When I founded Kettani Law Firm, the generation I belonged to did not have internet, computers, or any other means of communication existing today, except for telex, fax and landline.
On April 1, 1968, while I was a young professor at the Faculty of Law – University of Rabat, I understood that my theoretical knowledge, which I had to constantly update, would not be sufficient if it could not help enrich the legal practice and applied concretely in the real world. At this moment, I decided to embrace the law profession on July 16, 1968 with an internship that, in 1971, led to the establishment of “Cabinet Azzedine Kettani”.
The fact that several multinationals, in particular American ones, as well as, the Government of the United States of America, who relied on the firm due to the quality of its services provided and my command of the English language (considered as an unusual linguistic asset amongst attorneys in Casablanca at the time) was an unequivocal show of support and encouragement in regards to the challenges awaiting me. As such, the law firm’s name was translated into “Kettani Law Firm”.
The abovementioned assets did not fail to attract a clientele that has continuously developed amongst multinationals of all sorts, but also amongst foreign governments that have trusted the services provided by the law firm. In 1973, the Firm counted 6 professionals, but in 1980 the number of employees went to 12 and then to 15 in 1990. A few years later and with the intention of giving continuity to the Firm, my eldest daughters, Nadia and Rita, attracted by their father’s profession and motivated by their passion for Law, decided to join the Firm. They arrived, respectively, in 1992 and 1993 after brilliant studies completed in the United States of America where they developed their knowledge and use of the Shakespearean language.
In 1995, in Nolly Street – Casablanca, the firm occupied two floors of a 1930’s prestigious and classified building and expanded to nearly 400 square metre shortly after.
At this point, about 35 associates worked hard every day to satisfy the growing demands.
Among its professionals, the Firm counted lawyers, legal advisors, paralegals, assistants and members of the secretarial and accounting staff.
The “departments” began to take shape which led to the creation of two major branches. On one hand, (i) the litigation department specializing in defending banks’ interests, insurance companies and others, as well as (ii) the consulting department providing advice on contracts, investment projects, financing operations, etc.
During the 2000s, new circumstances gave Kettani Law Firm a boost, prompting it to be up to par with big American law firms and making it the leading firm in its fields of expertise.
In order to achieve this goal, an investment was necessary. Consequently, I decided to acquire in 2004, in the heart of the city, a building near Boulevard d’Anfa which, after its demolition, gave way to the new Kettani Law Firm’s 3000 square metres’ head offices ; 7 floors and 2 undergrounds .
Thereafter, in 2005, Kettani Law Firm had already created a unique law firm structure, divided into several departments:
- Consulting department
- Corporate and commercial law
- Intellectual property
- Labour law
- Arbitration
- Debt collection department (composed of units specialized in banks and insurance companies)
More than 120 professionals, including administrative staff, Moroccan and foreign lawyers and legal advisors worked permanently in those departments with a single mindset: “Serving you best”.
In 2012, two new “young lawyers” joined the firm alongside their sisters Nadia and Rita.
The first one is Driss Kettani who graduated from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University (Paris 1) in France and is a member of the Casablanca Bar Association since his admission in 2012.
The second one is Zineb Kettani who, with her unusual path, graduated in Pharmacy from Lausanne University and from HEC Business School in the same city. Zineb finally decided to leave the pharmaceutical sector to join the law field. She is currently also a member of the Casablanca Bar Association and leads the debt recovery department, among other responsibilities, within the Firm.
In November 2011, Kettani Law Firm took the final leap towards modernization and became a partnership under the status of a professional non-trading company (Société civile professionnelle) as allowed by its new governing law. The new Firm status ignited a renewed enthusiasm within the team which involves more than just the “Kettanis”.
Today, Kettani Law Firm includes a significant number of associates and staff and organises from time to time “Family days” to celebrate its achievements; The latter are measured by (i) the success rate recorded in our legal actions (whether as claimant or defendant), and (ii) the presence of Kettani Law Firm in all major investment projects and in all financial operations i.e energy sector projects, infrastructure, aviation, tourism and others.
Kettani Law Firm is regularly rewarded for its expertise in legal matters and has been honoured for many years with significant and prestigious international awards.
