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Overview
The Moroccan legal market has historically been largely serviced by French law firms or international firms with offices in Paris, a system facilitated by the fact that Moroccan law is very close to French law. However, the local legal market is developing to keep pace with economic activity in the country. Infrastructure projects are picking up, spearheaded by the ‘Tanger-Med’ development in the port of Tangiers in north Morocco. The Moroccan government has also set development goals for 2010 aimed at making Morocco a major tourism destination. The country has been divided into zones, each with tourism targets to meet. This has resulted in many international hotel chains entering the country, and interest from international investment funds. The Moroccan legal and business environment is also developing, with the country’s competition commission, which has existed for some years but has never been properly active, relaunched in September 2008.
Gide Loyrette Nouel – Naciri & Associés is both the leading French firm in Morocco and a leading presence on the domestic market, with the widely admired Hicham Naciri heading a team which has recently been boosted to five partners by the internal promotion of Julien David. David’s practice focuses on M&A and financing, and he was originally the first secondee from the firm’s Paris office to its Morocco office. The firm has recently strengthened its presence in the Arab world through the opening of a new office in Dubai.
French firm UGGC & Associés partner Patrick Larrivé is permanently based in Casablanca, from which office he runs the firm’s Africa practice, and is supported by a team which has recently grown to 25 following two new hires.
Paris-based CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre– part of the global CMS network – has 11 legal consultants based in Morocco. The team – which is particularly strong in tax – is headed by associate Wilfried Le Bihan, and managed by Paris-based partner Frédéric Elbar, who is charge of the firm’s Africa department.
French firm August & Debouzy has a Casablanca office – recently established on the market and headed by partner Kamal Nasrollah – which has grown through the hire of five new Moroccan lawyers.
Leading Spanish firm Garrigues Maroc Sarl has a Casablanca office which is active in acting for Iberian clients investing into Morocco. It is now the only law firm with two offices in the country, having just opened a second office in Tangiers. Very close geographically to Spain, this office is staffed by maritime law expert Anertz Muniategi, who relocated from firm’s Seville office, and by two Moroccan lawyers.
Kettani Law Firm is the largest local firm in Morocco. Name partner Azzedine Kettani is a very well respected and experienced lawyer who is known for his political connections, and is described as been ‘ a safe bet, old guard’ and ‘ part of the institution in Morocco’. His daughter Nadia Kettani – whose practice focuses on M&A and financing work – is described as ‘ part of the new generation of Moroccan lawyers, Anglo American trained and fluent in English’.