The Legal 500

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira’s ‘dedicated and knowledgeable professionals’ are praised for their ‘total availability’ and ‘good technical preparation’ in relation to project finance. The group, led by Diogo Perestrelo, is advising the lenders on the construction financing of the €377m Oriental Lisbon Hospital, and also advising a bank syndicate including Banco Espírito Santo de Investimento on the financing of the Algarve Central Hospital. Perestrelo is also advising Banco Espírito Santo de Investimento on the financing of a photovoltaic power project. Maria João Ricou and Rita Roque de Pinho are also recommended, along with associates Ana Graça Remondes and the ‘highly pragmatic’ Margarida Leal de Oliveira.

Linklaters LLP is ‘one of the best’, and provides an ‘excellent level of service’, coupled with ‘high industry knowledge’. The ‘very good’ Pedro Siza Vieira leads the team, which has experience on projects in Lusophone Africa. Highlights included advising African Development Bank and European Investment Bank on the €60m PPP project for four onshore wind farms in Cape Verde, and also assisting BPI in financing Nova Cimangola’s expansion and modernisation programme. The team is also advising a syndicate of banks on the financing of a shopping centre in Luanda, Angola. The ‘very well prepared’ Francisco Ferraz de Carvalho ‘focuses on the essential matters to optimise the final result’. Managing associates Rita Ferreira dos Santos, Marta Almeida Afonso and Gonçalo Veiga de Macedo are also recommended.

Another leading player in the project finance sphere, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados has renowned experience, particularly in renewable energy. Luís Branco advised EBRD on financing a Romanian wind farm, and represented Águas de Cascais in financing a wastewater treatment concession. Filipe Lowndes Marques advised BCP on the financing of a wind farm in Vila Real, and advised a syndicate of 11 banks on upgrading Iberwind’s Lagoa Funda wind farm. Senior associate Pedro Gorjão Henriques is also recommended.

Clients praise Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho’s ‘excellent technical preparation’. The team is advising Cintra and Euroscut on the implementation of new management and a financial model for the conversion of a €500m shadow toll motorway into a real toll motorway. The ‘pragmatic and knowledgeable’ Bernardo Diniz de Ayala represents Banco BPI and BES. Pedro Ferreira Malaquias is also recommended, as is Antonio Villacampa Serrano, who is advising Artenius Sines on the financing of a chemicals factory.

The ‘very good’ Vieira de Almeida & Associados advises banks and corporate clients from many sectors. It is advising Caixa Banco de Investimento and Caixa Geral de Depósitos on the financing, installation and operation of a chemicals factory in Sines. Other clients include Elos, Brisa and Energia Própria. The knowledgeable Manuel Protásio, Vanda Cascão and Paulo de Barros Baptista are recommended, as are senior associate Frederico Quintela and managing associate Teresa Empis Falcão, who has a ‘businesslike approach to legal issues’.

Miranda Correia Amendoeira & Associados provides ‘prompt, efficient and accurate’ advice to clients, including the European Investment Bank. It has ‘excellent knowledge’ of the Angolan market, and a superb reputation for its work across Lusophone Africa. Alberto Galhardo Simões is recommended.

PLMJ Law Firm has solid experience across all levels of the team. Recent highlights include advising Cimpor on financing agreements pertaining to its acquisition of Mozambican cement company CINAC. Pedro Melo is highly rated, and associate Inês Pinto da Costa is recommended for her ‘excellent availability’ and ‘good knowledge’ of renewables. Costa advised PV Loiral on the €14m financing of a photovoltaic power facility.

The projects practice at Sérvulo & Associados has ‘expertise and experience in public law and PPPs’. The group, led by the ‘very client-focused’ Lino Torgal, is singled out for infrastructure work, and counts Ascendi, TERTIR – Terminais de Portugal, and Parpública as clients. Mark Kirkby is ‘experienced and creative’, and associate Maria Zagallo is ‘bright and hardworking’. The team is ‘good at the negotiating table’.

ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados has solid capabilities. Nuno Azevedo Neves and associate Bruno Azevedo Rodrigues advised Banca Comerciala Romana on two separate facilities to finance a €40m wind farm and a biofuels project, both in Romania. The team is advising the Municipality of Portimão on PPP projects. Associate João Pedro Varandas is also recommended.

Esquivel Advogados’ ‘excellent’ name partner José Luís Esquível is advising Lloyds Bank on a joint venture with Somague to tender for the new Lisbon central hospital.

Raposo Bernardo has an excellent reputation for its expertise in Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde. The ‘extremely knowledgeable’ Nelson Raposo Bernardo is ‘intelligent and poised’, and ‘one of the best negotiators around’. It advised Martifer Group on the financing of a photovoltaic plant in Cape Verde. Other clients include Soares da Costa Group and Viva Power. Joana Andrade Correia provides ‘quick and effective reasoning’ to solve complex problems.

SRS Advogados’ projects practice features public law partner José Luís Moreira da Silva and finance expert Alexandra Maia de Loureiro. The team maintains a focus on infrastructure projects, where clients include Estradas de Portugal and Société Générale.

Dulce Franco and Gabriela Rodrigues Martins head the projects team at AAA advogados. Vitor Pereira das Neves advised ENEOP on project finance for a second group of wind farms (part of a 40-site programme). The team also continues to advise Generg Group. Associate Anabela Gonçalves Ferreira is also recommended.

Abreu Advogados provides ‘magnificent insight into power generation projects’, and the team has ‘exceptional knowledge of Portuguese law and institutional issues’. It is advising the government of Madeira, the Municipality of Oporto and BES Group. Miguel Castro Pereira, Sofia Santos Machado and Manuel de Andrade Neves all adopt a ‘proactive, practical and reliable approach’. Clients praise the firm’s ‘noteworthy ability to bring together multidisciplinary teams with their specialist know-how’.

Albuquerque & Associados’ niche lies in its transport sector expertise. Alexandre de Albuquerque is advising Companhia do Porto da Castanheira on the financing and construction of an inland waterway port project, and also assisting Tersado and Sadoport on the port terminals concession in Setúbal.

At Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, Albano Sarmento and Jorge Santiago Neves handle project finance work for banks. Senior associate Teresa Baptista is recommended.

António de Macedo Vitorino leads the team at Macedo Vitorino & Associados, which is advising Banco Espírito Santo de Investimento regarding the Lisbon harbour concession granted to Silopor. Associate André Vasques Dias is recommended.