Mozambique > Foreign law firms > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

Portuguese firm PLMJ Lawyers, partner of local firm TTA – Sociedade de Advogados, provides ‘excellent services’. New client Heineken retained the firm for advice on setting up its operations in Mozambique. Other clients include Maersk, video entertainment and internet company MultiChoice, Siemens and Petrogas. Miguel Spínola is ‘very attentive and available’ and Nuno Morais Sarmento focuses on dispute resolution and restructuring work.

VdA Vieira de Almeida, in cooperation with local partner Guilherme Daniel & Associados (GdA), is a diligent advisor on oil and gas, mining, banking and finance and telecommunications matters. The Portugal-based group advised Nosso Banco concerning its liquidation; Aujan Group on the sale of properties; and the Alliance for Affordable Internet on infrastructure sharing regulation. Teresa Empis Falcão heads the Mozambique desk.

Key advisors at Clifford Chance are Amsterdam-based Pieter van Welzen and London-based senior associate André de Sousa Vieira. The group covers all matters regarding the development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects and recently assisted the lenders with a financing for the development, construction and operation of a solar PV project.

Under the lead of senior associate Samantha Cyrne, Cuatrecasas is particularly active in advising on energy projects. The group recently assisted Keymore Engineering & Consulting with the incorporation of companies for the development of several power projects. Other key clients include ThirdWay Africa, Strongeagle Mozambique Fund and Central Térmica de Ressano Garcia.

Linklaters regularly assists sponsors with some of the country’s largest infrastructure and energy projects: notably, the group advised the sponsors, including Eni and Galp Energia, on the $4.68bn financing of the Coral project’s floating LNG facility. Portugal-based Francisco Ferraz de Carvalho is ‘very solution-oriented’ and collaborates with projects experts in London.

Miranda & Associados, in association with Pimenta e Associados, is well connected in the oil and gas sector, and regularly handles energy as well as banking and finance matters. Managing associate Susana Pinto Coelho returned from a secondment at Anadarko in Mozambique in March 2016; she is recommended along with Diogo Xavier da Cunha and Nuno Cabeçadas.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados partners up with Henriques, Rocha & Associados to advise on a broad range of financing and commercial issues. Liliana Malheiro Tomás and Luís Gagliardini Graça jointly head the team.

Shearman & Sterling LLP is ‘very helpful at steering parties to a common purpose’. Specialising in project development and finance work, it advised Central Térmica de Ressano Garcia and the sponsors, Sasol and Electricidade de Moçambique, on the development and project financing of a 175MW $275m gas engine IPP. London-based John Inglis and Singapore-based Ben Shorten are recommended.

AVM, in cooperation with HPF Advogados - AVM Legal Network Member, offers ‘thorough and prompt’ advice on corporate, labour and tax matters and recently assisted concrete pumping company Gebomsa with the restructuring of its shareholding structure. AECOM Moçambique, Kellogg Company and Nokia are also clients of the group, which is led by Sandro Polónio de Matos.

Abreu Advogados advised Actis Capital on obtaining a $100m financing for the construction of a large shopping centre. Pedro Pais de Almeida is recommended within the Portuguese group, which cooperates with JLA Advogados.

Banking and capital markets expert João Couceiro leads Portuguese firm FCB Sociedade de Advogados’ Mozambique desk, which collaborates with local firm AG Advogados. In 2016, the group advised LionSteel on the acquisition of Capital Star Steel, including the restructuring of $34.8m credit facility debt.

Raposo Bernardo focuses on advising banks such as African Export–Import Bank, Citybank, Ecobank and EverBank. It assisted China Development Bank with granting a total of $45m for the financing of infrastructure projects. Joana Andrade Correia is the name to note.

SRS Advogados frequently advises lenders, such as Banco Comercial e de Investimentos, which acted as lead arranger on the €100m financing of the port of Maputo dredging project. José Luís Moreira da Silva heads the Portuguese Mozambique desk, which has a local cooperation with Bhikha & Popat Advogados.