Iran
Freshfields in Iran
We understand what it means to do business in Iran. Since sanctions were lifted, we have advised on hundreds of related matters, including the first major post-Implementation Day M&A deal.
The implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in early 2016 opened Iran, the second biggest market in the Middle East, to international investment. While this created opportunities across a range of industries, Iran remains an uncertain environment for foreign investors. We understand the nuances of local business culture and the way local regulators operate, so are well-positioned to help companies structure their investments and effectively execute transactions in Iran.
Our country team is led by a highly-experienced Iranian partner and includes several Farsi speakers worldwide. They regularly provide transactional and sanctions-related advice across a range of sectors, including aviation, automotive, oil and gas, and telecoms.
Investors in Iran require guidance across a range of areas, which we are best-placed to provide thanks to our experience in cross-border matters, our strength across all disciplines and our relationships with local law firms of the highest calibre.
Client successes
Advising four European private equity firms on the purchase of a stake in a major Iranian e-commerce company (the first post-Implementation Day M&A deal to close in Iran).
Advising an international airline on the sale of aircraft to an Iranian company and the UN/US/EU embargoes related to the sale.
Defending an Asian state against claims brought by Iranian investors under the bilateral investment treaty between Iran and that state.
The claim involved complex issues arising from the termination of a proposed M&A transaction as a result of the imposition of sanctions.
Providing sanctions advice to oilfield services and drilling equipment companies.
We have advised oilfield services and drilling equipment companies based in the UK, Middle East and Russia on economic sanctions and export controls matters in relation to US and multilateral sanctions against Iran.
