FARLEGAL Celebrates its First Year: Highlights
September 21, 2023
FARLEGAL Turns 1!
A year ago, I launched my law firm with a dream, a vision, and not a single client. A year on, I have a fulfilling litigation practice.
The celebration of this milestone provides an opportunity to reflect upon the firm's journey. As I look back, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to my clients for the trust they have placed in me, as well as to mentors, old colleagues, and friends for their support. With continued commitment and dedication at the heart of the firm's growth, here are the highlights of Year 1 of FARLEGAL.
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Key cases have included:
- Representing several claimants in a civil case in Geneva brought against multiple defendants, which include a major news media corporation and a high-profile personality. The case arises from the violation of my clients' right to honor in connection with serious criminal allegations made on an episode of a popular podcast broadcast on social media and a multitude of platforms online, including YouTube, Amazon, and Spotify. I obtained urgent interim measures ordering the immediate removal of the episode, which were confirmed in a subsequent court decision.
In relation to the same set of facts, I filed criminal complaints on behalf of my clients, which led the prosecutor's office to formally open a criminal investigation for defamation and slander.
- Representing a Chicago-based U.S. company in a contractual and art law dispute with a Swiss company arising out of an international auction.
- Representing a female employee in a civil case deriving from a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against one of Switzerland's largest banks. I negotiated an in-court resolution in favor of my client, which put an end to a multiyear litigation.
- Representing a young female entrepreneur in a commercial tenancy termination dispute against an established Geneva landlord.
- Representing an architect in a construction dispute in Geneva arising out of a works and services contract.
- Defending an individual against a criminal investigation led by the Geneva prosecutor's office following false criminal allegations of assault and battery made by a plaintiff. I secured the dismissal of all the criminal charges contained in the plaintiff's criminal complaint against my client.
- Defending a Geneva father who lost custody of his child following false criminal allegations of domestic violence made by the child's mother.
- Representing London-based clients with the enforcement in Switzerland of a Share Purchase Agreement entered into with a Swiss music fintech company and governed by English law.
- Advising an executive employee of a UK-registered multinational corporation in relation to a cross-border employment dispute governed by English law.
Collaborative matters:
- Assisting one of the world's largest non-profit organizations with its internal safeguarding and whistleblowing policies, where I was specifically in charge of drafting the organization's internal whistleblower protection regulation in line with EU whistleblowing laws.
- Working on an ecocide case in close collaboration with fellow international attorneys. At the crossroads of transnational money laundering and corporate criminal liability, the case relates to serious environmental crimes involving a complex supply chain of actors, including large corporations, across multiple continents and jurisdictions.
- Assisting an international human rights organization in its implementation in Switzerland, as part of a pro bono matter led by a top-tier U.S. law firm.
New roles:
- Joined a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization as a Legal Consultant in the fields of human trafficking and human rights.
- Appointed as Legal Advisor to the Board of a Nobel Peace Prize organization that fights for democracy and justice in one of the world's most repressive and totalitarian regimes.
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Thank you for following FARLEGAL's journey. I look forward to seeing what Year 2 has in store.
Le Silence Avant Les Mots – Réflexions d’Une Avocate en Défense Pénale Il y a un moment, dans chaque procès, où le temps ralentit. L’air est chargé d’anticipation, les murs du tribunal se referment, témoins silencieux du poids de la justice. Je me lève de ma chaise, lissant le tissu de ma robe, sentant le sol solide sous mes pieds. Le seul son que j’entends est celui de ma propre respiration lorsque je m’avance. Le silence est absolu. Je prends place au centre, face au juge. Le poids de trois années d’injustice pèse sur ma cliente, assise devant moi. Elle a vécu dans l’ombre de fausses accusations, enfermée dans un récit qui n’a jamais été le sien. Aujourd’hui, je parle pour elle. Je porte sa vérité dans ma voix, dans mes mots, dans le rythme de mon discours. La salle d’audience est immobile lorsque je commence. Une plaidoirie finale est bien plus qu’un raisonnement juridique. C’est un appel à la justice. C’est le moment où la loi cesse d’être une abstraction et devient quelque chose de vivant, d’humain. Je ne me contente pas d’énoncer des faits et des articles de loi – je me bats pour la dignité de ma cliente, pour ce qu’on lui a volé. Chaque mot est pesé, chaque pause est voulue, chaque silence rappelle ce qui est en jeu. Alors que je prononce mes derniers mots, je regarde ma cliente. Des larmes bordent ses yeux. À cet instant, je sais qu’elle se sent entendue. Elle n’est plus seule dans ce combat. Et quoi qu’il arrive ensuite, elle sait que quelqu’un s’est levé pour elle, s’est battu pour elle, a refusé qu’elle soit réduite à une fausse accusation. C’est dans des journées comme celle-ci que je me rappelle pourquoi j’ai choisi cette voie. Ce ne sont pas les seules victoires, ni les batailles juridiques gagnées. C’est le devoir sacré de se tenir devant la cour et de faire résonner la vérité dans le silence. C’est savoir que mes mots, ma voix, peuvent porter le fardeau d’un autre et le transformer en quelque chose de puissant. Pour mes confrères avocats en défense pénale, c’est cela que nous défendons : pas seulement des affaires, mais des vies. Et à ceux qui se retrouvent faussement accusés, sachez ceci : vous n’êtes pas seuls. Le tribunal peut être froid, le système cassé et impitoyable, mais certains d’entre nous tiennent bon, inébranlables, dans le silence avant les mots, prêts à se battre pour vous. Car la justice n’est pas seulement un principe. C’est une voix. Et aujourd’hui, elle a été entendue. Shayan Farhad
A Criminal Defense Attorney's Reflection