The Legal 500

Though a young firm by local standards, Atieh Associates Law Firm has built an impeccable reputation during its eight-year history for providing international clients with premium quality corporate legal services backed by an international standard of client service. Managed by the US-trained and ‘very reliable’ Babak Namazi, the team of four punches above its weight when measured by its client base, which includes household name multinationals and banks. The firm was instructed on a range of inbound investment work in 2008, advising an Asian resources company in the successful pursuit of gold mining rights and a European group’s investment into the petrochemical sector. The firm continued to act as local counsel to a French commercial bank financing a fleet of very large crude carriers.

Possessing unmatched experience in the form of its ‘highly regarded’ founder and name partner Behrooz Akhlaghi, International Law Office Dr Behrooz Akhlaghi and Associates has long guided an impressive list of international clients through the idiosyncratic uncertainties of Iran’s civil legal system. While Akhlaghi himself is considered something of a father figure by lawyers in the Tehran-centred legal market, the firm’s team as a whole is praised for being ‘always helpful’, with counsel Mahnaz Mehrinfar considered ‘thorough in her approach’. The firm is advising a batch of top tier global banking clients, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and UBS on their ongoing projects and interests in Iran, and has recently assisted Malaysian oil and gas group Petronas and Australia’s Union Resources in ongoing negotiations with Iran’s government.

Tavakoli & Shahabi is lauded by clients as a premier, full-service commercial law firm in Iran, maintaining its reputation among clients for ‘astute analysis’ and the provision of ‘prompt, sensible and commercial’ advice. The firm boasts a diverse, multi-lingual team with experience spanning both common and civil legal systems as well as a client service level comparable with more developed jurisdictions. The combination of long serving, high profile practitioners and younger rising stars such as Cyrus Shafizedeh is highly regarded by clients. The firm’s most recent highlights include performing extensive due diligence on a telecommunications operator in Iran on behalf of international financiers and representing a foreign oil company in relation to a buyback agreement with a state-owned Iranian company. The firm has also advised on fresh acquisitions in the manufacturing, mining, and railway sectors.

The dual-partner team at Torossian, Avanessian & Associates is regarded as a source of authoritative corporate legal advice for international clients involved in cross-border transactions involving Iran. Partners Aida Avanessian, frequently located in London, and Vrej Torossian, a respected Tehran-based practitioner, demonstrate a track record of seeing large, complex deals through to completion. The firm’s edge in the market comes from its regular deal flow and experience in Iran’s dominant oil and gas sector, with Avanessian’s drafting and negotiation of buyback contracts for international oil companies considered second-to-none. The firm also handles large-scale financing deals and other inbound investment. Clients include HSBC, Mitsubishi, and the National Bank of Dubai.

Established in 1975, A.A.Atai & Associates, Attorneys at Law is known for its ‘practical approach’ to the provision of legal services in Iran. The firm is headed up by senior partner Ali Akbar Atai, who is described as ‘a sincere, professional lawyer with a good command of Iranian laws’. The firm’s recent deal highlight has been the provision of ongoing counsel to a group of Russian investors on all aspects of a $300m acquisition of an Iranian prepaid mobile network company. The firm was also instructed in 2008 by regular Swiss client Volvo Truck on an agreement to establish a network of after sales service centres in Iran, as well as acting for two German clients on a local investment and liquidation.

The Law Offices of Dr. Hassan Amirshahi & Associates is regularly instructed on corporate and commercial matters from clients based primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Recommended as a local firm of choice by a number of foreign embassies and international trade bodies, the firm’s recent work includes adversarial and non-adversarial instructions across the oil & gas, automotive, banking, fashion & retail and IT sectors. The firm recently advised an Asia-based automotive manufacturer regarding a joint venture with a local manufacturer, and won an IP rights case for a major European fashion and design company before local courts. Managing partner Hassan Amirshahi has experience including over 20 years as a legal expert within state or semi-governmental bodies directly involved in trade, the economy and foreign investment, including the Ministry of Commerce.

With an expanding client base courtesy of positive client referrals, J Nouraei & M Mostafavi Law Office is increasing its stature among foreign clients with an interest in Iran, garnering a particularly strong German following. In a flagship transaction, the firm was appointed by Dresdner Bank to advise on all local aspects of the group’s sale by Allianz to Commerzbank, and as a result is now in the unique position of representing all three banks in Iran. Managing partner and rainmaker Jahanbakhsh Nourei is described as ‘professional, informed, conscientious and highly focused’. Until three years ago, Nourei was head of legal affairs and director of the Arbitration Center of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines, in a posting that lasted 12 years and solidified his profile among clients in the market.

Dr Jamal Seifi & Associates’ reputation as the leading arbitration practice in Iran continues to be well deserved, with principal Jamal Seifi appointed in 2008 as an arbitrator on an important international arbitration seated in Paris and as counsel on two ICC arbitrations held in Paris and Geneva. Though dispute resolution is the firm’s hallmark, including the experienced handling of litigation matters, Seifi and his six associates continue to satisfy on general corporate and commercial matters by providing ‘commercial and reasoned advice’. The firm recently advised on all aspects of an Eastern European company’s $10m initial investment into the Iranian mining sector, as well as providing other ad-hoc contractual advice to international clients. Jamal Seifi is described as ‘international,very responsive and very clear-minded’.

The Law Offices of M Ebadi Tabrizi & Associates maintains a reputation for providing clients with ‘comprehensive and trustworthy’ counsel. The firm’s core strength is litigation, with a recent success secured before the Iranian Appeals Court for German client ista Deutschland. The firm has also been engaged in litigation work for German steel trader Salzgitter Mannesmann International, and as counsel on 15 intellectual property cases involving foreign brands. Other recent corporate work includes advising a Malaysian company on a joint venture arrangement. The firm’s ‘reliable and honest’ founding partner Mahmoud Tabrizi recently advised the foreign investment division of the Iranian Ministry of Economy and Finance on the existing legal framework available to foreign parties investing in Iran.

With a clientele that includes popular High Street fashion brands, Adib Law Firm is a trusted source of legal advice for both adversarial and non-adversarial corporate and commercial work. Mohammad Adib, a former judge and advocate, brings extensive experience to bear on client matters, particularly disputes work. Recent instructions include registering a joint venture company for Geox Company of Spain and providing legal opinions for Giorgio Armani and French client Actaris. The firm was also engaged by Mitsui on a litigation case.

The team at Alavi & Associates offers 32 years of general corporate and dispute resolution experience. The firm was successful in securing two new clients during 2008; an equipment supplier in the oil & gas sector based in the UAE, and a global energy services company headquartered in the UK. Mansour Alavi is the managing partner of this Tehran-based firm, which remains the firm of choice for a range of clients headquartered in Asian and European jurisdictions.

Dedicated to the provision of IP legal services, Law Offices Dr Ali Laghaee & Associates Inc International is described as an ‘excellent’ firm that provides ‘prompt and effective advice and service’ to multinationals in Iran on a variety of trademark, patent, anti-counterfeiting and litigation matters. The firm is also described as ‘easy to deal with’, with clients praising the firm’s English language and communicative abilities. Clients include Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies.

The International Law Office Dr Parviz Savrai & Associates acts for a range of foreign clients on general corporate matters. Directed by principal Parviz Savrai, the firm recently advised Swiss tech company Buhler Group and German manufacturer EFPROMM on Iran-related contractual matters as well as assisting the UK’s GKN on all aspects of the group’s Iranian activities. The firm is a repository of intellectual property experience, successfully defending Kheo Sung World of South Korea before thecourts during 2008, as well as advising clients from Canada, UK and the Slovak Republic on a mixture of trademark and patent issues.

Pars Associates is noted for its sound handling of vanilla corporate work, including company registrations and contract drafting. Established in 1980, the firm’s newsletter update on Iranian law, including analysis, is staple fair for many foreign clients operating in the jurisdiction. Clients include airlines Cathay Pacific and Alitalia, banks Dubai Islamic Bank and Societe Generale, and Bureau Veritas.