The Legal 500

At the ‘excellent’ Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados, João Pereira Reis has ‘in-depth knowledge across administrative, urban planning and environmental law’, and provides ‘excellent, authoritative and well-researched written legal opinions’. Reis is advising Sonae Capital on land use, licensing and planning matters. Filipa Arantes Pedroso advised Zara Portugal on the €73m acquisition of Massimo Dutti Portugal from the Regojo Group, and is also acting for Ponte Gadea on the acquisition of a building in Lisbon. Other clients include Eurohypo and Solaris Portugal. Senior associate Rita Ferreira Vicente is also recommended.

PLMJ Law Firm’s ‘highly professional, proactive and client-focused’ team delivers a service ‘equal to the highest international standards’. Pedro Sáragga Leal advised SILVIP on the sale of an office building; and the ‘very qualified and business-minded’ Tiago Mendonça de Castro is advising IKEA on its expansion project in Portugal, and also acts for Primark. ‘Strong negotiator’ Sofia Gomes da Costa has ‘sound experience and excellent knowledge of the law, and understands clients’ businesses’. Frederico Perry Vidal is also recommended, together with senior associates Francisco Lino Dias, Rita Alarcão Júdice, who has experience in the Angolan market, and Margarida Osório de Amorim.

Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho’s ‘market-leading’ team is led by Duarte Garin, and is noted for its experience in the retail and hospitality sectors. It also assists clients in relation to tax, real estate investment funds, urban planning, and insolvency. Garin advised on the acquisition of mortgage-backed loans from several banks, and counsel João Torroaes Valente acted for BBVA Portugal on the sale and leaseback of its headquarters in Lisbon.

Miguel Marques dos Santos’ team at Garrigues advises on real estate sales and purchases, and is currently assisting a resort in the Algarve in the development of a new project in the region. The team also has strong planning and zoning capabilities, with senior associate Eduardo Gonçalves Rodrigues singled out. Senior associates Pedro Corrêa d’Oliveira and Pedro Pereira Coutinho are experienced on the transactional side.

Vieira de Almeida & Associados is noted for its ‘excellent industry and technical knowledge’, and its ‘professionalism and positive attitude’. Pedro Ferreirinha has ‘outstanding’ expertise, and is advising PT Comunicações on a data centre development in Portugal. Ferreirinha also acts for real estate closed-end investment fund Imopólis (part of the JP Morgan European property fund). ‘Highly qualified professional’ Sofia Galvão is ‘deeply focused on client needs’. Associate Hugo Nunes is ‘a rising star’.

The ‘very responsive, intelligent and practical’ team at ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados has ‘great knowledge’ of Portugal, Lusophone Africa and Brazil, and ‘brings new perspectives to negotiations’. It recently advised Mobiser on purchases and leases. The ‘very professional’ Luís Filipe Carvalho ‘listens to arguments’ and ‘explains proposals’. Among the senior associates, Helena Nunes Menúria is ‘very methodical, with great technical skills’, and João Pedro Varandas is also recommended.

Abreu Advogados’ practice spans its Lisbon and Oporto offices, with Duarte de Athayde and Rui Peixoto Duarte heading the team. ‘A most trusted partner’, Miguel Castro Pereira assisted an investment fund manager in structuring mortgage-backed loans in Angola.

‘Excellent firm’ CMS has a ‘very reputable’ practice and ‘significant market penetration’. The ‘very professional’ Luís Abreu Coutinho acts for clients including REN, AEG Facilities and TAP, and also advised Explorer Investments on the €33.9m acquisition of the Vila Sol tourist complex in the Algarve. Associate Salvador Pires Marques is recommended.

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira acted for Caboel Group on the €31m sale and leaseback of BBVA Portugal’s Lisbon headquarters, and is currently advising ING Real Estate in relation to shopping centres, and retail and logistics parks. Other clients include DHL Group, Robinson Hotels and Faisal Private Bank. Frederico Pereira Coutinho and Nuno Sá Carvalho are recommended.

pbbr (Pedro Pinto, Bessa Monteiro, Reis, Branco, Alexandre Jardim & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, R.L)’s team is led by Pedro Pinto, and includes Teresa Freire and associate Tânia Ferreira Osório. It is advising Bouygues Immobilier on the development of a shopping centre in Portimão and two office buildings in Lisbon. It is also advising Spanish hotel group Fonteduero on a planned project in Lisbon. ING Real Estate Development and the Sacoor Brothers are also clients.

Raposo Bernardo is noted for its ‘total availability and flawless technical quality’, and ‘accuracy, forward-thinking analysis and perspicacity in finding the best solutions’. It is advising Century 21 on its expansion into Angola, and Pillar Retail Europark Fund (a British Land fund) on its operations in Portugal. Manuel Esteves de Albuquerque is ‘diligent and insightful’.

At SRS Advogados, Maria José Santana is assisting Banif Imobiliária in a search for Nordic-based funds interested in acquiring its real estate assets, and is also advising Rabobank Nederland (Spanish branch) on the development and sale of real estate assets in Portugal. Managing associates Gonçalo Maia Camelo in Funchal and Regina Santos Pereira in Lisbon are also recommended.

Senior associate Tânia Pinheiro at Caiado Guerreiro recently advised a German national on the donation of a property in Cascais, including related tax issues. The ‘very professional’ Ricardo Rodrigues Lopes has ‘excellent skills and motivation’, and is assisting Meda Pharma on ownership issues and in two pieces of litigation relating to a €5m property. Other clients include FundBox, Danipor and Aeroflot.

The ‘very professional’ team at Carlos Aguiar, Ferreira de Lima & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, R.L. includes Maria Sottomayor, who assisted a Portuguese investor in evicting tenants from a Lisbon building before its reconstruction. Maria Roquette Valdez advised the Portuguese branch of an English investor on the lease of a real estate project in Lisbon.

At FCB&A – F Castelo Branco & Associados, Miguel Castelo Branco is advising Bekinsa Group on the acquisition of several agricultural investment companies. Miguel Lorena Brito advised Innoliva and Olivos Naturales on construction issues relating to the installation of an olive oil plant in Portugal. Luanda-based associate João Robles advises Siccal and Imopway on operations in Angola.

Jorge Salvador Gonçalves in association with Jardim, Sampaio, Magalhães e Silva e Associados was set up in October 2012 by Jorge Salvador Gonçalves, previously head of real estate at Linklaters LLP. Gonçalves is ‘very trustworthy’ and ‘relentless is finding solutions for clients’, giving ‘valuable and in-depth advice’. Clients include British Land, Grupo Sil and Onyria Group.

MGRA & Associados is assisting Longevity Wellness Resort Monchique in relation to a resort in the Algarve. Grupo Hera, Ferrobérica and Hilton Group are also clients. Helga Lopes Ribeiro is recommended.

Sérvulo & Associados acts for Philips on real estate matters in Portugal, and also advises RTP, Royal Óbidos and Media Markt Group. Nuno Moura Roldão left the firm in early 2013.

The ‘business-driven’ team at Teixeira de Freitas, Rodrigues e Associados – Sociedade de Advogados RL has experience in Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe. ‘Strong, goal-oriented lawyer’ Ana Sofia Catarino has ‘great knowledge of town planning and tourism issues’, and is a ‘strong-willed but subtle negotiator’. Carlos Manuel da Silva Gomes is also recommended.

Baião, Castro & Associados, R.L.’s real estate, urban planning and public law practice is led by senior associate Margarida Lima, who advises on transactions, land use, licensing, and industrial and tourism projects.

CCA Advogados saw the departure of practice head Pedro Franca Pinto in September 2012; senior associate Gonçalo Almeida Costa, who joined from Garrigues, now leads the practice. The team of ‘astute advisers’ provides ‘a tremendous service’. The ‘very responsive and helpful’ Domingos Cruz is advising a developer on a planning programme for the development of a residential and rural area in Portugal. Senior associate Madalena Azeredo Perdigão is also recommended.

At Esquível Advogados, José Luís Esquível’s practice includes planning and construction matters. Somague and Tranquilidade Group are clients.

At Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, senior associates Carlos Soares and Sofia Rodrigues Nunes advise clients in the tourism, construction and higher education sectors on urban planning.

Linklaters LLP saw the departure of Jorge Salvador Gonçalves, who formed Jorge Salvador Gonçalves in association with Jardim, Sampaio, Magalhães e Silva e Associados in October 2012.

Led by Susana Vieira, Macedo Vitorino & Associados advised Aggraria on the purchase of a rural property in the Alentejo region, and assisted Bogaris in purchasing properties in Portugal for the development of retail parks.

At RSA – Raposo Subtil e Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, RL, João Ricardo Nóbrega handles project work, and Carla Santos Freire handles litigation relating to leasing and sales agreements.