Biography
Avocat à la cour and Member of the Paris Bar
Lecturer at the law Faculty of the Sorbonne University
Avocat à la cour and Member of the Paris Bar
Lecturer at the law Faculty of the Sorbonne University
Taha Zahedi Vafa is a lawyer at the Paris Bar, specializing in international dispute resolution, with unique expertise in both civil law andcommon law jurisdictions. He advises and represents clients in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in complex litigation, often on a global scale and politically sensitive. His clients include states, public companies, multinational corporations, and international organizations.
Taha has extensive experience in international arbitration, regularly acting in ad hoc arbitrations or under the auspices of major institutional rules, such as ICC, ICSID, CPA, UNCITRAL, and CCJA/OHADA. He has been involved in proceedings based in major arbitration centers such as Paris, London, Dubai, and Geneva, and has represented clients in a variety of sectors: oil and gas (upstream, midstream, and downstream), banking and finance, telecommunications, construction, distribution, defense, 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
Advising a public company from a Middle Eastern country against a private Middle Eastern group in a CPA arbitration valued at tens of billions of USD, sitting in Geneva, concerning a gas sale and purchase agreement.
Advising a Singaporean group against a British company and its Middle Eastern holding company in an UNCITRAL arbitration valued at USD 400 million, sitting in Paris, concerning a dispute between shareholders of a petrochemical refinery.
Advising a Middle Eastern company against a Chinese company in a dispute valued at USD 210 million arising from a gas sale and purchase agreement.
Advising the Italian racing team Vincenzo Sospiri Racing in an appeal before the International Court of Appeal of the International Automobile Federation concerning the conditions of a race at Monza and their impact on the 2019 International GT Open standings.
Advising a shipowner in litigation before the High Court in London against a charterer concerning non-payment of freight under two charter parties.
Advising the Orano Group against the Republic of Niger in several arbitration proceedings, including two ICSID cases, valued at several billion euros, concerning the Imouraren, Somaïr, and Cominak uranium mines.
Advising a leading West African bank against a Swiss management company in OHADA arbitration proceedings valued at USD 200 million concerning the cancellation of a technical assistance agreement between the bank and a service provider.
Advising an African state in a USD 21 million ICC investment arbitration 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.
Advising a Middle Eastern VLGC buyer in two English law disputes against a Singapore-based escrow agent.
EXPERIENCE
10 Representative Cases
Advising a public company from a Middle Eastern country against a private Middle Eastern group in a CPA arbitration valued at tens of billions of USD, sitting in Geneva, concerning a gas sale and purchase agreement.
Advising a Singaporean group against a British company and its Middle Eastern holding company in an UNCITRAL arbitration valued at USD 400 million, sitting in Paris, concerning a dispute between shareholders of a petrochemical refinery.
Advising a Middle Eastern company against a Chinese company in a dispute valued at USD 210 million arising from a gas sale and purchase agreement.
Advising the Italian racing team Vincenzo Sospiri Racing in an appeal before the International Court of Appeal of the International Automobile Federation concerning the conditions of a race at Monza and their impact on the 2019 International GT Open standings.
Advising a shipowner in litigation before the High Court in London against a charterer concerning non-payment of freight under two charter parties.
Advising the Orano Group against the Republic of Niger in several arbitration proceedings, including two ICSID cases, valued at several billion euros, concerning the Imouraren, Somaïr, and Cominak uranium mines.
Advising a leading West African bank against a Swiss management company in OHADA arbitration proceedings valued at USD 200 million concerning the cancellation of a technical assistance agreement between the bank and a service provider.
Advising an African state in a USD 21 million ICC investment arbitration 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.
Advising a Middle Eastern VLGC buyer in two English law disputes against a Singapore-based escrow agent.