Kettani Law Firm

Kettani Law Firm (KLF) is one of the strongest independent law firms in Morocco covering contentious and non-contentious cases. It was originally established by Professor Azzedine Kettani in 1971.

Senior partner Nadia Kettani heads the international transaction department and has joined KLF in 1992 after her masters’ degrees and internships abroad.

Senior partner Rita Kettani has been working alongside KLF since 1993 after her law degree and various internships in law firms in Paris and the US. She heads the litigation, labour and IP law departments.

Partner Zineb Kettani is a unique profile as her scientific background led her to pharmaceutical and economic studies in Switzerland before she completed her training by pursuing law school. She leads the recovery department and is also in charge of the litigation department with Rita Kettani. She is a highly regarded member of the Casablanca Bar Association and handles thousands of procedures in various matters such as bank lending, transport, distribution, commercial lease etc. She is also very experienced in contract law. As a former pharmacist, she has developed substantial skills in the pharmaceutical field and gives satisfaction to all of KLF clients.

KLF specializes also in financial and business activities, and is an acknowledged leader in the fields of corporate finance, banking, project finance, corporate and commercial law. Accordingly, the firm regularly represents banks and other financial institutions (including IFIs), international businesses, major public and private companies and government offices in Morocco and North Africa.

The KLF corporate and M&A team has been constantly expanding with various recruits joining the team from Europe the US while Azzedine Kettani and Nadia Kettani continue to work as first points of contact for foreign investors seeking legal advice in relation to their businesses in Morocco.

KLF has particularly strong language capabilities in French, English and Arabic.

In the last nine years the firm has grown from 30 people to 120, offering a wide range of services whether in the consulting department or the litigation department.

Areas of practice: KLF has the best capabilities in the areas of dispute resolution and corporate/ M&A work in Morocco.

KLF has advised its clients in relation to high profile legal matters all over the world. The latest and most credentials demonstrate a wide scale of capabilities. Such credentials include, amongst others :

• In the energy sector, KLF advised lenders as well as sponsors in the financing of major Moroccan power station projects as well as some key players in the mining sector. In 2018, KLF advised a major renewable energy company in the restructuring of the group.
• In the financial and banking sector, KLF advised a consortium of banks, acting as Moroccan government advisers, in the context of a sovereign bond issue in 2012, in 2014 and 2019, as well as private banks. KLF also assisted the International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in their investment projects in Morocco and, in particular, its acquisition of a stake in Moroccan entities.
• In the area of aircraft financing, KLF advised the Moroccan airline operator company in multiple aircraft acquisitions and financing of its dreamliner as well as other airlines in their financing matters.
• In telecommunications sector, KLF advised Vivendi in relation to its disposition of their former stakes in Maroc Telecom (EUR 4bn) and France Telecom on its acquisition of stakes in Méditelecom (EUR 640m). In 2015, KLF also advised Orange (France) in its takeover of Meditelecom.
• In the area of mergers and acquisitions, KLF recently advised significant clients in relation to their mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures in Morocco and abroad (Libya, USA, Kuwait, France).
• In terms of competition law, KLF regularly advises foreign and local operators on competitive issues in Morocco and assisted them in filing advance notifications of their concentration projects with the Moroccan authorities.

Arbitration and dispute resolution: Professor Kettani is a well-known arbitrator either heading arbitration tribunals or member of arbitration tribunals in complex disputes whether before ICSID, ICC or DIAC.

Professor Kettani is also a member of the Panel of 10 international arbitrators at the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington, appointed by the President of the World Bank in 2011 for a period of six years.

As such, he is regularly acting as president or member of arbitration tribunals and annulment committees. He is also a member of the panel of arbitrators of the Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC).

Professor Kettani has been a co-opted member of the Users council of the Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC).

In relation to local matters, KLF, headed by Rita Kettani and Zineb Kettani, is managing about 20,000 local cases in various matters concerning commercial and banking disputes, debt collection and enforcement matters, social matters and intellectual property cases. Client representation tasks include advising clients on litigation strategies, litigation risk assessment, acting on clients’ behalf at courts of various instances and in local arbitration cases, as well as managing negotiations and drafting out-of-court settlement agreements. Thanks to her hard work leading a range of departments at Kettani Law Firm including the litigation, labour and IP law departments, Rita Kettani has been awarded Most Influential Woman in Labour Law 2018 – Morocco by AI Magazine.