Hearing Case A15 (II A & B), Iran v. USA, Small Court Room, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Peace Palace, 21 May 1981. On the bench, second from the left: Judge Ameli; in the middle: President Ruda and fellow chairmen on his left: Judge Broms, and on his right: Judge Arangio-Ruiz; notably, appearing as Agent for the United States, Ms. Lucy Reed (furthest on the right).
In his international arbitration practice under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules and as a member of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, Judge Ameli has decided many complex expropriation and valuation cases, including a major group of soft drink bottling companies and glass, tire and rubber, motor oil, gas cooker and gas cylinder manufacturing companies (Sabet cases), a major industrial group of health, food and chemical products companies and a bank (Khosrowshahi), an architectural firm (Birnbaum and Ghaffari cases), a paper and paper product manufacturing company and its distribution company (Saghi), a major housing project (Starrett), an insurance company (INA), a diary company (Foremost Tehran, Foremost-McKesson cases), a group of electric appliances manufacturing and distribution companies (Hakim) as well as a number of other expropriation cases such as a container shipping company (Flexi-Van Leasing).
Judge Ameli has also decided many expropriation and valuation cases of real properties, including commercial and residential properties (Protiva), (Hakim), (Sabet cases), company share cases which included real property and other cases which did not reach the valuation stage (such as Gabay, Saboonchian, Moin and Karubian). On valuation, the Tribunal has generally applied the Treaty of Amity standard, also known as the Hull doctrine.
From left to right: Francis Meadows (Legal Adviser), Judges Ameli and Holtzmann, Donald Donovan (Legal Adviser) and President Lagergren, during deliberations of the Starrett case, President’s chamber, Iran-US Claims Tribunal, 1987.
Judge Ameli has decided a good number of breach of contract cases in the construction of major air force maintenance depot and armament factories (Westinghouse, series of state contracts construction of naval telecommunication systems (Collins, state contracts), accountancy services for construction of a major air force aviation surveillance project by several contractors (Touche Ross, state contract), construction of housing projects (HUAS) and (Skidmore, state contracts), major bottling license, sale and loan agreements (PepsiCo), educational services (International Schools), a chain of hotel construction and management project (Hyatt), equipment lease, supplies and technical assistance agreements for rental, trademark, license fees and equipment value (Foremost Tehran, Foremost-McKesson cases), sale of supplies and loan agreements (Gulf Associates), a series of technical assistance, technology transfer and procurement contracts in the production of health, food and chemical products (Kaysons), charter hire, container lease and demurrage, unjust enrichment and detrimental reliance claims (SeaCo), sale of goods (Scott, Foresman), and consultancy agreement (Arthur Young).
In addition, under the ICC Arbitration Rules, Judge Ameli has decided breach of contract claims in a series of state contracts for construction of a major integrated telecommunications system and a number of oil and oil service agreements (ICC and ad hoc UNCITRAL cases).
Judge Ameli has decided several disputes between the two governments on interpretation and application of the Algiers Accords concerning losses resulting from breach of treaty for failure to return a group Iranian properties (mainly civilian or dual use) remaining with private US persons (A15 (II:A and II:B) cases), failure to return another group of Iranian properties (mainly military related) remaining with private US persons (B61 cases), failure to return Iranian properties remaining with the former royal family (A11), failure to enforce a Tribunal award against a private US party (A27), failure to terminate legal proceedings in US courts (A15 (IV) and A24 cases), failure to replenish the security account (A28 and A33), jurisdiction to award interest under the Accords (A19), jurisdiction over a counterclaim in the category of official claims under the Accords (B1) and merits of claims for World War Two surplus military goods and equipment (B36) and Iranian railway damages during the war (B58).
Judge Ameli has also decided a good number of interim measures of protection and documents production requests as well as requests for revision, correction and interpretation of awards or requests for additional awards in these and other cases.