Established almost two decades ago, Itkan Law Firm is a niche boutique in the legal Libyan market. With the adoption of the international standards of international law firms, Itkan has become a point of reference for international companies whether they wish to establish a presence in Libya, wish to flee the country, or merely seek advice that only an eminent, skilled lawyer would deliver.
Itkan’s consultations are a hallmark of excellence, and its client-oriented approach has granted this advanced level of services. The team cooperate in a friendly environment that escalates the quality of their work. They are motivated by the management and the policies adopted in the firm, namely, the adoption of the Itkan Vision 2020 – 2025.
Itkan Vision, which is based on five aspects has been a dominant factor in Itkan’s success. Firstly, the use of technology has put an end to the waste of lawyers’ hours completing paperwork, that could otherwise be spent on more beneficial endeavours such as their self-development. Secondly, the implementation of the equity partnership scheme has proved a great source of motivation for Itkan’s lawyers. Thirdly, the nationwide presence depicted in the establishment of Benghazi’s office helped Itkan’s clients and team to achieve a better outcome. Fourthly, the decision to establish a regional intellectual property capability was a timely decision that is responsive to a need for an unmatured sector in Libya to be developed. Fifthly, the adoption of the social corporate responsibility scheme (pro bono) made the team part of developing the Libyan society on a large scale. Post-war building projects and country development is something Itkan’s lawyers take pride in having an instrumental role in.
Consequently, as part of its social corporate responsibility, Itkan, in a partnership with the Libyan Spider Ltd, has established a legal database (the Libyan Law Society – https://lawsociety.ly) which is growing to include all legislations and Libyan Supreme Court Decisions made publicly available online. In a further step, the database shall be available in English.
This step is a continuation of the precedents of good practice Itkan undertook introducing to the Libyan market.
With the reputation Itkan has built over the years as a leader, starting from introducing the concept of corporate law firms by being the first law firm registered as a company in the Ministry of Economy, to introducing technology on a daily basis in legal practice, the firm has been approached by policy-makers to have its input in prospective legislations.
As a result, Itkan Law Firm is rapidly expanding with its second office in Benghazi – and the third office that is planned to be opened in Egypt. In parallel, the team is swiftly growing. Selectively choosing the best practitioners, Itkan has gained an additional five lawyers in the past six months. The joining of the international lawyer Micheal Bosco, with over 30 years of experience, to Itkan’s team as a partner is a significant add-on to the firm. The team expansion has broadened the team’s capabilities to unravel dispute resolution in arbitration forums for the settlement of commercial arbitration. It also expanded the languages spoken within the firm to include French, Spanish and Italian.
This team is equipped to confront challenges only the Libyan market suffers from, such as procedures to meet deadlines in case of rising conflicts, in addition to KYC issues.
The growth of Itkan is also depicted in the list of international law firms with which Itkan closely cooperate such as CMS, Clyde & Co., Armstrong Teasdale, Dentons, Hogan Lovells and Clifford Chance.
Accordingly, the cases Itkan handles have increased in the amount and the variety of fields. Itkan is part of the first PPP project implemented in Libya and has drafted a contract for a large infrastructural project. Consultations in the Information Technology practice area are increasing, with frequent inquiries from prominent clients such as Google and Disney+. Itkan has been involved in a number of consultations for clients applying for public tenders and public sector contracts, including ones that are related to the free zones in Libya; these contracts rarely exist in practice. As for IP, Itkan is proud of covering the digital forms of IP.
While Itkan Law Firm started off somewhat small, it is growing in steady steps, leaving a footprint in both domestic and international markets. With an ambitious team, Itkan is persevering in times of strife, and casting a long shadow.