Firm Profile > DLA Piper > Casablanca, Morocco

Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

DLA Piper has a large team that handles private equity deals, public and private M&A transactions, and commercial contracts in areas including life sciences, smart city development, real estate, leisure, energy, waste and water management, insurance and retail. Christophe Bachelet leads on corporate matters, while Mehdi Kettani is the lead commercial partner. Among its clients are state-owned entities, investment banks, retailers, real estate companies and sponsors. Of counsel Camilia Benani is also recommended.

Dispute resolution Tier 1

DLA Piper handles domestic and international disputes for a range of large companies. Practice head Mehdi Kettani has 15 years’ experience of defending companies before the Moroccan courts. The international arbitration group led by Saad El Mernissi handles Africa-related arbitration, investment arbitration and construction arbitration, as well as representing government entities in investment and commercial disputes.

Employment Tier 1

Litigation specialist and practice head Mehdi Kettani at DLA Piper handles employment contracts, terminations and contentious matters for domestic and international companies. He is active in negotiations with senior executives and other employees, advises on day-to-day issues such as payroll and benefits, and handles conflicts with unions, litigation and policies on privacy and data protection.

Projects and public law Tier 1

DLA Piper's team is 'have reactive and available'. The practice, which is led by Saad El Mernissi, counts the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development and the Moroccan National Port Authority among its clients. It handles financing, construction, concessions, partnerships and disputes relating to renewable energy, natural resources,  infrastructure, water and power projects.

Tourism and real estate Tier 1

DLA Piper has developed a strong real estate practice since opening its Casablanca office in 2016. Christophe Bachelet leads a group that handles large transactions in the retail, tourism, hotel and leisure sectors. It is closely involved in the flagship development of Zenata Eco-City.  Its recent work encompasses town planning reform and the modernisation of the legislative framework for OPCI - the Moroccan equivalent of a REIT.

Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 2

At DLA Piper, Fabrice Armand, who heads the finance, projects and restructuring group, is a key player in banking regulatory, capital markets and finance matters. Among his clients are leading Moroccan banks such as Société Générale Marocaine des Banques and Banque Centrale Populaire, international development finance institutions and banks such as EBRD, and investment funds. The firm handles debt issuance, structured finance, derivatives, and regulatory matters.

Diversity/Community

At DLA Piper we are firmly committed to diversity and inclusion. For us, diversity isn’t just about visible differences, it’s the unique blend of talents, skills, experiences and perspectives that makes each of us an individual and we know it’s crucial to have a culture and environment where those differences are genuinely valued. As a global business law firm, with a diverse client base, we know that our clients expect our people to represent the communities in which we work and value our ability to advise them on both local and global cultures and markets. We believe that our approach to diversity and inclusion enables us to attract the best talent, build the most effective teams and deliver the highest level of client service.

For more information on our specific D&I initiatives please see www.dlapiper.com