With twenty (20) years of experience under its belt, the International Law Firm of Dr. Hatami & Associates  is a leader in the legal aspect of the Oil & Gas sector in providing a number of distinguished international oil companies (their names cannot be mentioned due to confidentiality) with specialist legal consultation services as well as legal opinions in relation to the IPC draft – as the new oil & gas contractual format introduced by the National Iranian Oil Co. to promote development, production, and enhancement operations of petroleum resources.

The IPC Contract – the analysis and commentary of which was assigned to this Firm by the above-noted international oil companies – is a type of “Development and Production Operations Service Contract” and constitutes the new structure for upstream oil & gas contracts in Iran. Due to alterations, amendments, and changes to the Iranian laws and regulations regarding the framework of oil contracts and the new approach of the Ministry of Petroleum and the NIOC to foreign investment in oil & gas industry, the IPC format represents a new challenge and unique innovation with its inherent complications. It is these types of specifications, challenges and complications that push the giant foreign oil companies to use legal advisory services provided by Iranian lawyers in order to have and gain a better understanding of and insight into the complexities of the IPC format.

Hatami & Associates, with its specialized and accomplished team of attorneys in the oil & gas sector, has applied its vast experience and expertise in oil contracts, specifically buyback contracts, to provide an in-depth and section to section analysis of literally all provisions of IPC contracts with regard to legal, statutory, financial and tax issues. The Firm has also provided constructive and invaluable advice to its clients on investment in oil & gas fields within the IPC framework, and through step by step clarification of all provisions of this type of contract, has paved the way for the ultimate presence of and investment by these giant oil companies in the Iranian oil & gas industry, leading to prosperity of the country as a consequence thereof. 

Furthermore, since some of these oil companies are willing to establish and open subsidiary companies, branches or representative offices in Iran, Hatami & Associates has been instrumental in assisting such companies in taking the necessary steps and measures for registration of their branches and representative offices in Iran and making necessary arrangements for their presence.