The Legal 500

‘Clearly number one’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares Da Silva & Associados is lauded by many as ‘the best’ firm in Oporto. ‘Legal genius’ and capital markets specialist Carlos Osório de Castro formed part of the team that advised Banco Commercial Português (Millennium BCP) on its €1.3bn offering of new ordinary shares. Meanwhile, competition expert Joaquim Vieira Peres assisted key client Sonae Distribuiçao with filing the proposed acquisition of Carrefour before the PCA. António Lobo Xavier is considered a ‘tax guru’, contributing to the team a wealth of financial know-how. Although closely linked to its Lisbon counterpart, the Oporto office caters to a number of local clients, including several international football stars.

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira remains one of Oporto’s leading firms. At 25 fee-earners and three partners, the Oporto office is very much stand-alone and full-service, with particular specialism in corporate and M&A, labour, tax, public law and litigation. The firm is expanding its presence in the energy sector, whilst also focusing on healthcare services clients. Serving small-to-medium sized companies, the team provides ongoing advice to a number of highly coveted local players. José de Freitas has been with the Oporto office since 1989, and is regarded by many as a ‘good, strong lawyer’.

Considered by clients ‘the strongest local firm’, Telles De Abreu E Associados – Sociedade De Advogados RL is home to some 40 fee-earners, 11 of which are partners. The firm’s main focus areas include corporate and M&A, labour, real estate, tax, and public law, while its strengths in dispute resolution, including arbitration, are noteworthy. Name partner Luis Telles de Abreu is very well-regarded, while managing partner Miguel Carvalho, commercial practitioner Carlos Lucena, public law expert Miguel Torres and leading litigator Alberto Amorim Pereira are likewise recommended.

Headed by João Anacoreta Correira, the Oporto office of Uría Menéndez fields 15 fee-earners. Main areas of focus include corporate and M&A, real estate, employment, tax and litigation, with shipping matters taking increasing prevalence. The Oporto office is also carving a reputation in the health sector, having advised Unilabs for many years. The team recently acted for Euronete in the purchase of the remaining 40% share capital of Quintas & Quintas Offshore Sistemas de Amarração, after having advised on the purchase of a 60% stake the year previously. Described as a ‘nice group of professionals’, the team is quickly becoming one of Oporto’s strongest.

Cavaleiro Brandão, Pinheiro Torres, Cabral, Sousa e Silva e Associados is regarded as a key player in the corporate and commercial arena, whilst also known for its knowledge of employment law and litigation proceedings. Name partner Manuel Cavaleiro Brandão has built a ‘fantastic reputation’ as one of Oporto’s leading employment lawyers, while Carlos Maria Pinheiro Torres is renowned for his arbitration expertise. The firm advises both international and domestic clients drawn from a range of sectors, including hospitality, electronics and transportation.

GARRIGUES PORTUGAL, S.L. – Sucursal has significantly expanded its Oporto presence, having grown from eight to 18 lawyers over the past two years. The Oporto office is best known for providing top-notch tax advice, though it also offers corporate, labour, real estate and litigation services. Key instructions are drawn from the industrial manufacturing, maritime and health sectors, with a number of mid-sized local banks forming part of its client roster. Miguel Reis is the firm’s only resident partner.

Numbering 50 fee-earners, JPAB – José Pedro Aguiar-Branco & Associados, RL is led by ‘market leader’ José Pedro Aguiar-Branco. Manuel Veiga de Faria and his firm recently became associates of JPAB, helping to strengthen its TMT department. Known for its team of ‘very good litigators’, the Oporto office boasts knowledge of debt and credit collection, banking, real estate, labour and environment and energy matters, in addition to its overall corporate and commercial expertise.

Joaquim Taveira da Fonseca is spearheaded by name partner, Joaquim Taveira de Fonseca, described as a ‘truly excellent lawyer’. Best known for its ‘very strong’ corporate litigation capabilities, the firm is likewise equipped to advice on banking, public law, civil law and insurance matters, with Paulo Mendes and Gomes da Mota, Guedes da Costa, Pinto Ferreira and Araújo Correia each noted for their respective strengths in these areas.

Led by the ‘very good’ Tomás Pessanha, PLMJ – A. M. Pereira, Sáragga Leal, Oliveira Martins, Júdice e Associados Sociedade de Advogados, RL’s Oporto office is best known for its corporate, public law and litigation capabilities. The team recently assisted with setting up a joint venture between Resultactual and Época, also advising on the subsequent acquisition of ALSA Group’s Portuguese subsidiaries. The team also advised Linpac Iberoamericana on its full acquisition of Ovarpack – Embalagens. The Oporto office boasts ten senior lawyers who work closely with the offices of Manuel Rebanda, Pereira Monteiro & Associados, in Coimbra, and Gama Lobo & Teixeira e Melo, in Guimarães, with which the firm has joint venture agreements.

Boutique firm Silva Lopes, Pessanha, Mesquita, Costa Leite, Queiroz specialises in corporate and M&A matters, as well as administrative, labour and civil law. This five-partner office, described as having ‘incredibly good, sharp lawyers’, has traditionally been regarded as having one of Oporto’s most high-calibre client portfolios, comprising domestic and international companies, banks and financial institutions. The firm specialises in the Port wine industry, having recently acted on the sale and purchase of a Port wine company. The team is also active in the energy sector, and this year advised a Portuguese client on the purchase of an eolic energy company, as well as assisting a Spanish client with a €400m chemical production project in Portugal. High-net-worth families regularly instruct the firm to advise on large-value transactions. Corporate practitioner Pedro Pessanha is the firm’s best-known partner, while Francisco Costa Leite and Pedro Mesquita are also recommended.

Abreu Advogados was recently joined by three new partners, including Paulo de Tarso Domingue, strengthening the firm’s company law practice. Under the direction of Rui Peixoto Duarte, also the firm’s overall head of real estate, the Oporto office now houses 18 fee-earners. The past year has seen a growing focus on corporate and M&A work, real estate matters and litigation. A significant proportion of the firm’s clients are pan-European.

F. Castelo Branco & Associados’s Oporto team undertakes a significant amount of corporate and M&A work, with key clients including Casais, Sardinha & Leite, Banco Espirito Santo and Banif. The team recently advised a private Irish investment group on the simultaneous €110m acquisition of three commercial and residential buildings in Oporto.

Lopes Cardoso & Associados has a longstanding, traditional presence in the Oporto market, with name partner Augusto Lopes Cardoso putting the firm’s name on the map. The firm is best known for its strong corporate and commercial practice, regularly advising to a number of local clients. The firm also boasts sound experience in contentious matters.

Miguel Veiga, Neiva Santos & Associados owes much of its strong reputation to the capabilities of the ‘very well-known, very charming’ Miguel Veiga. Possessing ‘excellent’ knowledge of dispute resolution, Luís Neiva Santos, Nuno Aguiar Branco, Adriano Encarnação and Valdemar Pereira da Silva are among the firm’s most highly sought practitioners.

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ Oporto office is led by Tiago Amorim, and offers services in corporate, contentious, real estate, public law and tax matters. Clients appreciate the seamless link with its Lisbon office, and thus far, the firm has enjoyed great success in carving a strong local presence. Clients include BCP, BPI and Sonae.