The Legal 500

Employment is a key strength of ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, which assists in litigation, restructurings and collective dismissals. It advised Swissport Group Services on the acquisition of a Portuguese business with 2,000 employees. Other clients include World Bags, Grupo Bernardino Gomes, VW Bank, Lufthansa and ICC Israel Chemicals. The ‘outstanding’ Benjamin Mendes heads the team, which is ‘quick to acknowledge the organisational impact of legal measures’, and praised for its ‘excellent client orientation and quality of information’. João Guedes has ‘sound legal knowledge’, and advised Banco Santander on employee pension claims.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ ‘brilliant’ team is led by the ‘very good’ Luis Miguel Monteiro. It is advising EasyJet on Portuguese employment matters, and representing Pernod Ricard Portugal in litigation. The ‘fantastic and efficient’ Helena Tapp Barroso represents Fujitsu and Parfois. António Emílio de Vasconcelos advised RCS in a case brought by former employees following a collective dismissal after the company’s transfer to China. Senior associates Pedro Pardal Goulão and Maria João da Luz, associate Joana Almeida and Oporto-based consultant Paula Ponces Camanho are also recommended.

PLMJ Law Firm is ‘a top firm for services in the employment arena’. The ‘very insightful and sharp’ Abel Mesquita provides valuable strategic advice, and Tiago Cortes provides ‘very good support in court’. Nuno Guedes Vaz has experience in collective agreements, and advised both Correios e Telecomunicações de Portugal (CTT) and Apifarma in this regard. Oporto-based Manuel Cavaleiro Brandão is recommended for collective dismissal work. The team is praised for its ‘professionalism and accurate responses’.

Another highly rated employment practice, SRS Advogados has notable experience in corporate restructuring and collective dismissals. It continues to advise Galp in collective disputes with trade unions, and to act for Kraft Foods following its restructuring. New clients include Soares da Costa, BPN, Bertelsmann Group and Norgine. ‘Walking encyclopaedia’ César Sá Esteves has ‘solid technical skills’ and ‘a very practical approach’. Maria de Lancastre Valente is a very able associate.

Sérvulo & Associados’ ‘very strong’ practice has an excellent reputation for advising public entities in employment matters, and can handle collective dismissals and personnel restructurings. Pedro Furtado Martins is noted for his ‘fair and reasonable opinions’, and advised PT Comunicações on employment issues during 2011. Tiago Soares Cardoso now works full-time in the tax department.

CMS Rui Pena & Arnaut’ team continues to grow under Susana Afonso Costa, who is ‘proactive in anticipating possible problem situations’, and applies ‘theoretical and practical expertise’ and ‘excellent communication skills’. This ‘results-oriented’ team, which provides ‘responses of a high technical quality’, advised General Optica and Nutricafés on collective dismissals. It also advises several retailers, including Promod and Tie Rack. Associates Sofia Mateus and Madeira-based João Paulo Gomes are also recommended.

The ‘excellent’ Maria da Glória Leitão leads the capable group at Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, which has experience in restructuring and dismissal matters, and counts Indústria de Fibras de Madeira, Wipro Portugal, and Scandinavian Tobacco Group as key clients. Diogo Leote Nobre is advising Universal Music Portugal on personnel restructuring and the subsequent termination of employment contracts in collective dismissal.

FCB&A – F Castelo Branco & Associados’ ‘robust and reliable’ team displays ‘experience and knowledge’ and the ‘flexibility to adjust to clients’ requirements’. The ‘very assertive’ associate Alexandra Almeida Mota handles advisory work, and is praised for her ‘know-how’. Pedro Guimarães manages transactional work. Mota and Guimarães advise Logica on outsourcing and HR issues. The team also acts for Londimo Group and Foot Locker.

Garrigues provides ‘excellent service’ as part of its general advisory support and advice on restructuring and collective dismissals. It continues to advise Faurecia Group and IBM in employment matters. João Paulo Teixeira de Matos is advising the liquidation committee of BPP regarding a collective dismissal following the bank’s insolvency. Associate Rui Valente has ‘great knowledge of employment laws’, and is advising Águas de Porto in proceedings related to changes in its employee pension scheme.

pbbr (Pedro Pinto, Bessa Monteiro, Reis, Branco, Alexandre Jardim & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, R.L) handles employment litigation and general advisory work for clients including Virgin Active, Accenture and Mercer. Inês Reis is recommended along with Bruno Soeiro Barbosa, who advised Motorola on selling Portuguese network business units to Nokia Siemens.

Employment law boutique Saraiva e Sousa, Gomes de Almeida & Associados handles collective dismissal work for domestic clients. João Saraiva e Sousa is a well-known individual, and is able to act for employers or employees.

Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho’s ‘very good’ employment team is led by Filipe Fraústo da Silva, who is recommended for his ‘expertise and seniority’. The team advises on collective dismissals and restructurings, and other contentious employment matters. Clients include Barclays, ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, Nova Delta and Exact Group.

Vieira de Almeida & Associados is ‘a strong team’ with ‘excellent interpersonal skills’, and is recommended for its ‘fast reactions, permanent availability and good success rate’ in contentious and advisory employment work. Litigator Frederico Gonçalves Pereira is advising BES in a lawsuit relating to employee pensions. The ‘very responsive’ managing associate Tiago Piló, who ‘prepares cases well’, advised pharmaceutical company Almirall in a collective redundancy case. He is also advising Deutsche Bank in a cross-border merger project affecting almost 600 employees.

Abreu Advogados’ ‘very professional’ team provides ‘immediate responses’ with ‘excellent legal analysis’, and demonstrates ‘very good knowledge’. Carmo Sousa Machado heads the team, which advises on lay offs, collective dismissals and employment due diligence. Clients include Italian Motor Village, Nithia Capital and Medicam. Marta de Oliveira Pinto Trindade has ‘real practical experience’ and provides ‘excellent support’. Senior associate Patricia Perestrelo is also recommended.

The ‘pragmatic and business-oriented’ team at Albuquerque & Associados is experienced in employment law relating to restructuring and collective dismissals. João Salvador’s team is advising rail company CP (Comboios de Portugal) in restructuring, and Gonçalo Pinto Ferreira's group advised ABB Stotz regarding the collective dismissal of 171 employees at its former factory in Portugal. Other clients of the practice include CUF and Zimmer Orthopaedics.

Franco Caiado Guerreiro & Associados’ ‘technically impeccable’ team advises on contentious employment issues, including collective dismissals. Ricardo Rodrigues Lopes has ‘remarkable technical skills’, and is advising Cintra on employee transfers to a new entity subject to TUPE regulations. ‘Star performer’ João Caiado Guerreiro is ‘a fine strategic thinker’ with ‘impressive in-depth knowledge of the international market’. Guerreiro advised Acision on the termination of employee contracts and compensation of employees following the closure of its office in Portugal. Clients rate the team’s ability to ‘cover challenging tasks in a demanding timeframe’. Senior associate Joana Gomes dos Santos is ‘outstanding’.

Linklaters LLP is recommended for its ‘great work’ in handling contentious issues and restructuring. Nuno Ferreira Lousa has an excellent reputation, and associate Marta Afonso Pereira is also recommended, having recently advised Barclays on the implementation of a bonus plan for its employees in Portugal.

Associate Leonor Francisco, head of the employment practice at AAA advogados, ‘rapidly solves disputes’. The team has clients in the retail, automotive, advertising and real estate industries.

The ‘technically able’ and ‘always available’ team at AVM Advogados has notable niche expertise in Angola and Mozambique. Clients include Nokia Systems Network, Worldwide Consulting and Celsis Farmacêutica. This responsive group displays an ‘international and commercial approach’. António Vicente Marques is ‘particularly good at problem-solving and complex negotiations’, and José Alves do Carmo is also recommended.

The ‘very good’ João Pedro Alves Pereira at Alves Pereira & Teixeira de Sousa, RL advises on employment contracts and dismissal procedures. Clients include Allen System Group, Rentokil International and Initiative Media Group.

CCA Advogados’ team is led by José Maria Castelo Branco. The firm assisted TIMWE in restructuring its board of directors, and advised Transporta on collective dismissals.

Carlos Aguiar, Ferreira de Lima & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, R.L. has experience advising on collective dismissals. Clients include Xerox Portugal and Smith & Nephew. Maria Roquette Valdez and Tiago Ferreira de Lima are ‘very competent’ and ‘understand clients’ business needs’.

Jardim, Sampaio, Magalhães e Silva e Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, RL supports clients in advisory and contentious matters. The team is ‘reliable, robust and flexible’.

Macedo Vitorino & Associados provides ‘compact and business-oriented solutions’ to clients including Louis Vuitton, Exide Tudor and GDF Suez Energia. The ‘very accessible’ Sónia Lopes Ribeiro provides ‘pragmatic advice’ on collective agreements, restructurings and contentious issues.

João Santos heads Miranda Correia Amendoeira & Associados’ strong employment team, which acts for clients such as Accenture and Decathlon.

Raposo Bernardo provides ‘answers to complex legal issues in a timely manner’ and ‘focused and technically solid advice’. The ‘very sound’ Abel Sequeira Ferreira is advising tour operator Terra Brazil on restructuring and the termination of 100 employee contracts. Other clients include Manuel Nunes Cash & Carry and LogicWorks. On the contentious side, Ana Cláudia Rangel ‘never gives up on finding a solution to a problem’.

Inês Pinheiro’s team at Serra Lopes, Cortes Martins & Associados has experience in collective dismissal work and restructurings. Clients include Global Notícias, Portugália and Sovena. Martim Anahory and associate Tiago Pestana de Vasconcelos are recommended.

Teixeira de Freitas, Rodrigues e Associados – Sociedade de Advogados RL has notable experience in Lusophone Africa. Carlos Manuel da Silva Gomes adopts ‘a strategic and careful approach’, underpinned by ‘strong knowledge and skills’. The team takes ‘a pre-emptive attitude towards legal problems’, and advises clients in the automobile, telecoms, aviation and real estate sectors. Ana Sofia Catarino is ‘goal-oriented’ while remaining diplomatic.