Our Casablanca office brings together Moroccan and French law practitioners alike, and is today one of the only firms in the country to offer legal assistance that covers the various fields of Moroccan and international finance and business law.

Our teams assist our clients, be they international institutions, public bodies, banks, foreign investors or leading Moroccan business groups, on the legal and tax aspects of their investments and their commercial and financial operations.

Main areas of expertise:

• Mergers & Acquisitions / Corporate Law
• Real Estate               
• Banking & Finance  
• Projects (Finance & Infrastructure)       
• Tax                       
• Competition & International Trade      
• Employment                 
• Public & Administrative Law           
• Insurance, Industrial Risk & Transport       
• Arbitration              
• Intellectual Property, Telecommunications, Media & Technology          

This European powerhouse continues to represent a wide range of local and foreign clients on acquisitions and divestments, joint ventures, mergers, project financing and banking matters. It also has significant experience in the energy and natural resources sector, in employment law and in tax work.
Chambers Global 2018

Recent experience includes:

• Advising Renault Trucks on the divestment of its Moroccan subsidiary Renault Trucks Maroc.
   
• Advising South Korean alloy-wheel manufacturer Hands Corporation on the set-up of a new manufacturing plant in Morocco.
   
• Advising the Kingdom of Morocco on its first sovereign Sukuk issuance.
   
• Advising Chariot Oil & Gas Limited on the farmout of a 40% equity interest in six exploration permits in Morocco.
   
• Advising Onomo Hotels (Batipart group) on its various real estate and hospitality projects in Africa (Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Republic of Congo, Mozambique, etc.): acquisition of hotels / plots of land, hotel construction, etc.
   
• Advising SDX Energy on the acquisition of Circle Oil’s assets in Morocco. Circle Oil held certain gas operating concessions located in the Gharb basin (Morocco).
   
• Advising Groupe Palmeraie Développement on real estate and hospitality projects in Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon. It is one of the first real estate Sub-Saharan transactions involving Moroccan players.
   
• Advising Aabar Investments on the setting-up of Wessal Capital and its first investments in Casablanca and Rabat: in October 2014, Wessal Capital was named “2014 Sovereign Wealth Fund Deal of the Year” by World Finance, due to its unique collaborative model and the scale of its developmental impact, and "2014 Social Deal of the Year" (Press release for more information)
   
• Advising Groupe Palmeraie Développement on the divestment / restructuring of a substantial portion of its hospitality business and assets: setting up a joint venture with Aabar Investment PJS, transferring the ownership of the real estate assets and associated businesses to the JV, etc.
   
• Advising Wendel on its acquisition of a 100 million-euro stake in Saham Group.
   
• Advising Veolia on the sale of its water and electricity activities in Morocco.
   
• Advising the Moroccan government on reviewing the existing Moroccan mining code and drafting a new version.
   
• Advising Medi Telecom (second telephone operator in Morocco) on refinancing its local debt, amounting of EUR 450 million.

During the last 15 years, Gide Cuatrecasas Casablanca has established itself as a key player in the M&A market. It assists local and foreign clients with major M&A transactions in Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. Simon Auquier and star senior associate Chloé Joachim de Larivière advised Wendel on the $155m sale of its holding in Saham Group.
Legal 500 EMEA 2019

This firm is the product of a joint venture between French firm Gide and Spanish firm Cuatrecasas. Both backgrounds bring benefits, with excellence in projects, infrastructure and energy a notable synergy. Other areas of experience include the establishment and divestment of operations and subsidiaries for industrial and automotive clients. One international client praised the firm for its tailored solutions: 'Gide understood exactly our company's situation and needs, then provided us appropriate solutions.' Another source rated the 'strong team and good service,' as well as the technical skills of the team.
Chambers Europe 2019

Gide Cuatrecasas Casablanca has 'a very competent and hardworking team that is second to none in its knowledge of Moroccan energy law.' Key partner Wacef Bentaibi is 'very supportive and provides the best advice'. He assisted South Korean alloy wheel manufacturer Hands Corporation with the development of a manufacturing plant in the Tangier Free Trade Zone.
Legal 500 EMEA 2019

Gide Cuatrecasas Casablanca delivers ‘very good service in a timely fashion’. It has ‘in-depth knowledge of the Moroccan oil and gas sector’ and ‘a strong multi-disciplinary team of specialist partners’ such as Wacef Bentaibi.
Legal 500 EMEA 2018

This highly celebrated team is a leader in the real estate and construction market in Casablanca. It has expertise advising clients in the national parks and tourism sectors. It regularly handles financing and leasing as well as rents, securities and purchasing. Clients are impressed with its service, noting that the team delivered 'beyond expectations.' They further add that the lawyers 'know the market, the country and the local law,' and that 'they're good at focusing on exactly what you need as a client'.
Chambers Global 2018

Gide Cuatrecasas Casablanca is known for its ‘good industry knowledge, appropriate advice and good value’.
Legal 500 EMEA 2018

Gide Cuatrecasas Casablanca stands out for ‘its knowledge of local and international law, its client-oriented services and its timely turnaround’.
Legal 500 EMEA 2017