The Legal 500

‘One of the best for IP’, CMS maintains a ‘top-notch and international’ practice. The ‘commercially minded and approachable’ José Luís Arnaut has ‘impressive legal knowledge’, and manages all IP litigation for L’Oréal in Portugal. ‘A first-choice practitioner in Portugal’, Arnaut leads a team which ‘analyses every subject in deep detail’. Among the associates, João Leitão Figueiredo is ‘a very qualified professional’, and Manuel Gil Fernandes and Hugo Monteiro de Queirós provide ‘a good-quality service’ and ‘always respect deadlines’. Cristina Gouveia de Carvalho is praised for her ‘initiative, know-how and speedy responses’. Technical consultant Miguel Quintans is ‘very responsive and competent’. Clients include PT, EDP and Richemont Group, and the team is involved in several arbitrations involving generic pharmaceuticals.

Providing ‘very quick and professional responses’, Garrigues has an ‘excellent’ IP practice. With a ‘strategic manner’ and ‘great experience’, João Miranda de Sousa led in advising Pêra-Grave on an injunction procedure brought against the company in a trade mark case. Senior associate Isabel Bairrão has ‘very good’ knowledge of IP enforcement, and associate Francisca Ferreira Pinto is also recommended.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ team is led by António Pinto Leite and Tomás Vaz Pinto, who has ‘profound knowledge’. The group provides ‘extremely sound and straightforward advice on complex issues’, and has a strong track record in contentious patent work. Leite continues to represent Pfizer in over 150 proceedings filed against generic drug companies, and Pinto is advising Nintendo of Europe on IP and media law issues in Portugal. Other clients include Philips IP and Champagne Louis Roederer. Associate Vasco Stilwell d’Andrade is also recommended.

‘One of the most impressive firms for IP matters’, pbbr (Pedro Pinto, Bessa Monteiro, Reis, Branco, Alexandre Jardim & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, R.L) fields ‘star lawyer’ César Bessa Monteiro, who is ‘an intimidating and effective negotiator’ and ‘an excellent communicator’. Highlights included acting for Estée Lauder, Visa International and Boehringer Ingelheim in respective trade mark prosecution cases, and for Nestlé in an unfair competition case. César Bessa Monteiro Jr is also recommended, together with ‘very responsive’ senior associate Ricardo Henriques.

‘One of the best IP lawyers’, Manuel Lopes Rocha leads PLMJ Law Firm’s ‘professional, efficient and dedicated’ team. Obtaining ‘effective results for clients’ and praised for her ‘deep understanding and listening skills’, Ana Teresa Pulido successfully represented Perrier in trade mark litigation. Other recent work for the team includes assisting with injunctions relating to the seizure of unlicensed software. Senior associate Paula Martinho da Silva is also recommended.

The ‘accessible and responsible’ team at Vieira de Almeida & Associados has ‘unrivalled knowledge of the pharmaceutical sector’. Singled out for his ‘excellent strategic skills’, António de Magalhães Cardoso continues to assist Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, AstraZeneca, and Merck in patent enforcement litigation. Senior associate Ana Falcão Afonso is also recommended.

‘Very good in every aspect’, IP boutique BMA – Baptista, Monteverde & Associados ‘really stands out in Portugal’, and is ‘a very good choice in the European IP arena’. The ‘extremely skilled’ duo of Filipe Teixeira Baptista and Paulo Monteverde are ‘brilliant’ and ‘very responsive’. The team successfully represented VF Corporation on behalf of the Eastpak brand in a trade mark infringement case against hypermarket chain Continente.

Caiado Guerreiro’s ‘very proactive and flexible’ team provides ‘clear, accurate and honest advice’. The ‘reliable and trustworthy’ Ricardo Costa Macedo is representing GlaxoSmithKline and Abbott Laboratories in patent infringement litigation associated with the generics companies case in Portugal. Senior associate Tânia Pinheiro and associate Nelson Meireles Azevedo are also recommended.

Maria da Glória Leitão now leads the IP team at Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira following Carlos de Almeida Sampaio’s departure for an in-house position. Universal Music is a key client, particularly for copyright matters. The firm also advised BMW on trade mark and design infringement. Senior associate Sónia Queiroz Vaz is recommended.

At FCB&A – F Castelo Branco & Associados, Nuno Cadima Oliveira continues to advise Logica on trade mark, patent and copyright filing and litigation. The firm is also noted for advising on IP protection in Angola.

Linklaters LLP has strength in IP litigation and in the pharmaceutical sector. Carlos Pinto Correia continues to represent Pfizer in several cases against generics producers relating to patent protection. The team also advised FIFA and UEFA on IP protection in Portugal. Shire Pharma was a new client in 2012.

ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados’ team is led by João Costa Quinta, and includes associates Carmina Cardoso, Ana Mira Cordeiro and Margarida Leitão Nogueira. Representative clients include Eli Lilly and Cisco.

Abreu Advogados’ team is led by counsel João Veiga Gomes and senior associate João Gonçalves de Assunção. Its highlights included advising TMG Automotive on trade mark protection and patenting, and Micros-Fidelio Software Portugal Unipessoal on software licensing. Armando Martins Ferreira is also recommended.

Raposo Bernardo’s ‘prestigious’ team is led by the ‘excellent’ Carolina Coelho da Silva and Sonia das Neves Serafim. It provides ‘fast responses’ and demonstrates ‘excellent knowledge’, advising clients in the transport, finance and real estate sectors, among others. It advised South African Airways on brand registration, and assisted Stanley Black & Decker with IP matters in Angola.

SRS Advogados provides ‘clear and complete advice’. An ‘excellent lawyer’, Octávio Castelo Paulo is advising Croudcare and PrataStudio on the worldwide protection of their IP rights. Paulo is also advising Antiga Confeitaria de Belém on the international registration of its trade mark. Litigator José Carlos Soares Machado is recommended, along with managing associate Raquel Cuba Martins.

Serra Lopes, Cortes Martins & Associados advises on licensing, databasing and software matters, and also handles IP litigation. Senior associate Maria Alexandra Almendra acts for clients including Nutrigreen, Sportinvest Multimédia, and Kiluva.

‘Very good on all levels’, Sérvulo & Associados has very strong experience in copyright matters. RTP remains a key client. João Saúde now leads the team, following the departures of Fernando Ferreira Pinto and senior associate Rui Simões. Of counsel Patrícia Akester joined in 2011.

At Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho, Francisco Brito e Abreu advises on trade mark licensing, prosecution and infringement. Senior associate Jacinto de Bettencourt left for an in-house position.

Belén Granados at Alves Pereira & Teixeira de Sousa, RL advised a Spanish television production company and a UK-based counterpart on copyright and IP issues.

At CCA Advogados, Martim Menezes advises Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus on registering trade marks in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Associate Filipe Mayer is representing Joseph Joseph in a copyright infringement case.

Leonor Chastre’s team at Gómez-Acebo & Pombo is advising Giorgio Armani on trade marks, and Flying Sharks on copyright, trade marks and advertising.

Helga Lopes Ribeiro at MGRA & Associados acts for clients including Hotusa Group and Clinical Solutions International.

Macedo Vitorino & Associados counts Sony Pictures and NBC Universal Global Networks España among its clients. António de Macedo Vitorino advises on licensing and distribution contracts.