Area of specialisation
Bar admission
Experience with legal system
Professional experience
Hafez Virjee serves as an independent arbitrator. Dually-qualified (England & Wales / Paris), he has over 15 years of experience acting as arbitrator and counsel under several of the major rules of arbitration. His clients have spanned the range of listed companies, private equity firms, tech start-ups, industrial concerns, State entities and treaty organisations, in disputes across a wide range of sectors and relationships, including shareholder agreements, joint-ventures, agency, M&A, telecommunications, tech, energy, pharmaceutical, construction and defence.Hafez Virjee is fluent in English and French and based between London and Paris. He has been listed in Who's Who Legal - Thought Leaders - Global Elite - Arbitration (Under 45 - Partners) in 2024 and in Who’s Who Legal - Arbitration since 2023 (previously Future Leaders 2018-2022, incl. listing among the most highly-regarded in 2020 (Europe non-partners) and 2023 (EMEA partners)). According to WWL, he has been described by peers as 'highly responsive' (2023), "an extremely professional and well-prepared arbitrator" with "great cross-border knowledge and expertise" (2022), an "extraordinarily talented arbitrator" (2021) and "one of the most creative minds in today's arbitration community" (2020). He is also recommended in Who's Who Legal - France - Arbitration since 2023.
His work in the context of Delos Dispute Resolution (arbitration rules, publications, various initiatives) has been recognised through multiple GAR Award nominations (Innovation in 2018 (won), 2019, 2021 and 2022, and Pandemic Response in 2020).
Hafez Virjee is a French national, born in Kenya and educated in the UK, France and the US. He regularly writes and speaks on international arbitration and legal risk management. Prior to Virjee Arbitration, Hafez Virjee practised at international law firms in London, Paris and Dubai.