The Legal 500

Linklaters LLP combines its ‘highly professional standards’ with the ‘deep knowledge’ of Carlos Pinto Correia, who has ‘great EU and competition skills’. The team advised Johnson & Johnson in proceedings brought by the Portuguese Competition Authority (PCA) relating to an alleged cartel of six pharmaceutical companies, and advised Infineon as a former shareholder of Qimonda Portugal on state aid issues. The team is also advising Secil on its acquisition of Lafarge’s ready-mix cement business in Portugal. Maria Tavares de Pina is also recommended.

Boutique firm Marques Mendes & Associados features Mário Marques Mendes and Pedro Vilarinho Pires, who, as ‘one of the best national experts on competition matters’, is recommended for his ‘accurate research and knowledge’. The group advised ETE on merger control issues regarding the public bid for the Port of Lisbon’s provision of services concession. It is also assisting Barraqueiro with merger control issues relating to its acquisition of a stake in Metro Sul do Tejo, and advising broadcaster RTP on state aid issues following the company’s financial restructuring. The European Commission is also a client.

The ‘extremely competent, reliable and responsive’ Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados advises on antitrust matters, investigations, advisory work, and merger control, and on EU law before the EU courts. Carlos Botelho Moniz can ‘fix very difficult problems’, and is advising television broadcaster SIC in an annulment action, and representing Cerealis Moagens and Cerealis Produtos Alimentares in an antitrust case before the PCA relating to the alleged alignment of flour price lists. The team also assisted Hendrix Genetics with a merger filing. Joaquim Vieira Peres and Margarida Rosado da Fonseca are recommended, as are senior associates Pedro de Gouveia e Melo, Eduardo Maia Cadete and Gonçalo Machado Borges.

PLMJ Law Firm has an excellent reputation, and José Luís da Cruz Vilaça is currently advising several EU associations and companies in the processed fruit and vegetable sector in an action to annul an EU Commission article and regulation. In December 2010, the team concluded a case advising the Czech Republic in a €66m ICC arbitration over state aid laws applied to a bank bailout. Ricardo Oliveira has ‘good business sense’ and ‘excellent reactivity’, and is ‘very able to respond to the needs of in-house counsel’. Oliveira is advising Glintt and Eurest in separate appeals against infringement decisions by the PCA.

‘A true business partner of the client’, SRS Advogados handles state aid and merger control cases, and enforcement, compliance and investigations work. Gonçalo Anastácio has ‘astonishing knowledge of European legal matters’, and is ‘becoming a rainmaker’. Anastácio advised Galp in a state aid case for European Commission approval of its €1.5bn refineries expansion project. This ‘efficient and effective’ group is also representing new client ECS Capital in obtaining PCA clearance for its acquisition of MIF, and acted in the first abuse of dominance case ruling by a Portuguese court. Other clients include Sumol+Compal and Portuguese government entities.

‘Undoubtedly one of the best in competition law’, Vieira de Almeida & Associados continued its expansion in 2011 by recruiting two lawyers from Abreu Advogados, including Miguel Mendes Pereira. Nuno Ruiz has ‘an outstanding reputation’ and a ‘very deep understanding of the industry and clients’ needs’. He is advising Correios de Portugal on a competition law compliance programme, and representing PT in a European Commission investigation into anti-competitive practices. This ‘very effective and full-service’ team also advises on merger notifications, and has notable expertise in the pharmaceutical sector.

Frederico Pereira Coutinho heads Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira’s team, which plays a key role in supporting the firm’s top-end corporate practice. In 2011, Coutinho advised Compañia Española de Petróleos on competition law relating to its acquisitions of Chevron España and Chevron Estaciones de Servicio. The team is assisting Cogeco Cable in an abuse of dominant position claim brought against ZON Multimédia. António Vitorino is recommended, as are associates Ana Kéri and Rita Leandro Vasconcelos.

Garrigues is ‘a great firm with fantastic lawyers in competition law’. João Paulo Teixeira de Matos leads the group, which advises on merger control, antitrust issues, and other competition matters. It acted for Fertiberia on PCA merger filing regarding its acquisition of Sociedade Nova, and is antitrust adviser to IBM. Other key clients include A. Silva & Silva, BioMérieux, Kraft Foods and flight booker Amadeus.

Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho provides ‘a very good service’ and ‘a high level of commitment’ across merger control, antitrust, cartel cases, and competition work. Joaquim Caimoto Duarte is advising Companhia Previdente and Socitrel in two appeal cases before the General Court of the European Union against a €12.5m fine imposed by the EC for cartel involvement. It also advised SC Johnson on a merger control filing regarding its acquisition of Sara Lee Corporation’s pest control business. Senior associate Tânia Luísa Faria is recommended.

ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados has ‘very good knowledge of Portuguese and EU institutions and laws’, and provides ‘prompt and qualitative answers’ and ‘sound advice’ to clients including JTI, Lufthansa, and Servisair. ‘Brilliant professional’ António Moura Portugal has ‘vast experience’, and is ‘very collaborative and proactive’. Portugal is advising Logista on competition restrictions concerning its restructuring.

The ‘very professional and accurate’ Armando Martins Ferreira leads Abreu Advogados’ team, following Miguel Mendes Pereira’s move to Vieira de Almeida & Associados in 2011. The team provides clients with ‘strategic vision’ and ‘fast answers’. It is advising Dayton Progress on competition issues, and assisting Staples in a lawsuit brought by a Toshiba distributor in an alleged abuse of economic dependence case. The group is ‘expert in the funerary sector’, where its clients include Servilusa and the Associação Portuguesa dos Profissionais do Sector Funerário.

The ‘very professional’ Albuquerque & Associados handles merger control, competition compliance and cartel cases. The ‘very responsive and pragmatic’ António de Mendonça Raimundo is representing industrial chemical group CUF on competition issues before the PCA and the Spanish Competition Authority concerning the sale of part of its business to Fertiberia. Other clients include Novatel Wireless and Tech Data. Associate Miriam Brice is also recommended.

Raposo Bernardo provides ‘accurate advice’, and advises clients from the pharmaceuticals, health, construction and tourism sectors. Sofia Ferreira Enriquez, who is ‘brilliant in court’, is advising Menarini in a price-fixing dispute with the PCA. The team advised Euro Atlantic Airways on competition issues regarding its acquisition of a tourism company.

Serra Lopes, Cortes Martins & Associados fields the vastly experienced Miguel Pena Machete, who represented media market research company Marktest in a claim before the PCA, and also advised ECS – Sociedade de Capital de Risco on merger notification. Other clients include Sport TV Portugal, Madre and Sovena.

Sérvulo & Associados’ excellent reputation is largely due to Miguel Gorjão-Henriques, who regularly assists government ministries in state aid and other cases before the European Commission. The team is representing Controlinvest in a PCA merger notification case.

FCB&A – F Castelo Branco & Associados’ team is led by associate Pedro Alves da Silva, with Gonçalo da Cunha also active in the arena. Highlights included advising Medinfar on competition issues relating to its acquisition of a dermatological products business, and successfully advising Sugalidal in regulatory offence proceedings brought by the PCA.

Franco Caiado Guerreiro & Associados’ ‘very effective’ team acts for clients such as Holquadros, BioMérieux, Novo Nordisk and Medinfotec. The ‘responsive, user-friendly and pragmatic’ Ricardo Rodrigues Lopes advised Aviagen on a notification relating to its acquisition of a poultry company.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo’s competition experience includes the petrochemicals, mining and energy sectors. It advises on competition issues before the PCA for clients such as Equinox Minerals and Harley-Davidson España. Jorge Santiago Neves and senior associate Diogo Coutinho de Gouveia are recommended.

Macedo Vitorino & Associados advises clients, including Lafarge, Onitelecom and CentraCom, on competition law issues. António de Macedo Vitorino is the main contact.