The Legal 500

‘One of the best firms in Portugal for project finance,’ Linklaters LLP demonstrates ‘significant business acumen’ and offers ‘superior service’. Pedro Siza Vieira, an ‘excellent team leader’ who is ‘good at everything he does’, continues to advise Insitec Group as sponsor of the Nacala Corridor rail and port project between Mozambique and Malawi. This ‘dynamic’ practice is also active in projects in Angola and Cape Verde. The group’s clients include BPI, European Investment Bank and African Development Bank, as well as several leading consortia. The ‘open-minded’ Francisco Ferraz de Carvalho has a ‘pragmatic and client-oriented attitude’, while managing associate Rita Ferreira dos Santos is ‘excellent’, and associate Marta Almeida Afonso has ‘very good personal skills and strong knowledge’.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is a ‘top name’ in project finance, with practice head Luís Branco enjoying a superb reputation as regular adviser to major Portuguese banks. The ‘excellent’ energy expert Filipe Lowndes Marques advised Banco Espírito Santo on the €30.25m construction, installation and operation of a wind farm in Cinfães. Marques also assisted EIB Facilities on financing for a portfolio of 23 wind farms. Banco Santander Investment, BPI and Caixa – Banco de Investimento are also clients.

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ project finance team is ‘up there with the best’, and is particularly notable for its considerable expertise advising on transport infrastructure PPPs and financing transactions. Recent highlights include advising Elos as the winning consortium on the bid for the €1.45bn high-speed railway PPP. In early 2010, the team also advised a consortium of banks on the 15-year financing of a wind farm development in Portugal. Manuel Protásio is knowledgeable and experienced, and Vanda Cascão and Paulo de Barros Baptista are also recommended.

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira remains one of the frontrunners for project finance work in Portugal, attracting high-profile instructions. Diogo Perestrelo and finance expert Maria João Ricou co-head the team, which is advising Banco Espírito Santo on a public tender for Oporto’s Campus da Justiça project, and representing a consortium of domestic banks on a €123m PPP for the construction of Vila Franca de Xira Hospital. The group advised Mota-Engil and several other clients on the public tender for the Poceirão-Caia stretch of the high-speed railway between Madrid and Lisbon.

The ‘excellent’ Victor Réfega Fernandes and Pedro Melo lead the projects team at PLMJ Law Firm, which has experience spanning projects relating to energy, water, health and infrastructure. The group is advising EDP on preparing the public tender for the Salamonde Dam construction and continues to advise Nova Cimangola on financing a cement production line. Ventos Propicios is a key client for wind farm projects.

Bernardo Diniz de Ayala leads Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho’s capable team, which also features Pedro Ferreira Malaquias. The group advised a consortium of banks including BCP and BNP Paribas on financing for the first part of Portugal’s high-speed railway project. It has also advised lenders on projects relating to the Transmontana Motorway and Norte Litoral toll road conversion. The group is also engaged for photovoltaic power plant financing.

The ‘fantastic project finance lawyer’ Alberto Galhardo Simões heads the team at Miranda Correia Amendoeira & Associados, which provides ‘very good client service’ and is particularly strong for work in Lusophone Africa. The group advised the European Investment Bank on its financing of the first stage of Portugal’s high-speed railway project. Raúl Mota Cerveira and Luís Oliveira are also recommended.

A ‘top-notch public law firm’, Sérvulo & Associados has extensive experience advising state sponsors on project finance. The team advised Ascendi Company as sponsor of a €3.5bn PPP motorway project in Slovakia, and as sponsor for the Douro Interior and the Pinhal Interior motorway subconcessions, respectively worth €300m and €800m. The team also acts for Estradas de Portugal and Altavia Consortium. Lino Torgal and Paulo Câmara are excellent practitioners.

The projects team at ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados includes the established figures of Luís Filipe Carvalho and Nuno Azevedo Neves. Meanwhile, associate Bruno Azevedo Rodrigues joined from Raposo Bernardo in 2010, and is developing a neat practice. He is acting for the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN) in preparing new projects. The team advises several municipalities on PPP projects, and acts for EDP, Aquapura Investments and Bancoinvest.

Projects work is a special area of emphasis for the ‘very good’ Esquivel Advogados, which is currently advising several transport companies, including Fertagus and Frota Azul, on renegotiating concession agreements. ANTROP remains an important client. José Luís Esquível leads the team.

Raposo Bernardo’s ‘dynamic and innovative’ projects practice has a strong energy focus and expertise in Angola and Cape Verde. Nelson Raposo Bernardo heads the ‘cohesive and efficient’ group and is ‘not afraid to think outside the box’. The team recently advised Rooftops of Spain on financing for a photovoltaic power plant and is assisting Espírito Santo Capital on financing a biomass project. Bruno Azevedo Rodrigues moved to ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados in March 2010.

The highly regarded Alexandra Maia de Loureiro and José Luís Moreira da Silva head the team at SRS Advogados, which is expert on infrastructure projects. Recent highlights include advising Estradas de Portugal on PPP/PFI motorway programmes as well as advising Société Générale and a consortium of banks, including Banco Santander and Caja Madrid, on financing for the Baixo Alentejo road subconcession.

AAA’s ‘client-oriented’ projects team is praised for ‘commitment and flexibility’, and ‘very high quality service’. It is particularly experienced on energy-related projects, and is advising Generg Group on financing a solar power plant in the Alentejo region. Practice head Dulce Franco and Vitor Pereira das Neves are recommended, along with the ‘smart and technical’ associate Anabela Gonçalves Ferreira.

Abreu Advogados offers a ‘high level of service’ and experience on energy-related projects. The ‘very professional and knowledgeable’ Manuel de Andrade Neves advised Iberdrola Generación on a €400m natural gas-fired power plant and the licensing and construction of four hydropower plants.

Albuquerque & Associados has experience advising on logistics and port concessions, and recently advised a consortium on proposals for a logistics platform in Leixões and the concessionaire on a multipurpose terminal for the port of Lisbon. Alexandre de Albuquerque is the key contact.

New firm Campos Ferreira, Sá Carneiro & Associados fields a ‘very qualified’ team comprising Fernando Campos Ferreira and Maria Castelos.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo recruited Albano Sarmento and Jorge Santiago Neves from Barrocas Advogados to form its projects practice, which has attracted clients such as AICEP Global Parques, Finertec and Odebrecht Engineering and Construction.

Macedo Vitorino & Associados advises sponsors on the financing of infrastructure projects. The team, led by João de Macedo Vitorino, is advising a consortium including Tecnovia and Conduril on its bids for the Pinhal Interior, Centro, Algarve Litoral and Baixo Alentejo motorway subconcessions.