ADNA > Casablanca, Morocco > Firm Profile
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ADNA > The Legal 500 Rankings
Morocco > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
Supporting clients through all stages of a company’s life cycle, the corporate and M&A team at ADNA guides clients through takeovers, corporate mergers, restructuring, privatisation and private equity. Other key areas for the team are strategic agreements, corporate finance transactions, investment funds and IPO. Team head Safia Fassi-Fihri specialises in joint ventures and capital market transactions, with previous experience at major international law firms.Practice head(s):
Safia Fassi-Fihri
Other key lawyers:
Bobacar Diao; Dina Benjelloun
Testimonials
‘Reactivity, adaptation and rapid understanding of client need, rigor.’
‘The team is very complete and has a very wide specialities set. So it could cover all the topics we needed for our DD and transactions.’
‘Safia Fassi-Fihri is an amazing professional, very committed and very knowledgable and also a deal maker. She has a perfect understanding of the private equity specifics and that has helped us close the transaction with the other party.’
‘ADNA is the M&A star firm in Morocco. We have worked together on several M&A transactions this year, and their work is very high quality. The team is growing and they have made great recruitement such as Dina Benjelloun’
‘ADNA is one of the best law firm in Morocco in M&A. I love working with the team and I would recommend the firm as much as I can.’
‘Safia Fassi Fihri is a highly skilled M&A lawyer, with a strong situational intelligence. She understands what her clients want, and also, what is the interest of the counterparty, in order to address the negociation in the most talented way. She is also very sharp technically.’
Key clients
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Helios
Butec Group
Sanlam
Africa 50
EMID
Sabis Group
Cofina Group
Colony Capital
China Communications Construction Company (CCCC)
Work highlights
- Advising Sanlam in relation to the merger of its insurance activities in Africa with those of Allianz. ADNA is covering 12 francophone African jurisdictions including Morocco.
- Advising Butec Group on the acquisition of Engie Services Maroc and Cofely Tangier, the largest transaction of the 17 acquisitions of ENGIE Group in Africa operating in the fields of energy efficiency, maintenance, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, green mobility, multi-technical maintenance as well as facility management.
- Advising International Finance Corporation on the subscription of a minority equity stake in Holmarcom Insurance Activities, the holding company of Atlanta Sanad, a leading listed insurance company in Morocco.
Morocco > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 3
With offices across Africa, ADNA is able to support an range of commercial banks, financial institutions and corporate entities in the global banking and finance market. Acquisition finance and project finance are key areas for the firm, alongside an expertise in structuring Islamic finance transactions. Key industry sectors for the firm are construction, consumer goods, energy and financial services. Safia Fassi-Fihri leads the team, with considerable experience in capital market transactions and regulatory matters.Practice head(s):
Safia Fassi-Fihri
Testimonials
‘Reactivity, adaptation and rapid understanding of client need, rigour and constructive answers’
‘ADNA is a very good full service firm overall. We are very happy with their work.’
‘Safia Fassi Fihri, is one of the best lawyer in the market, and she is a very good banking and finance lawyer.’
Morocco > Dispute resolution Tier 3
Morocco > Employment Tier 3
The labour and employment team at ADNA has considerable experience working on domestic and multi-jurisdictional employment matters in Morocco, and across francophone Africa, with other offices in Algeria, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. The team’s strengths include day-o-day issues, collective redundancies and dismissals, along with contentious matters like labour disputes. Major workplace investigations are another focus of the team, which is headed by Safia Fassi-Fihri who handles employment matters as part of a wider focus on corporate and finance work.Practice head(s):
Safia Fassi-Fihri
Other key lawyers:
Dina Benjelloun
Testimonials
‘Reactivity, adaptation and rapid understanding of the client’s needs.’
‘The teams has very strong skills in employment law together with a unique sense of explaining to our corporation (which is international), the local rules that could be challenging.’
‘The trilingual (English, Arabic and French) capabilities are very much appreciated.’
‘Safia Fassi Fihri is very well respected by it peers. She is a great asset when it comes to discussing with authorities (such as the labour inspector).’
‘ADNA is one of the best in employment law, especially for international clients.’
‘Safia Fassi Fihri has a very sharp expertise in employment law, especially in an international context.’
Key clients
EMID
BUTEC
SABIS
CELLULANT
Nell’Armonia
DAHUA
Morocco > Tourism and real estate Tier 3
ADNA advises a series of domestic and international clients in regard to their projects within the real estate and construction sectors. This includes working on the entire life cycle of a project, handling work such as land acquisition and EPC agreements. The team is led by Safia Fassi-Fihri, who specialises in M&A transactions and joint ventures.Practice head(s):
Safia Fassi-Fihri
Testimonials
‘ADNA is perceived in the market has having the best practice in Tourism and Real Estate of the market.’
‘Responsiveness, network, sharp expertise, deal makers.’
‘ADNA is one of the best firm in the real estate space.’
‘Safia Fassi-Fihri has a very sharp expertise in real estate and construction. Having her in a team is an asset.’
Key clients
China Communications Construction Company (CCCC)
EMID
SABIS
Helios
Work highlights
- Advising China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on the joint venture with BMCE (Moroccan bank) and TMSA (governmental agency) – in relation to the development and operation of Tanger Tech Free Zone in Morocco.
- Advising Sabis in relation to the setting up of a new international network of K12 schools in Morocco as well as in the implementation of a joint venture with a local partner.
Algeria > Commercial, corporate and M&A
ADNA, recently formed from a merger involving Bourabiat Associés, offers expertise in corporate and M&A transactions and is well positioned to offer advice across North Africa and the OHADA region. It advises on M&A deals, joint ventures, capital increases and restructuring work, and its clients include international corporations and financial institutions across a range of industries, from energy to automotive. The firm is led by Algerian business law expert Foued Bourabiat, well known in the market for handing complex transactions and assisting major international companies and investors. He is supported by associate Fayçal Zedek, who specialises in M&A and corporate and commercial agreements. Associate Steven Aldrich left the firm.Practice head(s):
Foued Bourabiat
Other key lawyers:
Faycal Zedek
Key clients
Air Products
BNP Paribas
Emerging Capital Partners
The Carlyle Group
DP World
Edison
Development Partners International (DPI)
Fruital (Coca-Cola)
Cevital
Occidental Petroleum
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Honaine/Aguas de Skikda (Abengoa)
Myah Bahr
Danieli
FMO
OPIC (now DFC)
Samsung C&T
Suez
Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals
Numidis
Neptune Energy
Procter & Gamble
CVC Capital Partners
China Investment Corporation
Nestlé
Azadea
Fruital (Coca-Cola)
Volotea
Airbus
Oracle
Geodis
Lenovo
Jotun
Lactalis
Al Ghurair Group
Work highlights
- Advising a soft drink company in connection with the combination of its business with a competitor in the Algerian market.
- Advising Occidental Petroleum on the Algerian aspects of the multibillion acquisition of Anadarko, which holds significant interests in upstream petroleum activities in Algeria.
- Acting as lead counsel for a joint venture between a major Algerian state-owned company and a US global industrial gas company, in the multimillion-dollar acquisition of an industrial gas company.