Corporate/Commercial
Global Guide 2024 : Morocco
Band 3
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+212 5 22 95 96 00About
Provided by Bennani & Associés
Managing Partners:
Morocco – Mehdi M. Bennani
Algeria – Mourad Seghir
Tunisia – Lamia Harghem
Ivory Coast – Assemian Kouakou
Languages: Arabic, English, French
Firm Overview:
Founded in 2004, Bennani & Associes is a leading independent pan-African firm with offices in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Ivory Coast. If offers cutting-edge business law expertise to listed and unlisted companies as well as public entities. In each market, the firm has a particular expertise in representing foreign investors across a wide range of complex issues, including:
- General corporate law
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Joint ventures and partnerships
- Corporate restructuring
- Competition/antitrust and other regulatory advice
- Employment law
- Financing
- Commercial litigation and arbitration
- White collar criminal law
Recent Highlights:
- Counsel to Fater Spa (a Procter & Gamble and Angelini Group joint venture) in the exit from Morocco via the sale of a 100% stake in Fater Morocco
- Counsel to Vivo Energy Maroc on purchase of a 49% stake in Sopétrole and related compliance matters
- Counsel to global investment management firm Carlyle in a $404 million bankruptcy litigation procedure opened against the SAMIR refinery
- Counsel to Daewoo Engineering & Construction in commercial litigation relating to the construction of power plants
Chambers Review
Bennani & Associés is a pan-African law firm whose Moroccan office frequently acts as local counsel on multi-jurisdictional transactions. The team is advises on a range of corporate mandates, including acquisitions, joint ventures and competition issues. Headquartered in Casablanca, the firm is a significant player across the Maghreb and francophone Africa, with additional offices in Algiers, Tunis, Abidjan and Kinshasa.
Work Highlights
- Bennani & Associés advised Plastic Omnium on the Moroccan aspects of its EUR600 million acquisition of Varroc's automotive lighting systems business.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The service level is exceptional and responses are very timely and helpful."
"Bennani & Associés has supported me in navigating a number of complex matters."
"The advice provided was clear, pragmatic and timely. The turnaround for answering client questions and consolidating the advice across jurisdictions was extremely quick and seamless."
"They can line up appropriate resources rapidly and they are able to cover a wide range of areas."
"The service level is exceptional and responses are very timely and helpful."
"Bennani & Associés has supported me in navigating a number of complex matters."
"The advice provided was clear, pragmatic and timely. The turnaround for answering client questions and consolidating the advice across jurisdictions was extremely quick and seamless."
"They can line up appropriate resources rapidly and they are able to cover a wide range of areas."
Notable Practitioners
Mehdi Bennani is managing partner of the firm and is based in Casablanca. He is well rated for his significant international experience, having previously worked at law firms in New York. His recent work includes advising international clients on cross-border investment and M&A transactions, as well as merger clearance and exit issues.
"He is an incredibly smooth operator, he knows the market extremely well in North Africa, but he also understands UK and US law firms' operations and he speaks French, which brings a lot of value to us. He is very commercial and entrepreneurial."
"It is always a pleasure to cooperate with Mehdi on cross-border mandates. He is efficient and pragmatic and has a great awareness of the clients' needs."
"Mehdi Bennani is a great professional across the board, combining experience, flexibility and very solid technical skills."
Ranked Lawyers at
Bennani & Associés
Morocco
Clients
Provided by Bennani & Associés
AMMC (The Moroccan Capital Market Authority)
Adidas
Akzo Nobel
Alstom
Carlyle
Casatram
Cheplapharm
Daewoo
Dell Group
Electrolux
Etisalat
FATER Spa
FIAT
Groupe Bel
Huawei
IQVIA
KBC Bank
Lukoil Lubricants Africa
Middle East Radio Television Morocco (MRTM)
Phillips
ST MICROELECTRONICS
Samsung C&T
Siemens AG
TUI Fly
Western Union
Industries
Provided by Bennani & Associés
Aerospace
Automotive
Chemicals
Consumer Electronics
Defence
Energy
Engineering & Construction
Financial Services
Food
Oil & Gas
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices
Private Equity
Telecommunications
Transport