The Legal 500

‘Definitely a first-tier firm’ for dispute resolution, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ fantastic reputation extends to work across several sectors, with notable experience in IP, employment and white-collar criminal litigation. The 20-partner team fields some of Portugal’s best-known litigators, and continues to advise Pfizer and BP on several cases, as well as others including Apple, Lusoponte and Auchan Group. The highly regarded Miguel Galvão Teles acted for REN in an arbitration case brought by Galp concerning a breach of a natural gas asset agreement, and is representing REN in ICC arbitration against Amorim Energia. António Pinto Leite is ‘a top name in disputes’, and is currently representing Philips IP. António Sampaio Caramelo is a ‘most knowledgeable’ arbitrator, and José Manuel Galvão Teles is also recommended.

PLMJ Law Firm is a ‘class apart’ when it comes to dispute resolution, providing an ‘exceptional, City-style service’. Its large team is led by the ‘excellent’ arbitrator José-Miguel Júdice and Nuno Líbano Monteiro. Monteiro is representing the National Pharmacy Association in four contractual liability court proceedings. Clients are ‘wholly satisfied’ with the group’s litigation services, which notably span IP, tax, employment, and public law, the latter matters handled by Rui Chancerelle de Machete. The group advised CRH in ICC arbitration relating to a shareholder agreement concerning Portuguese cement group Secil. It is also advising Banco Privado Português’ domestic and Cayman Islands branches on lawsuits totalling €45m regarding non-reimbursement of invested money. Pedro Faria and Nuno Morais Sarmento are also recommended.

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira operates an ‘excellent’ litigation practice and satisfied clients deem it ‘one of the best teams around’. Miguel Esperança Pina, who is described as ‘among the best litigators in Portugal’ and Rita Gouveia assisted the Portuguese state in a €90m breach of contract case against General Motors. The team also advised Galp Energia in an arbitration case, and is representing Auto-estradas do Atlântico in accident liability lawsuits. André Luiz Gomes and Paulo de Sá e Cunha act for Banif and Somague Engenharia, respectively, and are recommended.

Linklaters LLP has a small team but broad litigation capabilities, and is particularly expert in restructuring and insolvency proceedings including advising ECS – Sociedade de Capital de Risco on Investvar’s insolvency and Infineon on the insolvency proceedings of Qimonda Portugal. The group also recently won more than €25m compensation for Amorim Energia in ICC arbitration against REN. Team head Miguel Pinto Cardoso is widely recognised for his skills.

Rui Pena, Arnaut & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados, RL’s disputes practice was boosted by the recruitment of the ‘gifted’ Joaquim Shearman de Macedo from PLMJ Law Firm, who brought his ‘first-class practice’ to the firm. Practice head Nuno Pena is advising Petrogal in ten actions against fuel supplier Compete, and is also representing Prisa in three disputes against the Media Regulatory Authority relating to its television channel TVI. Pena also has experience on tax cases. Lopo Cancella de Abreu handles criminal litigation.

SRS Advogados absorbed the dispute resolution boutique of Soares Machado & Associados in October 2010, bringing a ten-lawyer team and its substantial experience to the firm. José Carlos Soares Machado now co-heads the 24-strong practice, and has expertise in real estate, construction, banking and insolvency disputes. Fellow co-head José Luís Moreira da Silva has an excellent reputation for his advice on energy, finance and TMT disputes. Clients include Renault, Nissan, Radiomóvel, ZON Multimedia, and Barclays.

Serra Lopes, Cortes Martins & Associados provides ‘really good’ service, and acts in judicial claims, arbitrations and insolvency proceedings. The ‘bright and dedicated’ Luís Miguel Cortes Martins leads the team, while the ‘very client-focussed’ Maria Raquel Moreira is also recommended. The group frequently acts for clients across the energy, transport, and food and beverage sectors.

Sérvulo & Associados offers ‘very good and practical advice’ on commercial, criminal and regulatory disputes, and has notable strength in cases of public law. This team of ‘very professional and organised lawyers’ can be relied on for ‘excellent response times and quality of information’. Ricardo Guimarães recently advised the Rede Ferroviária Nacional in a termination of contract dispute. He and criminal law expert José Lobo Moutinho are praised for their ‘high level of knowledge’. Sérvulo Correia, Rui Medeiros and Fernando Ferreira Pinto are all active in arbitration cases. Rádio Televisão de Portugal is a key client of the practice.

As ‘a top European firm’, Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho excels in advising on complex cross-border disputes, and offers ‘accuracy and dedication to every legal question’. The team is praised for its ‘personal and direct relations’ and provides ‘immediate attention’ to matters. ‘Very smart’ practice co-head Daniel Proença Carvalho has a ‘splendid practice’, and recently advised two former directors of Millennium bcp in a €1.3m civil claim. His fellow co-head Tito Arantes Fontes advised a television company on a €6m compensation case, and is advising on a major ICC arbitration. Oporto-based João Anacoreta Correia is also recommended, as is the ‘committed and passionate’ of counsel Sofia Martins, who is ‘very experienced, tough and extremely thorough’.

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ ‘terrific’ litigation group has strong arbitration capabilities, and has experience in IP and white-collar crime disputes. It recently advised PT Comunicações on a €25m dispute and in misdemeanour proceedings relating to an alleged breach of competition rules. Brisa and Banco Comercial Português are also clients. Practice head Frederico Gonçalves Pereira is well reputed, and ‘very detailed and organised’.

ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados lost IP expert César Bessa Monteiro to Pedro Pinto, Bessa Monteiro, Reis, Branco & Associados in 2010, but the recruitment of the experienced litigator Rogério Alves, former president of the Portuguese Bar Association, has boosted the practice. Alves now leads a group specialising in white-collar crime, while the experienced João Nuno Azevedo Neves handles arbitration and contentious tax matters. Benjamim Mendes leads on commercial and labour litigation, while António Moura Portugal represents clients such as Lufthansa in aviation law cases. Luís Filipe Carvalho is the contact for real estate and construction disputes. João Guedes’ clients include Allianz and Santander.

The large, ‘extremely available and professional’ team at Abreu Advogados handles arbitrations and commercial litigation, as well as debt recovery and white-collar criminal cases. Clients especially rate the firm’s value for money. Miguel Castro Pereira leads the team, with the ‘excellent’ Manuel de Andrade Neves and Guilherme Santos Silva also recommended. The group is assisting BPN Imofundos in a €10m arbitration concerning construction work agreements, while shipbuilder Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo remains a key client.

Albuquerque & Associados offers ‘practical and useful advice’ across a broad range of dispute resolution matters, and is noted for its longstanding experience in contentious banking and insurance work. The group advises domestic banks on debt collection, recovery claims, restructuring, and insolvency matters. Other clients include automobile manufacturers, food producers and real estate developers. Practice head Francisco Colaço and associates Dulce Dinis and Leonor de Azevedo Soares are recommended.

Carlos Aguiar, Ferreira de Lima & Associados – Sociedade de Avogados, R.L. handles arbitration, insolvency disputes and commercial litigation, and offers ‘very prudent and reliable advice’. The firm notably represented Lafarge in a civil case brought by Cimpor’s shareholders, and advised a French investor in a case regarding its acquisition of an Oporto wine group. Founding partner Carlos Aguiar is a well-known arbitrator. Tiago Ferreira de Lima displays a ‘high degree of competence’, and recently advised mobile phone operator TMN in arbitration. Nuno Galinha’s ‘solid and technical preparation’ is appreciated by clients, while Maria Roquette Valdez is ‘suitably aggressive in court’, and Maria Sottomayor is also recommended.

A smaller player in the market, Chaves, Roquette, Matos, Azevedo & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, RL has substantial experience in litigation and arbitration, with a focus on contentious tax and employment work, in addition to corporate crime. Henrique Chaves and Gonçalo Roquette are the lynchpins of the group.

FCB&A – F Castelo Branco & Associados’ committed and sizeable team has built up experience across sectors including public law, tax, construction, IP and employment, and also has arbitration capabilities and is especially active in restructuring and debt collection cases. Miguel Castelo Branco leads the team, which acted for Hewlett-Packard in a €37m claim filed by a Portuguese IT company, and for Hotusa in a €9m real estate-related compensation claim. Other clients include Nike, TNT, Indra Sistemas, and domestic banks such as Banco Comercial Português. Rui Tabarra Castro is praised for his expertise.

João Duarte de Sousa leads the team at Garrigues Portugal, which displays a ‘high level of knowledge’, ‘good value for money’, and has notable arbitration capabilities. Sousa is representing Crédito Agrícola Gest in €53m proceedings opposing a tax ruling. General Dynamics Corporation and Grupo Júpiter are also recent clients. Associate Miguel Azevedo is recommended.

Macedo Vitorino & Associados’ disputes team frequently supports the firm’s projects, corporate and banking practices on a range of employment, insolvency and restructuring cases. It successfully represented Erico against a claim made by its former Portuguese distributor, and is also acting for other clients such as ISI, Groundforce and Onitelecom. João Macedo Vitorino heads the team.

Dispute resolution is a busy practice for Marques Mendes & Associados, which has seen an increase in merger control work and enjoys a good reputation for arbitration and employment litigation. The experienced Mário Marques Mendes is recommended.

Sousa Machado, Ferreira da Costa & Associados has a strong emphasis on litigation and a reputation for IP and TMT cases, as well as experience in insolvency matters and debt collection. Practice head and name partner Manuel Ferreira da Costa is recommended.

José Jácome leads the team at AAA, and impresses with his ‘business acumen and prompt responses’. Formed in 2008, the firm is developing its litigation capabilities, and represents clients such as Volkswagen Autoeuropa and Roche Farmacêutica Portugal.

The ‘competent and efficient’ team at Alves Pereira & Teixeira de Sousa handles substantial litigation work, and acts for several insurers and reinsurers in transport accident claims and arbitrations. José Alves Pereira has ‘experience and charisma’, and João Marques de Almeida is recommended for his ‘enthusiasm and practical approach’.

Baião, Castro & Associados, R.L.’s broad practice advises clients on contractual claims, international arbitration, and real estate, tax and insolvency litigation. Ana Paula Matos Martins leads the group, which counts Banco Invest and the Boston Consulting Group on its client roster.

Barrocas Advogados now has a substantially reduced practice following the departure of its key dispute resolution partners, Carlos Soares and Paulo Nogueira da Rocha to Gómez-Acebo & Pombo in 2010. Name partner Manuel Barrocas handles the firm’s contentious work and is primarily noted for his arbitration expertise.

CCA Advogados provides ‘excellent overall service’ for TMT litigation. It also has significant experience advising on insurance litigation, and counts Allianz and Fidelidade Mundial Assistance as regular clients. Carlos Cruz represented Europcar in a €4.5m compensation and damages claim. Senior associate Paulo Calçada heads the team, and is assisted by Rita Cruz.

Arbitration expert Rui Botica Santos runs a very established, specialised sports law practice at Coelho Ribeiro e Associados.

Franco Caiado Guerreiro & Associados has litigation experience in the energy, real estate and finance sectors. Clients include Centrotherm Photovoltaics, Infosistema, ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialities, several international banks, and numerous pharmaceutical companies. João Caiado Guerreiro is the key contact.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo’s team draws on the strengths of Carlos Soares and Paulo Nogueira da Rocha, who joined from Barrocas Advogados. The team is particularly experienced in real estate and construction disputes.

Sílvia Santos Ferreira now leads the disputes practice at Mouteira Guerreiro, Rosa Amaral & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados R.L., following Cristina Penim’s departure to Sousa Guedes, Oliveira Couto & Associados. The team is developing its expertise in real estate litigation, has an active white-collar crime practice, and acts on judicial reviews of decisions made by regulatory bodies such as the Portuguese Securities Market Commission.

Raposo Bernardo had an excellent year representing clients such as retailer Les Mousquetaires (Intermarché) and insurer Tranquilidade. Ana Cláudia Rangel leads the team, and has experience in arbitrations and insolvency proceedings. The group advised Pestana Group on disputes relating to its cross-border investments.