A&O to launch Casablanca office with three Gide partners
Allen & Overy (A&O) is set to become the first magic circle firm to open an office in Africa, with a Casablanca launch scheduled for September.
Wim Dejonghe
The office will open in September when banking and corporate partner François Duquette relocates from the firm’s Abu Dhabi office. Duquette will be joined immediately by two lateral hires from Gide Loyrette Nouel – Naciri & Associés.
Partner Yassir Ghorbal and local Casablanca partner Philippe de Richoufftz will be with A&O from launch, with the latter working out of the magic circle firm’s Paris office. Partner Hicham Naciri, who will lead the office, will join later in the year.
A&O anticipates that the office will have around 25 lawyers by 2012.
In a statement, A&O global managing partner Wim Dejonghe said: “Morocco is rapidly establishing itself as a key hub for international companies and investors looking to build a presence in Africa.
“It also has strong trade links with other markets in our network, particularly France, the Middle East and Spain, with growing interest from China, India and Japan. It’s the perfect match for our global network and our emerging markets strategy and offers a fantastic platform to build on our extensive Africa-focused work.”
Paris-headquartered Gide established its tie-up with Casablanca firm Naciri & Associés in 2003.
Other international firms with an office in Casablanca include Spanish players Garrigues and Cuatrecasas Gonçalves Pereira, which launched in 2005 and 2007 respectively.
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Readers' comments (20)
W Deng | 21-Jul-2011 1:02 pm
Ha ha - Gide that French "boutique international law " with no international offices left.....
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Captain Renault | 21-Jul-2011 2:15 pm
I wonder which other partners will be recruited? Time to round up the usual suspects.
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Humphrey | 21-Jul-2011 3:03 pm
Last night we said a great many things. You said I was to do the thinking for both of us. Well, I've done a lot of it since then, and it all adds up to one thing: you're getting on that plane with A&O where you belong.
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Jacques | 21-Jul-2011 3:20 pm
You know, Eck, I have many a friend in Casablanca, but somehow, just because you despise me, you are the only one I trusted.
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Fernando Alonso | 21-Jul-2011 3:37 pm
I would be tempted by working for Gide, but Ferrari wants me to work for him.
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Anonymous | 21-Jul-2011 3:42 pm
Let's hope that it is more profitable for them than their Albanian adventure!
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Eggbut Nobacon | 21-Jul-2011 3:56 pm
This is rather unsurprising. A&O would have had to scour the globe for decent Gide lawyers and ended up only find three of them in Casa.
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Alex | 22-Jul-2011 2:20 pm
Re: "plundering the few decent lawyers left at GLN"
Anyone who claims that Naciri is just a 'decent lawyer' doesn't know what they're talking about. Naciri clearly stands head and shoulder above any of the other 'leading' lawyers in Morocco. Anyone who's ever done deals in the region knows this. Anyway - major blow for Gide.
Re: "This is rather unsurprising. A&O would have had to scour the globe for decent Gide lawyers and ended up only find three of them in Casa."
Typical ignorant comment from yet another junior to mid-level know-nothing associate pretending to know firms...
The one thing that Gide doesn't miss is talented lawyers. Gide's problem is simply that it is getting slaughtered by the senior management . And as an organization, it doesn't have any of the structural safeguards and checks and balances that any large firm needs to have in order to thwart suicidal management decisions when they come.
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DSK | 22-Jul-2011 3:43 pm
It's game over for Gide. 5 overseas offices closed, London and Casablanca offices feeling like ghost towns, Hanoi office unofficially shut for business, and Moscow office with no quality local lawyers to speak off, Alex comments above typifies the Gallic self denial and blindness to the need for an Anglo and less amateurish approach to international legal service!
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Alex | 22-Jul-2011 9:40 pm
@DSK:
Not sure what is delusional (or "Gallic", for that matter) about saying that "one thing that Gide doesn't miss is talented lawyers."
BTW, I don't work at Gide but at one of these "Anglo" firms. I just think that Gide's problems have much more to do with organizational flaws and management at the moment than with a shortage of talented lawyers.
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