Issue 11 2023, Acquisition International | 11 Inside the Kettani Law Firm: Morocco’s Leading Civil Law Arbitrator of the Year he Kettani Law firm (KLF) has recently celebrated its 52nd anniversary. As founder Professor Azzedine Kettani explains, it began before the internet, computers, and mobile phones were even in common usage. Instead, communications were limited to telephone and telex. Having studied and become a lecturer at the Faculty of Law in Rabat, Azzedine felt that his theoretical knowledge, which he kept up to date for the necessity of teaching, could be put to better use transposed to the real world. That is when he began an internship that ultimately led to the creation of the Azzedine Kettani Law Firm. From the start, the KLF embraced use of English within the firm which encouraged the government of the USA, as well as various American multinational companies, to express a confidence in its services. Azzedine Kettani was amongst the very few English-speaking members of the Casablanca Bar, an asset which helped to continuously attract clientele from multinationals of all origins. The firm has certainly developed into something of a family business, with daughters Nadia and Rita joining the ranks in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Their addition further bolstered the firm’s grasp of English as both girls had chosen to complete their education by studying in the USA. The firm has since grown in stature and size, with expansion of premises and an increase in personnel that includes legal experts, secretaries, and accounting staff. This is when the different divisions of the company began to form. Litigation was set up to defend the interests of banks, insurance companies, and others. The consulting department at KLF provided assistance in matters of contracts, investments, and financing. By 2005, the firm had divided into departments that included intellectual property rights, commercial and corporate law, labour law, arbitration, and departmental structures dedicated to certain banks and insurance companies. There are now more than 120 employees at the KLF, all of whom are dedicated to “serving the client in the best way possible”. Following his sisters, Driss Kettani has joined the firm after studying law at the University of Panthéon-Sorbonne Paris. He enrolled at the Casablanca Bar and has been a full lawyer at the KLF since 2012. As such, he is is in charge of finance and organisation. Sister Zineb Kettani took a slightly different route, after obtaining degrees in pharmacy from the University of Lausanne and HEC in the same city. She too found the call of the law irresistible, and abandoned pharmaceuticals to register with the Bar Association of Casablanca, joining the KLF to manage the activity of structures particularly dedicated to debt collection, alongside other attributions. Whilst there are several true Kettani family members working at the KLF, the sense of the firm operating as a family extends beyond the borders of the relatives to include all collaborators working within the company. The entire team is part of the family, and all contribute to the success of the business. It is through this togetherness that the KLF has managed to establish itself as the prestigious and award-winning firm it’s become. At the KLF, mediation and arbitration are recognised as the most effective means of resolving disputes in arbitration. It offers speedy, cost-effective solutions, and preserves confidentiality. The KLF has handled many cases, with Prof. Azzedine Kettani’s role as an arbitrator recognised both nationally and internationally. This has earned him the appointment of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Paris) International Court Member for six years as well as member of the panel of arbitrators of (ICSID (six years), as a member of the panel of arbitrators of DIAC, SIAC, CIETAC, and other prestigious institutions. It has also led to a number of impressive awards such as the Arbitration Law Firm of the Year in 2019 from Corporate INTL Magazine, and of course the Leading Civil Law Arbitrator of the Year – Morocco, from our AI Leading Advisor Awards programme 2023. We are delighted to recognise the Kettani Law Firm for all the outstanding work it does in arbitration, as well as so much more. We look forward to seeing where it will progress further still in the coming years. Web Address: http://www.kettlaw.com/ Contact Name: Asmaa Qachach Founded in 1971, the Kettani Law Firm is the largest independent law firm in Morocco, with 120 employees working within the divisions of Arbitration, Counsel, Litigation, and Dedicated Structures. It has recently been awarded the title of Leading Civil Law Arbitrator of the Year – Morocco, following which we decided to take a closer look at the company. T “ There are now more than 120 employees at KLF, all of whom are dedicated to “serving the client in the best way possible”. ”
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