Iran

Law firms are cognizant of the risks of assisting businesses and individuals who are out of compliance with U.S. sanctions on Iran; those same sanctions make it nearly impossible for law firms to practice in Iran, so while a number of international law firms do have practices focussing on Iran, they run those practices from offices in Europe, Doha or Dubai rather than from Tehran. While there is some work to be done in intellectual property, particularly in trademarks, as is the case in most of the Middle East, there is more work in oil and gas, finance and projects.  

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Mojtaba Nayyer, an IP and business lawyer, is office manager of the Tehran office of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP), a regional IP firm with its roots in Kuwait, and its current headquarters in Jordan. Nayyer is noted for his work in IP, contract law and business law. The firm has been involved in revising and drafting important IP laws and regulations in at least half a dozen Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates. The firm has offices spread across more than 30 predominantly Muslim jurisdictions, as well as in China, India and Russia, jurisdictions with their own significant Muslim minority populations.  

The IP group at Atai & Associates advises on how to establish, strengthen and protect IP assets of a business, and on agreements including exploitation, outsourcing, licensing and technology transfer. Partner Kourosh Atai is a key contact for IP and IT, ecommerce, company formation, commercial law and corporate governance matters. 

Bayan Emrooz International Law Firm is located in Tehran, and offers intellectual and ecommerce and cyberspace practices along with others targeting corporate and commercial clients. Managing partner Mohammad Rahmani can be counted for IP advice, among other things. Atie Yasini is a key contact for international trade matters.  

The practice areas at Dadflamingo include intellectual property, privacy and cybersecurity, international trade law, litigation and other commercially-based practices. Founding partner Youssef Ghassemi has a Ph.D. in technology and IP law. The firm has helped the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute negotiate international arrangements and draft cross-border agreements. Razi is involved in the production of more than 50 biologicals, with more than 1,300 staff and six branches in Iran.  

Elite Pars has advised numerous IT market players, including telecommunications carriers, mobile app developers, ISPs, internet content distributors, wireless and optical equipment vendors and service providers. Its life sciences and health care practice advises on a wide variety of transactional (e.g. licensing, distributorship and collaborations), regulatory and litigation matters in this sector, the firm also provides comprehensive advice to pharmaceutical, biotech and medical equipment companies. Navid Rahbar Sato is a founder and managing director of the firm; Mojtaba Jafari leads the firm’s IP and litigation departments. 

Hatami & Associates International Law Firm has offices in Tehran and Tabriz, and offers advice on a range of intellectual property matters. Partner Shahrzad Pourhamzeh previously worked as a legal consultant at the Iran Telecom Research Centre and has great familiarity with license contracts. Partner Ali Pirmoradi has experience negotiating and drafting software production and license contracts, shopping mall operation and management contracts, international lease contracts and companies’ articles of association. 

Sabeti & Khatami offers advice on corporate and commercial matters, as well as projects and disputes. As part of its corporate and commercial work, the firm handles licensing, regulatory and compliance matters, and sales, procurement, agency, distribution, manufacturing and franchising agreements. It also handles import, export and customs matters. 

T&S Associates was established in the early 1960s; after the 1979 Revolution, the firm changed its name to Tavakoli & Shahabi. In 2013, it became known as T&S Associates. In addition to intellectual property, the firm offers advice in food and beverage, franchising, import/export, IT and outsourcing, licensing, foreign investment, telecommunications and a host of other practice areas.