leading
Iranian counterparts to build new factories
in Iran (mainland and free zones). Advised
the clients with respect to the relevant
local legal issues including corporate
control and foreign investment constraints
and capital increases. Negotiated and
drafted underlying agreements.
● Represented Australian and Canadian
mining companies in the establishment of
joint venture companies and or legal
business structures with Iranian state
agencies to explore and develop non-ferrous
mineral resources in Iran. Advised the
clients with respect to the relevant local
legal issues including corporate control and
at times severe foreign investment
constraints resulting in creating structures
permitting foreign investment in the mining
sector. Negotiated and drafted underlying
agreements.
● Represented European, Middle and
Far Eastern companies in the acquisition and
relinquishment of equity participation in
Iranian industrial companies. Advised the
clients with respect to the relevant local
legal and tax issues. Drafted or contributed
towards the drafting of underlying
agreements.
● Represented European companies in
the establishment of joint venture companies
for bunkering and aircraft fuelling
businesses in Iran (mainland and free
zones). Advised clients with respect to the
relevant local legal issues and structuring
of the projects. Drafted or contributed
towards drafting of underlying agreements.
● Represented Japanese and Australian
companies in the development of
trans-national gas pipeline projects.
Advised the clients with respect to relevant
local legal issues and the structuring of
the projects in the light of foreign
investment constraints.
● Represented Japanese, European and
Australian banks and companies in the
development and financing of upstream
petroleum projects along the Iranian
buy-back scheme. Advised the clients on the
general Iranian legal framework of petroleum
development and certain specific issues of
oil buy-back arrangements.
● Represented European companies in the
establishment of LNG and petrochemical
corporate joint venture projects. Advised
clients with respect to relevant local law
issues, and drafted or contributed towards
the drafting of the joint venture
agreements.
● Represented a South American company
in, inter alia, resolving disputes with
local partners arising from a consortium
agreement in an infrastructure project for
the Tehran Municipality. Advised the client
and conducted negotiations on its behalf
averting referral to international
arbitration.
● Advised European companies and banks on
various local legal issues with respect to
EP, EPC and BOT petrochemical, energy and
water supply and defense related projects
with Iranian state agencies. Represented the
clients in the establishment and
registration of local branch registration
and related matters.
● Advised and issued legal opinions to
Japanese and European banks on sovereign and
other guarantees as well as relevant local
law issues relating to the grant of
multi-billion dollar financial facilities to
the Central Bank of Iran, the Iranian
banking system and Iranian companies.
● Represented and advised European banks
and companies in the establishment and
registration of local representative offices
and branch offices, respectively, and
related matters.
● Represented and advised European
companies with respect to the purchase of
immoveable property in Iran.
● Represented and advised European and
Middle Eastern companies with respect to the
liquidation of local representative offices
and companies.
● Represented and advised European and
Middle Eastern companies with respect to the
establishment of service (including
e-commerce) companies in Iran and purchase
of immoveable property. Advised clients with
respect to the relevant local legal issues
and structuring of the projects, and drafted
underlying agreements.
● Advised a European company with respect
to the establishment of a legal presence in
Iran of foreign insurance firms.
● Represented a European company with
respect to the establishment of a joint
venture company with the leading Iranian
concern for the purpose of bidding for a
telecommunications tender. Participated in
negotiations and advised the client on local
corporate law issues and certain aspects of
structuring of the transaction.
● Represented a European company with
respect to hotel management in Iran. Advised
the client on relevant local law issues,
participated in negotiations of the
transaction and drafted the underlying
agreement.
● Represented a North American client
with respect to the establishment of a
bottling project in Iran. Advised the client
with respect to relevant local law issues
and participated in the drafting of
underlying agreements.
● Represented European and Japanese
companies with respect to establishment and
termination of agency and distributorship
agreements covering a range of consumer and
other products in Iran (mainland and free
zones). Advised on local law issues and
contributed towards drafting of said
agreements.
● Advised the World Bank and affiliated
organizations on various local law issues
and contributed towards the 1994 report on
the financial and capital markets in Iran
and participated in the Iran foreign
investment workshop as local counsel.
● Successfully represented a leading
brand-name European manufacturing company
respondent and counter-claimant in arbitral
proceedings instituted by its Iranian
licensee.
● Successfully represented several major
North American and European companies and
banks plaintiffs or respondents and
counter-claimants in litigation before the
Iranian courts.
● Acted as arbitrator in international
commercial arbitrations under the auspices
of the International Court of Arbitration of
the International Chamber of Commerce.
Over the years, Tavakoli & Shahabi has developed
long-standing and close professional
relations with law firms of highest repute
in the major business and financial centers
around the world.
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