Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira and Gide Loyrette Nouel are pleased to announce the union of their practices in Morocco, with Cuatrecasas Casablanca joining Gide, established in Morocco since 2003 and recognised as one of the leading legal advisors in the country.

This union will bring together, in a single structure, high-quality expertise in all areas of Moroccan and international business law, serving both firms’ clients.

The combined team will comprise 17 lawyers and legal consultants. It will be headed by Gide partners Julien David and Jean-François Levraud, and will draw on an unequalled pool of expertise in Morocco in all fields of business law, particularly in mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, real estate, commercial law, tax law, labor law, and public law.

Stéphane Puel, managing partner of Gide, states: “We celebrate the union of our two teams in Morocco as it allows us to further reinforce our capacity to operate in a country in which we have been present since 2003 and in which we have become a key player. The Casablanca office is a significant piece of our international network and Morocco is a country in which we wish to continue to develop. We are now more than ever in a privileged position to assist our clients on their cross-border operations and advise them on their investments and projects in Morocco and, more generally, in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, where Gide is particularly active.”

Rafael Fontana, chairman and managing partner of Cuatrecasas pointed out that “our lawyers will continue to offer our clients highly valuable comprehensive legal advice on Moroccan law, adding the recognized experience of Gide in Casablanca. Our close collaboration with Gide dates back to 2007, when we started our practice in Morocco. Now, not only is it reinforced, but it is also extended to our other offices, thanks to our capacity to advise on Spanish and Portuguese law. As a result of this union, we will be able to offer clients advice and increased support in Morocco, as well as in Algeria and Tunisia where Gide has been present for some 10 years now.”

The union is a further step forward in the close relationships developed by Cuatrecasas and Gide with other leading European independent law firms, i.e. Chiomenti in Italy and Gleiss Lutz in Germany.

Morocco, a country with great potential

Against a background of social upheavals that took place recently in North Africa and the Middle-East, Morocco is the most politically and socially stable country in the region. It has a well-diversified economy in full development. Average growth of 5% of GDP in the last five years, together with a consolidated tax position and a strong financial sector, make it a regional hub for global companies seeking to extend their presence to other African countries.

About Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is one of the leading law firms in Spain and Portugal, with 25 offices operating in 11 countries worldwide and a team of 200 partners and almost 1,000 lawyers with a high degree of specialization in all areas of business law and experience in various jurisdictions. In 2013, the firm generated a total turnover of €248 million, which confirms sustained and uninterrupted growth over the last five years. Cuatrecasas has an office in Casablanca since 2007.

About Gide Loyrette Nouel

Gide is a premier international law firm and the first to have originated in France.  Founded in Paris in 1920, the firm now operates from 17 offices throughout the world. It has 600 lawyers, drawn from 35 different nationalities. Gide offers some of the most respected specialists in each of the various sectors of national and international finance and business law.

Present in Casablanca since 2003, Gide is one of the very first business law firms to set up in Morocco. With teams of French and Moroccan lawyers and legal consultants, Gide Casablanca is today one of the few law firms in Morocco to be able to offer legal assistance covering all fields of Moroccan and international law, both in business and finance.

The European Network

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira and Gide Loyrette Nouel form part of a European network that includes two other leading law firms, Chiomenti in Italy and Gleiss Lutz in Germany.

Through this network, the firms offer clients a comprehensive advisory service in cross-border transactions, international projects and litigation of a most complex nature.

Each firm is leader in its own country, enabling the best service to be offered in continental Europe.