DLA Piper ‘s employment team in Casablanca is ‘organised and knows how the local system operates‘. It handles a broad range of work that includes advice on day-to-day employment issues relating to payroll, annual or occasional leave, benefits, pensions, holidays, entitlement, severance, employment terms and conditions, social security or collective employment matters. It also assists clients with establishing policies relating to privacy and data protection, disputes arising from terminations, and compliance issues. Counsel Mehdi Kettani is the main practitioner.

ASAFO & CO. MOROCCO Sarl is a ‘great client-centric firm that is extremely knowledgeable and relevant in the Moroccan market‘. It frequently acts for international corporations and local businesses across Africa on matters including the transfer of foreign employees to Morocco. The ‘exceptional‘ Mouna Boubia leads the practice and brings to bear knowledge of M&A, private equity and complex commercial contracts, as well as 17 years’ experience in employment law.

Bakouchi & Habachi – HB Law Firm LLP frequently acts for local and foreign companies and international groups on all matters regarding corporate governance issues. As part of its work in setting up governance structures, as well as handling M&A transactions, public offerings and private takeovers, it advises on the contractual aspects of employment law. Lead partners Kamal Habachi and Salima Bakouchi count Attijariwafa Bank and Société Marocaine des Tabacs among their clients.

Bennani & Associés has ‘an excellent technical level and is very attentive in its treatment of clients‘. The firm is highly regarded for both contentious matters and advisory work on employment contracts, primarily acting for international companies and in partnership with international law firms. Managing partner Mehdi Bennani and head of litigation Abdellah Moustaid recently defended Samsung C&T in litigation initiated by former contractor Fusimar, which claimed compensation for alleged poaching of its employees.

ADNA, formerly known as BFR & Associés in Morocco, is a merger of firms across North and West Africa. It has offices in Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Morocco. Lead partner Safia Fassi-Fihri handles employment law as part of a broad corporate and finance practice, while Yasmina Baddou focuses on contentious matters. Their employment work is largely in the context of M&A transactions. Recent examples include assisting Meridiam, GIP, CDC with the acquisition of Moroccan Suez assets from Veolia.

LPA-CGR is an independent French law firm with a substantial presence in Casablanca, where it has more than ten years’ local employment law experience. Its multilingual practice assists local and international clients in Arabic, French, English and German with all aspects of labour relations in complex strategic operations and the day-to-day management of companies. Lead partner Lina Fassi-Fihri is retained by many large corporates to handle complex negotiations with senior executives, health and safety audits and more.

French firm UGGC Africa has been in Morocco for 20 years and had developed a strong pan-African tax and legal advisory service, in which employment law advice is a key element. It assists international businesses with corporate restructurings, litigation with unions and individuals, dismissals and redundancies, terminations, and cross-border contracts. Key partner Ali Bougrine recently advised urban transport company RAPT Dev on the employment aspects of major operating contracts for the Casablanca public transport network.