On December 9-10, 2014, CLDP Attorney-Advisor Sheryl Weisflog, US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland Chief Judge Nancy Alquist and Pillsbury Winthrop’s Head of Insolvency and Restructuring Patrick Potter led a workshop on the management of insolvency cases in Morocco in Casablanca, Morocco. The workshop, organized in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco, brought together together insolvency stakeholders to discuss Morocco’s current reform of its insolvency law (Book V of the Code de Commerce) and US bankruptcy best practices. Participants, which included Moroccan judges, bankruptcy trustees, local attorneys, accountants, auditors and bankers, engaged in discussions highlighting US bankruptcy best practices as a reference model for some of the challenges faced by Moroccan practitioners.

As a result of the discussions held during the workshop, the Moroccan Ministry of Justice and Liberties published for the first time on its website the current draft of the insolvency law, and invited workshop participants to review and comment on the proposed legislation. The Moroccan Ministry’s publication of the draft law was in direct response to calls by participants during the workshop for increased transparency and more widespread consultations in the drafting process.

With funding from the Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), CLDP will continue to assist Moroccan judges and bankruptcy trustees navigate the complex issues surrounding insolvency and restructuring, by organizing a follow-on workshop in the Spring 2015.