UGGC Africa

Ali Bougrine is Managing Partner of UGGC Avocats (Paris) and Managing Partner of UGGC Africa (Morocco - Douala - Abidjan). He is a multidisciplinary lawyer working on local and cross-border transactions mainly in the EMEA region. He specializes in corporate law with a focus on Mergers & Acquisitions, International Investments, Private Equity, and Litigation & Arbitration. He is also an expert in OHADA Law which he has been practicing for more than a decade. In 2021, he was ranked among the 20 best lawyers in Africa by Jeune Afrique Business+. He has a double degree in public and corporate law (DEA and DESS) from the University of Paris V – René Descartes, and was admitted to the Paris Bar in 2003. He started his career at UGGC Avocats in 2002 and has remained loyal to this independent firm created in 1993. He then became a partner of the M&A department in Paris. Ali is also the Managing Partner of UGGC Africa, leading the African offices in Casablanca, Douala, Abidjan, and Paris Desk. For over 20 years, UGGC Africa has been deeply involved in major pan-African cross-border transactions, primarily in French-speaking Africa. Ali Bougrine is a member of several associations such as the « Conseil Français des Investisseurs en Afrique » (CIAN), the Israel-Morocco Chamber of Commerce and Industry since the launch of the international alliance of the two leading law firms in Morocco and Israel: FIRON-UGGC in 2022, the International Association of Lawyers (ULA), the “Association Française d’Arbitrage” (AFA), the French Association of Investors for Growth, France Invest, the Moroccan Business Lawyers Association (AJAM), the Moroccan Association of Capital Investors (AMIC). He holds the job of representative for the BNP Trade International. Ali is the author of several articles and publications and has given numerous interviews to the media (Le Monde du Droit, BFM TV, RFI, La Tribune Afrique, Médi1 radio, Magazine de l’Afrique, Les Inspirations Eco magazine, Africa Business+, etc.). He is a regular speaker at international conferences and forums and pursues an educational activity by regularly conducting numerous training sessions on Mergers & Acquisitions, international investments and litigation & arbitration (Francis Lefebvre Formation, “Ecole de Formation du Barreau de Paris” EFB, Groupe EFE, “Université International de Rabat” UIR, etc.). With The World Bank Group, he contributed in 2021 to the drafting of the Moroccan chapter of the Doing Business Project related to their Transfer of Ownership indicator, including a section describing efforts to support recovery after Covid-19. Ali is a native French and Arabic speaker, and is fluent in English.

Fabien Gagnerot

Fabien Gagnerot is a senior counsel in UGGC’s corporate department with 10 years of experience in corporate and commercial operations. Prior to joining the Casablanca office in 2021, he was initially based in New Delhi, India, to assist the firm’s Indian Desk (2012-2015) and then in the corporate team of our Paris office (2015-2020). With a main focus on M&A (acquisition, sale, joint-venture, etc.) and contracts, Fabien’s practice in Morocco routinely includes commercial transactions and M&A/commercial litigation. His expertise in corporate law: Mergers & Acquisitions; Private Equity; securities issues; joint ventures; corporate restructuring; international investments; capital markets. Fabien advises numerous foreign and local companies for their projects in Morocco, from upstream (project set-up, advisory on foreign exchange regulations and funding issues) to the actual implementation (greenfield, brownfield (joint-venture), restructuring) and to the downstream issues (corporate governance of the subsidiary, branch office or joint-venture, compliance issues (personal data), commercial contracts and general day-to-day commercial matters). He assists primarily an industrial clientele, operating in diverse sectors, such as defense/aeronautics, pharma/medical devices and telecommunications. Considering his experience in international corporate transactions, Fabien regularly intervenes as a lecturer or guest speaker in France or abroad for pedagogical or training purposes.

Corinne Khayat has been a partner of UGGC Avocats since 2000, where she co-heads the IP-IT and the competition law departments. Corinne Khayat regularly represents her clients before the courts and advises in all areas of French and EU Intellectual Property and Information Technologies law. She has particular experience in complex trademark and copyright litigation. Corinne Khayat assists French and foreign clients, mostly large and medium size companies and public bodies, active in various sectors such as food, retail, services, luxury (cosmetics, perfumes), arts and building materials industries. She also handles cases as a correspondent for many foreign law firms. She also regularly advises in distribution law and assists clients in setting-up distribution networks. Corinne Khayat is now an UNIFAB expert.

Rim Tazi is of-counsel in the Casablanca office and has 14 years of experience in Moroccan law, including the following areas: corporate and commercial law, contract/distribution law, international investments. EXPERTISE IN CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL LAW Rim is regularly involved in structuring international investments and advises clients on the implementation of these investments and the negotiation of complex contracts. Corporate law Mergers & Acquisitions; Private Equity; Joint-Ventures; Corporate restructuring; Commercial contracts/Distribution Drafting, review and negotiation of commercial contracts: purchase/sale, services contracts, sub-contracting, franchising, exclusive and selective distribution, commercial agent, licensing, business contributor contracts, etc.; Terms and conditions for the termination of commercial relations: abrupt termination, abusive termination; etc. Rim usually advises major institutional and financial groups, Moroccan and international (mainly French and Anglo-Saxon), as well as Moroccan administrations and para-public entities.