Amaury Berbille
Senior associate
The French corporate lawyer discusses joining A&O during lockdown, the diversity of opportunities in Africa and the perils of learning to surf.
Amaury joined A&O Casablanca in April 2020 from Orrick in Paris. He focuses on private M&A, joint ventures and private equity transactions.
Due to the pandemic, he spent his first six months with the firm working remotely from his lockdown base in Normandy. Now, safely relocated to our Casablanca office, Amaury talks about his first impressions of A&O, the diversity of opportunities in Africa and the perils of learning to surf.
What are the opportunities for A&O in Morocco?
Morocco is a hub for investments to and from Africa, especially West Africa. Many African countries are benefitting from foreign investment and are developing fast. Although investment has typically been in natural resources and infrastructure projects, the opportunities are expanding into a range of sectors. Our Corporate practice in Casablanca has clients in banking, insurance, tourism, real estate, retail and telecoms, as well as mining, infrastructure and energy.
Considering the size of Casablanca and its economy compared to cities like London, New York and Hong Kong, it is involved in exceptionally large and significant transactions, which are international and strategic in nature.
A&O is in a strong position here. We are the go-to law firm for international corporates looking to do business in Morocco and the rest of Africa, and we have both private and listed companies as clients.
What were your first impressions of A&O?
When A&O says it has global reach and local depth, it means it! The first transaction I acted on involved parties in Mainland China, Morocco, the Republic of Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, due to the pandemic, the complex negotiations took place virtually. I don’t think I could have got that kind of experience in my role in Paris.
I have also found A&O to be very agile and supportive of flexible working. While I was working remotely from France, everything ran smoothly from having the right IT tools to feeling part of the global team. By the time I started in the Casablanca office, I felt like I had worked there forever.
Tell us about a deal you’ve been involved in, to give us a flavour of the work in Casablanca
On my first transaction, we advised a local mining company on a partnership to develop a large-scale gold mining project in the region. The transaction also involved setting up joint ventures in other jurisdictions.
This is an example of the significant and international matters we advise on.
Since then though, most of the transactions I’ve handled have had few links to Morocco, with most of my work having been in Sub-Saharan Africa.
What have you found to be the differences between working with French and Moroccan clients?
Compared to my work in Paris, many multinational companies in Morocco and the rest of Africa are privately owned and well established, having operated in the region for many decades.
This provides a different experience for a corporate lawyer, as there is a lot at stake for the owners on a transaction; they are taking the financial and reputational risks.
These clients tend to make strategic acquisitions and disposals, and they are looking for their lawyers to give strategic advice. This can mean you have a broader remit compared to the work you do for other clients, which is interesting and allows you to develop your knowledge and expertise, often very quickly. Of course, the challenge is there can be more pressure and your client requires more of your time.
What is the culture like in the Casablanca office?
There are around 50 people in the Casablanca office and the team is very diverse and inclusive, being from many cultures, countries and faiths.
We are also very lucky to have an ocean view.
What do you do in your spare time?
Well, seeing as the sea is across the road from the office and my apartment, I thought I would take surfing lessons again. I had my first lesson a few months ago and it was exhausting. I almost drowned!
I’m also getting back into cycling after an accident in Paris a while ago. I recently purchased a bike and I am using it to commute to work and explore the city.
What are the best things to see and do in Casablanca?
Experience the fabulous art deco architecture and sample the great food. Casablanca is also one of the most important places in the world for contemporary African art, so there are many great galleries to visit.
And, beyond Casablanca, there are so many cities to visit like Fez, Marrakech, Tangier and Ouarzazate. However, due to Covid restrictions, travels outside of Casablanca were quite limited until a few weeks ago.
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