Allen & Overy will open an office in Casablanca, Morocco, by recruiting two local lawyers for an outpost there, the first office in Africa for any Magic Circle firm.

The Magic Circle firm has hired two partners, Hicham Naciri and Yassir Ghorbal, in Casablanca from Naciri & Associes, an affiliate office of French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel, according to U.K. publication Legal Week.