The Legal 500

The ‘extremely good’ CMS Rui Pena & Arnaut provides ‘detailed and constructive answers’ to clients in the pharmaceuticals, telecoms, energy and real estate industries. José Luís Arnaut is ‘a pillar of the firm’: he is ‘a rainmaker’ in IP, providing ‘rapid and effective solutions’, and is ‘technically superb’ for patent work, with ‘profound trade mark expertise’. The team manages the IP portfolios of PT, Dan Cake and Unicer Group, and also acts for Portucel, Chamartín Imobiliária and Galp in IP cases. Senior associates Cristina Gouveia de Carvalho and João Paulo Mioludo are ‘excellent professionals’.

Garrigues displays ‘unique expertise that goes far beyond a local approach’, with experience in data protection, licensing agreements, and trade mark filing and prosecution. João Miranda de Sousa now heads the team following Gonçalo da Cunha Ferreira’s departure to Brazil. He shows ‘extraordinary concern for clients’ issues’, and is advising Kartell in bringing a copyright infringement case relating to designer furniture. Other clients include Nabeiro Group, Experian España and MANN+HUMMEL. Senior associate Isabel Bairrão is ‘professional and friendly’, and ‘excellent’ in IP disputes. Associates Francisca Ferreira Pinto and Paula Veiga are also recommended.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is recommended for IP transactions, and also particularly for patent enforcement and copyright issues. Leading on the transactional side, Tomás Vaz Pinto provides ‘extremely sound and straightforward advice on complex IP issues’. Pinto is advising Euronext Lisbon on copyright and trade mark matters, and advised EDP on patent licensing and IP rights. António Pinto Leite is advising Pfizer in over 150 legal challenges brought against generic drug companies as part of Pfizer’s patent rights protection programme, and is assisting Philips IP in litigation against counterfeiters. Consultant Vasco Stilwell d’Andrade is also recommended.

pbbr (Pedro Pinto, Bessa Monteiro, Reis, Branco, Alexandre Jardim & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, R.L)’s IP reputation is largely due to leading practitioner César Bessa Monteiro, who is well supported by César Bessa Monteiro Jr and senior associate Ricardo Henriques. The group is advising the Four Seasons hotel group on licensing matters, and also advising fashion company Sacoor on trade mark protection in the EU, Brazil, Dubai and China. The group also advises Calvin Klein, Vodafone and Cisco on counterfeiting matters, and represents Sony Music in all its IP and entertainment issues.

PLMJ Law Firm’s ‘very responsive’ team fields ‘a variety of specialists’, including Manuel Lopes Rocha, who is ‘one of the best lawyers for authoring rights’. Rocha continues to advise Cimpor on IP issues and patents abroad, and is representing Microsoft in several enforcement cases. The team has experience in copyright infringement cases. Other clients include Warner Bros, Autodesk and Nokia. Senior associate Paula Martinho da Silva is also recommended.

Vieira de Almeida & Associados has a wealth of IP knowledge, particularly in contentious cases and patent work for the pharmaceuticals industry. The ‘very bright’ António de Magalhães Cardoso is ‘one of the best lawyers’ for trade mark and patent issues, and managing associate Ana Falcão Afonso is recommended. It represented Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim Portugal, and Novartis in patent disputes. It is also assisting a leading consumer computer and electronics company on trade mark enforcement and design rights.

At Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, the ‘accessible’ Carlos de Almeida Sampaio is a ‘very good coordinator’. He is advising Universal Music on copyright and other IP matters, and assisting Sportingbet on the Portuguese legal framework relating to online gaming. The team is advising Vertex Pharmaceutical on trade mark protection in Europe and Portugal, and also representing Getty Images on copyright and digital media issues. Associate Inês de Sá is ‘flexible, quick and resolute’, and acts for Sony Entertainment.

FCB&A – F Castelo Branco & Associados notably advises clients on IP protection in Angola. Nuno Cadima Oliveira represents Logica in matters including trade mark and patent advice and related litigation.

Franco Caiado Guerreiro & Associados provides ‘good and focused answers’ on contentious IP cases, trade marks, patents and data protection. The team has notable pharmaceuticals experience, and acts for Orion Corporation, Abbott Laboratories and Eli Lilly. The team is advising Albuquerque Designers on trade mark protection, and SMA Solar Technology in a name registration matter. Senior associate Tânia Pinheiro gives ‘quick and reasoned advice’, and is recommended along with practice head Ricardo Costa Macedo.

ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados provides ‘swift responses’, ‘extremely pragmatic advice’ and ‘good value for money’. The team has recovered well following several departures in 2010, and is now headed by the ‘experienced’ João Costa Quinta. Associates Carmina Cardoso and Margarida Leitão Nogueira are ‘very skilled’, and Ana Mira Cordeiro is notable as a regulatory expert. The team is advising Calvin Klein, Eli Lilly and Cisco on trade mark counterfeiting issues.

Abreu Advogados’ ‘outstanding’ corporate partner Miguel Castro Pereira, together with associate João Gonçalves de Assunção, recently assisted Planeta Azul in trade mark protection work, patents and licensing issues in Portugal and Brazil. Armando Martins Ferreira is also advising Staples on trade mark, copyright and protection matters. Leonor Chastre’s move to Gómez-Acebo & Pombo in 2011 was a blow.

IP boutique BMA – Baptista, Monteverde & Associados provides ‘a superior level of service in a professionally supportive environment’. Having been formed in 2008, it provides specialist advice on patent litigation, trade mark infringement, copyright, software licensing and other IP issues. The ‘very responsive and straightforward’ Filipe Teixeira Baptista and Paulo Monteverde have ‘extensive knowledge’ and ‘significant litigation experience’. Clients include Eastpack, Helsinn Healthcare and Budweiser Budvar National Corporation. The group also has ‘deep understanding of the Portuguese pharmaceutical sector’.

Martim Menezes’ team at CCA Advogados advises on IP rights, including trade mark registration and disputes. The team advises Rede Record Europa de Televisão on all trade mark registrations. Associate Filipe Mayer is assisting Condé Nast in bringing a copyright infringement case against another magazine relating to its Glamour magazine.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo joins the ranking following the recruitment of Leonor Chastre from Abreu Advogados to head up its new IP practice.

Linklaters LLP’s Carlos Pinto Correia leads a team, which is experienced in patents and related litigation, trade mark registrations and enforcement work. Pfizer remains a client, and the team recently advised Mastercard on a licensing agreement with the Portuguese government. Associates Marta Cruz de Almeida and Diogo Plantier Santos are recommended, the latter particularly for his ‘excellent advice and availability’.

MGRA & Associados handles licensing, software protection, copyright, domain names, litigation and enforcement. Helga Lopes Ribeiro acts for Critical Health, Velti and TemaHome.

Macedo Vitorino & Associados has experience in software protection work, trade marks and IP rights contracts. It is advising Electronic Arts and Konami Digital Entertainment SGPS on games distribution contracts, and assisting Fox with several trade mark registrations. António de Macedo Vitorino is the main contact.

Raposo Bernardo provides ‘technical reliability’ and ‘strategic legal advice’. The ‘very professional’ Alexandra Pereira dos Reis is advising Petchey Leisure Hotels and Resorts on the protection of its Oura Beach brand. The team is advising South African Airways on brand protection in Angola and Cape Verde. Carolina Coelho da Silva joined from an investment bank in October 2010.

SRS Advogados advises on trade marks and domain names, and on patent registrations, infringements and licensing, copyright protection and IP litigation. The team provides ‘timely and clear responses’, and advises Mobizapp on trade mark filing, prosecution and infringement. It is advising Sumol+Compal on IP rights. Octávio Castelo Paulo and managing associate Raquel Cuba Martins are ‘excellent lawyers with full knowledge of IP matters’.

At Serra Lopes, Cortes Martins & Associados, senior associate Maria Alexandra Almendra advises on IP protection, enforcement, and trade mark and patent licensing. Clients include Sportinveste Multimédia, Nutrigreen, Radio Notícias – Produções e Publicidade, and Publicidade de Portugal e Televisão.

Sérvulo & Associados advises corporate clients on IP matters including data protection, copyright and software licensing. Senior associate Rui Simões is advising the Universidade Católica Portuguesa on data protection and trade mark issues, and Fernando Ferreira Pinto advises RTP on copyright, licensing, and infringement cases.

At Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho, senior associate Jacinto de Bettencourt recently provided Commerzbank with trade mark registration advice. Other clients include Grandvision and Cisco.