Clifford Chance > Casablanca, Morocco > Firm Profile

Clifford Chance Offices

Clifford Chance
57, TOUR CFC, CASA ANFA, HAY HASSANI, 16th FLOOR
20220 CASABLANCA
Morocco
Visit website +212 5 2000 8 600

Clifford Chance > The Legal 500 Rankings

Morocco > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 1

Clifford Chance's Morocco offering spans the full range of banking, finance, and capital markets matters. The firm has a strong focus on project finance, especially in the areas of energy and infrastructure. The practice is led by Mustapha Mourahib and Ouns Lemseffer. Mourahib is an expert in advising borrowers and sponsors on financing large-scale facilities across the region. Lemseffer recently advised large government-owned corporations on project financing concerning large renewable energy facilities. Additionally, Meriem Komiha often supports Lemseffer on large-scale financings for renewable energy facilities in Morocco.

Practice head(s):

Mustapha Mourahib; Ouns Lemseffer

Other key lawyers:

Meriem Komiha

Testimonials

‘Ouns Lemseffer was an exceptional partner. She was skilled at handling challenging negotiations among stakeholders and finding common ground for agreement between partners. She made herself available to ensure that the projects progressed smoothly despite our tight schedule.’

‘I worked a lot with Ouns Lemseffer. It was a pleasure to deal with a lawyer with a finance background that understands exactly the consequences of every clause of a financing contract.’

‘The team is very experienced in the energy sector and has advised several companies in the sector within the African continent.’

‘The team’s uniqueness lies in its flexibility to respond to client’s needs and its ability to bring together resources from various fields to solve specific problems.’

‘They are an international firm with local knowledge that really brings knowledge and solutions to all situations you miay find during the collaboration.’

‘Leadership, knowledge, and very good relationship handling.’

‘They are great specialists that always try to understand the business instead of just giving legal advice and recommendations that wouldn’t be the best suitable ones considering one’s operational needs.’

‘The firm has strong and professional teams in several practices areas which allows client to have tailored advice adapted to its needs.’

Key clients

Ciments de l’Atlas

European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD)

Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN)

Enel Green Power Morocco

Attijariwafa Bank

Banque Centrale Populaire

Bank of Africa

BNP Paribas and CACIB

Atlantic Business International

Siemens Energy

JIBC

NEXI

SMBC

MUFG

Bank of Africa

JORF FERTILIZERS COMPANY III S.A.

OCP

Nareva Holding SA

Enel Green Power

Work highlights

  • Advising CIMAF/CIMAT as the borrower and sponsor in respect of the facilities to be provided by IFC, Proparco, and EAIF in order for the borrowers to expand the existing cement grinding facilities in Ghana and Mali as well as build a new state-of-the-art integrated cement plant in Senegal.
  • Advising the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on an unsecured loan of up to €40 million to the Moroccan National Ports Agency (Agence Nationale des Ports), to finance a package of construction and improvement works to improve the climate resilience of selected Moroccan ports.
  • Advising the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) as sponsor and off-taker in the framework of Koudia Al Baïda Wind Farm repowering project in Morocco to increase its capacity from 50 MW to 100 MW.

Morocco > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

Clifford Chance Casablanca’s office offers extensive experience spanning the entire spectrum of M&A work, excelling in private equity and capital markets deals, as well as both inbound and outbound transactions. At the head of the practice is Mustapha Mourahib, an expert in managing large-scale M&A, PPP, and project finance transactions. Ouns Lemseffer brings specialisation in project financing, financial regulation, and financial market operations. Frédéric Giancarli deftly handles cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, and private equity; the three jointly head the practice. Additionally, senior associate Hasnaa Bennani provides support on the firm’s most significant matters, including advising OCP African on its partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.

Practice head(s):

Mustapha Mourahib; Ouns Lemseffer; Frédéric Giancarli

Other key lawyers:

Hasnaa Bennani

Key clients

OCP Africa

UM6P (Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique)

Vantage Mezzanine IV Pan Africa (Pty) Ltd

Africa50

ASK Capital

Work highlights

  • Advised OCP Africa on its partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) for the development of an industrial platform for the production of fertilizers in Nigeria.
  • Advised Africa50 – Project Finance in relation to its minority investment (cash-in/cash-out) in Holged, a Moroccan company active in the education sector in Morocco and Tunisia.
  • Advised Vantage Mezzanine IV Pan African Sub Fund Partnership in a minority investment in Promamec, a Moroccan company active in the production and the distribution of medical equipment and consumables.

Morocco > Projects and public law Tier 1

Clifford Chance has a strong focus on high-value project finance and project development in energy and infrastructure. Mustapha Mourahib and Ouns Lemseffer lead the practice in the firm's Casablanca office. Mourahib has extensive experience in large scale M&A, private equity, and project finance transactions in the energy industry; he is advising the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) in a major asset transfer by the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE). Additionally, Lemseffer advises large energy clients in financing large projects, such as wind farms and desalination plants.

Practice head(s):

Mustapha Mourahib; Ouns Lemseffer

Key clients

Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN)

OCP Africa

ONHYM (the Moroccan National Office for Hydrocarbons and Mines)

Enel Green Power Morocco

Meridiam SAS

Acciona Agua, Green of Africa S.A. and Afriquia Gaz

Africa 50 – Project Development

Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Centrale Populaire and Bank of Africa

Siemens Energy

Power Sur

A.P. Moller

Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P)

Nareva Holding SA and Enel Green Power

Orange Middle East & Africa and Orange Mali

Work highlights

  • Advised OCP Africa on its partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) for the development of an industrial platform for the production of fertilizers in Nigeria.
  • Advised Acciona Agua, Green of Africa S.A. and Afriquia Gaz in the context of their tender for the Casablanca desalination plant with an installed capacity of 200 million m3 per year under phase 1 and an additional 100 million m3 per year under phase 2.
  • Advised ONHYM (the Moroccan National Office for Hydrocarbons and Mines) in respect of taking over ownership and operations (gas transportation services) of the Moroccan section of Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (the GME), in the context of the termination in 2021 of the 25-year agreement between Naturgy, GALP, ONHYM and the Kingdom of Morocco.

Tunisia > Foreign firms Tier 1

Clifford Chance‘s francophone Africa practice assists clients ranging from financial institutions to oil and gas companies and investment funds with a broad range of mandates. Renewable energy projects, major restructurings and private equity transactions stand out as areas of activity for the team. Casablanca-based partner Ouns Lemseffer has a strong track record in project financings, notably in North and West Africa. She co-leads the practice alongside the Paris-based duo of Delphine Siino Courtin and Corinne Duvnjak, who have longstanding experience of assisting with energy and infrastructure projects. Also in Casablanca, Mustapha Mourahib and Frédéric Giancarli are additional names to note.

Practice head(s):

Ouns Lemseffer; Delphine Siino Courtin; Corinne Duvnjak

Other key lawyers:

Mustapha Mourahib; Frédéric Giancarli

Key clients

African Development Bank

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Africa50

Work highlights

  • Advised Africa50 Project Finance on its minority investment (cash-in/cash-out) in Holged, a Moroccan company active in the education sector in Morocco and Tunisia.
  • Advising AfDB and IFC on the 100 MW PV solar power plant in Kairouan North, Tunisia developed by AMEA Power and TBEA Xinjiang SunOasis Co.

Clifford Chance > Firm Profile

The firm: Clifford Chance is one of the world’s pre-eminent law firms, with significant depth and range of resources across five continents. As a single, fully integrated, global partnership, it prides itself on its approachable, collegial and team-based way of working. The firm always strives to exceed the expectations of its clients, which include corporates from all the commercial and industrial sectors, governments, regulators, trade bodies and not-for-profit organisations. It provides them with the highest quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Types of work undertaken:

Capital markets: the capital markets practice concentrates on securities transactions and other products sold into the capital markets. The practice is founded on a full-service US and UK securities law capability, complemented by local securities law expertise in each of the key financial centres. It provides practical, integrated legal advice covering the full spectrum of global capital raising activities including public and private domestic and international offerings of traditional debt and equity securities as well as convertible and other derivative and structured securities.

Corporate: the corporate practice handles some of the world’s largest and most complex M&A transactions. It combines global transaction capability with a full service of English, US and civil law expertise in the key financial centres across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. In addition to mainstream M&A, the firm also encompasses leading specialist practices in: commercial contracts, competition and antitrust, communications, energy, healthcare, financial institutions, funds, investment banking, insurance, media and technology, and private equity.

Finance: Clifford Chance’s finance practice is the leading international finance practice of any law firm. The practice provides highly commercial and practical advice across the full spectrum of financial products including syndicated lending and leveraged and acquisition finance, asset finance, derivative products, project finance, financial regulatory, insolvency, restructuring and structured finance.

Litigation, dispute resolution and risk management: the firm has experience in virtually all segments of the business and financial markets across multiple jurisdictions. The lawyers work with clients to resolve disputes efficiently and effectively – whether through arbitration, litigation or other techniques.

Real estate: Clifford Chance’s leading real estate practice offers UK, European, Asian and US real estate capability. The practice advises the real estate industry’s leading players on the entire property ‘life-cycle’ from the initial acquisition, development, leasing, joint venturing and financing through to the final exit, as well as tax structuring, PFI/PPP, corporate outsourcing, planning, environment and litigation.

Tax, pensions, employment and incentives: Clifford Chance has one of the world’s largest international tax groups within a single law firm. The firm is uniquely placed to provide leading edge advice to clients, and the practice is structured on an integrated global basis. Local tax groups within the practice work closely with areas such as securitisation, securities, M&A, corporate restructuring, private equity, real estate and funds.

The pan-European VAT group advises on all areas of VAT and has particular strength advising on novel and complex issues in the structured finance, financial services, corporate finance and real estate sectors.

The team of experienced employment, employee benefits, ERISA, immigration and pensions specialists work with clients from a wide range of sectors to address local and cross-border issues.

International offices:Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Brussels, Bucharest, Casablanca, Dubai, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Jakarta*, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New York, Paris, Perth, Prague, Rome, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Warsaw, Washington, D.C., Riyadh**

*Linda Widyati & Partners in association with Clifford Chance

**Clifford Chance has a co-operation agreement with Abuhimed Alsheikh Alhagbani Law Firm in Riyadh


Staff Figures

Number of partners : 550
Number of other fee-earners : 3,300


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