Biography
Attorney at Law and Member of the Paris Bar
Lecturer at the law Faculty of the Sorbonne University
University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Attorney at Law and Member of the Paris Bar
Lecturer at the law Faculty of the Sorbonne University
University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Taha Zahedi Vafa is an attorney-at-law admitted to the Paris Bar. Taha has a unique international disputes practice which focuses on both civil and common law jurisdictions. He has advised and represented clients across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in several multi-billion dollar disputes, many of which have involved politically sensitive questions and his clients in these disputes have included States, State-owned entities, large multinational corporations and international organizations.
He has conducted cases under many of the major institutional and ad hoc arbitration rules, including those of the ICC, ICSID, PCA, UNCITRAL and CCJA/OHADA, appeared in arbitrations seated in important jurisdictions such as Paris, Dubai, London and Geneva, and resolved disputes in a wide range of sectors, including oil & gas (upstream, midstream and downstream) banking and securities, telecommunications, construction, distribution, defence, international trade and mining.
He also possesses extensive experience in international litigation, including complex multi-jurisdictional enforcement proceedings and annulment proceedings. He has frequently appeared before the Paris Court of Appeal in such proceedings and before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in sanctions-related delisting proceedings.
A trilingual advocate, Taha practices in English, French and Farsi. Further, he holds an academic role as a lecturer at Sorbonne Law School (University Paris 1), where he teaches civil procedure and arbitration law.
Taha was educated at Sorbonne Law School (University Paris 1) and holds a Master’s degree in Arbitration and International Business Law (also known as MACI) from the University of Versailles and Paris Saclay.
EXPERIENCE
XX Representative Cases
Counsel to a state-owned enterprise of a Middle Eastern state against a private Middle Eastern group in a PCA arbitration valued at several tens of billions of US dollars, seated in Geneva, concerning a gas sale and purchase contract.
Counsel to a Singaporean group against an English company and its Middle Eastern holding company in an UNCITRAL arbitration valued at USD 400 million, seated in Paris, concerning a dispute between shareholders of a petrochemical refinery.
Counsel to a Middle Eastern company against a Chinese company in a dispute valued at 210 million USD arising from a gas sale and purchase contract.
Counsel to the Italian racing team Vincenzo Sospiri Racing in an appeal before the International Court of Appeal of the FIA regarding the conditions of a race at Monza and their impact on the 2019 International GT Open ranking.
Counsel to Owners in English High Court proceedings against Charterers, concerning Charterers’ payment of freight under two charterparties
Counsel to the Orano Group against the Republic of Niger in several arbitrations, including two ICSID cases, valued at several billion euros, concerning the Imouraren, Somaïr, and Cominak uranium mines in Niger.
Counsel to a leading bank in West Africa against a Swiss management company in an OHADA arbitration evaluated at 200 million USD regarding the annulment of a technical assistance agreement between the bank and a service provider.
Counsel to an African State in an ICC investment arbitration valued at 21 million USD under the BIT, seated in Paris, concerning the operation of an airport concession in West Africa.
Counsel to an Italian company specialized in the manufacturing of armament against a French company in an ICC commercial arbitration evaluated at 2.245.226 USD.
Counsel to Middle-Eastern Buyers in two English-law governed disputes against an Asian Escrow Agent, concerning the Buyers’ purchase of VLGCs
EXPERIENCE
10 Representative Cases
Counsel to a state-owned enterprise of a Middle Eastern state against a private Middle Eastern group in a PCA arbitration valued at several tens of billions of US dollars, seated in Geneva, concerning a gas sale and purchase contract.
Counsel to a Singaporean group against an English company and its Middle Eastern holding company in an UNCITRAL arbitration valued at USD 400 million, seated in Paris, concerning a dispute between shareholders of a petrochemical refinery.
Counsel to a Middle Eastern company against a Chinese company in a dispute valued at 210 million USD arising from a gas sale and purchase contract.
Counsel to the Italian racing team Vincenzo Sospiri Racing in an appeal before the International Court of Appeal of the FIA regarding the conditions of a race at Monza and their impact on the 2019 International GT Open ranking.
Counsel to Owners in English High Court proceedings against Charterers, concerning Charterers’ payment of freight under two charterparties
Counsel to the Orano Group against the Republic of Niger in several arbitrations, including two ICSID cases, valued at several billion euros, concerning the Imouraren, Somaïr, and Cominak uranium mines in Niger.
Counsel to a leading bank in West Africa against a Swiss management company in an OHADA arbitration evaluated at 200 million USD regarding the annulment of a technical assistance agreement between the bank and a service provider.
Counsel to an African State in an ICC investment arbitration valued at 21 million USD under the BIT, seated in Paris, concerning the operation of an airport concession in West Africa.
Counsel to an Italian company specialized in the manufacturing of armament against a French company in an ICC commercial arbitration evaluated at 2.245.226 USD.
Counsel to Middle-Eastern Buyers in two English-law governed disputes against an Asian Escrow Agent, concerning the Buyers’ purchase of VLGCs