The Legal 500

The ‘outstanding’ Diogo Ortigão Ramos leads the tax practice at Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, which handles contentious and non-contentious matters. The team acted alongside the firm’s Spanish office to advise Galp on taxes relating to setting up a new branch in Spain, and advised EDP on taxes relating to an investment in an Angolan power plant. Other key clients include Banco Bradesco and Cork Supply Group. António Rocha Mendes departed to Campos Ferreira, Sá Carneiro & Associados in 2010.

Garrigues Portugal’s three-partner practice includes ‘one of the best tax lawyers in the country’, Fernando Castro Silva, who leads a highly competent tax team that has experience in tax litigation, compliance and consultancy. The group advised the Brazilian construction company Companhia Siderurgica Nacional on taxes relating to its bid for Cimpor. It is also assisting Iberdrola with tax planning relating to its proposed construction of four hydroelectric plants in Portugal. Galp Energia is another important client. Paulo Núncio is ‘available, knowledgeable and accurate’.

Linklaters LLP has widely acknowledged tax expertise, particularly for litigation and tax structuring. The team advised Magnum Industrial Partners on a €1bn refinancing and restructuring of Iberwind wind farms, and also advised ING Bank on updating its €50bn debt funding programme. Other clients include Macquarie Bank, Portucel and Suzlon Energy. Rui Camacho Palma is highly rated, while the ‘impressive’ Ricardo Reigada Pereira is described as a ‘rising star in Portugal’ for tax work.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados has an excellent tax group, featuring ‘one of the best tax specialists in Portugal’, Francisco de Sousa da Câmara, who is ‘really something else’. The team advises clients such as Mota-Engil, Nobre Alimentação and EDP on their ongoing tax needs, and also has expertise in taxes relating to M&A and financing. The team advised Barclays Capital on the Portuguese element of an intragroup financing operation worth €1.7bn. António Lobo Xavier leads in Oporto, and acted for the Grupo Jerónimo Martins on various tax liquidation claims.

Clients praise the ‘depth of tax expertise’ in Abreu Advogados’ dedicated seven-partner practice, which advises on tax issues relating to corporate, restructuring and contentious matters. This ‘excellent’ team is advising Banco Espírito Santo de Investimento on tax aspects of incorporating an investment bank and securities broker in Angola. Regular clients include Grupo Semapa and BPN Imofundos. Miguel Teixeira de Abreu heads the practice.

João Espanha leads the practice at tax boutique Espanha & Associados, and is widely recommended for his longstanding experience and knowledge of tax law. The group, which also includes Elsa Rodrigues, handles a range of tax matters including restructuring of Portuguese companies.

The ‘very qualified professionals’ at PLMJ Law Firm have particular experience on corporate tax matters, and recently advised Barclays on acquiring Citibank’s credit cards division in Portugal. Rogério Fernandes Ferreira is advising Portugal Telecom on a €150m tax controversy case. ZON – TV Cabo Portugal and Panrico Produtos Alimentares are also clients.

Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho’s tax practice focuses on deal-related taxation, including restructuring matters, as well as tax litigation. The ‘very competent’ Filipe Romão advised ING, Sonae Sierra, Iberdrola and Caixa Geral de Depósitos on the €70m sale of Lisbon’s Torre de Oriente, and also assisted the Portuguese branch of Barclays on the securitisation of €1.3bn of residential mortgage loans. The team also represents Uniame and Grupo Damm.

Vieira de Almeida & Associados provides ‘tailor-made’ service and ‘quick and objective responses of exceptional quality and depth’. It is particularly noted for its experience in international taxation matters, and advised the Portuguese branch of Citibank on divesting its credit card division to Barclays. It also assisted JPMorgan and the REIT Fundo de Investimento Imobiliário Fechado Imodesenvolvimento on establishing a new finance structure. Tiago Marreiros Moreira heads this ‘outstanding team’, which includes Conceição Gamito and Joaquim Pedro Lampreia. Four new associates joined in 2010.

André Gonçalves heads AAA’s tax team, which deals with transactional tax issues as well as tax litigation. Clients include Volkswagen Autoeuropa, DDBO Portugal Group and Dia Portugal Supermercados.

Tax is a strong focus for ABBC – Azevedo Neves, Benjamim Mendes, Carvalho & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, particularly for tax issues in the corporate and banking arenas. António Moura Portugal is ‘always aware of the latest legislation’ and Nuno Azevedo Neves is also recommended. The group advised the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN) on tax issues regarding its property and wind farms, and represented several tobacco manufacturers on pension funds matters and in negotiations with the government.

‘One of the most respected local law firms,’ Albuquerque & Associados handles litigation and tax planning. Henrique Nogueira Nunes heads the team, which was successful in advising 3M Corporation Portugal in a corporate tax claim, and advised a major international drinks group on taxes pertaining to a planned merger of two of its companies in Portugal. The firm also advises on Angolan tax law.

The supportive António Fernandes de Oliveira, former managing associate at PLMJ Law Firm, joined Cardigos e Associados in 2009, and now leads the tax group which often works with the firm’s corporate and M&A practice. It recently advised JPMorgan on a €120m term facility with Metro do Porto. Cement company Secil is a key client.

Diogo Bernardo Monteiro leads FCB&A – F Castelo Branco & Associados’ tax practice, which advised Goldman Sachs on taxes relating to a $300m financing for the government of Angola, and acted for an Angolan construction group on restructuring and on Portuguese real estate issues. Tax litigation is a sizeable element of the practice, where the group represents clients such as IVECO and Logica.

‘Very well prepared in fiscal matters,’ Franco Caiado Guerreiro & Associados handles contentious and non-contentious VAT and corporate tax matters. Tiago Caiado Guerreiro and Ana Castro Gonçalves run a ‘dedicated and efficient’ team, which provided tax advice to Sonangol relating to its $15bn Sonaref oil refinery project. LABCO and ActualSales are also clients.

The ‘very professional’ team at Macedo Vitorino & Associados has experience of tax issues relating to capital market transactions and structured finance. The group includes Paulo Santos, João de Macedo Vitorino and André Vasques Dias, who advised several banks – including Caixa and Banco Efisa – on floating rate bonds worth €50m issued by Empresa de Electricidade dos Açores. Other recent highlights include advising Standard Bank, GDF Suez, and Bogaris on various tax matters.

Mário da Rosa Amaral heads Mouteira Guerreiro, Rosa Amaral & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados R.L.’s highly recommended tax team, which handles tax advice and litigation. The firm advises furniture retailer Moviflor on corporate tax and real estate transactions, as well as in contentious matters relating to its tax assessments, and also represents the Portuguese subsidiaries of Liberty Mutual and General Motors.

Raposo Bernardo recently advised Les Mousquetaires (Intermarché) on tax and corporate compliance matters, and also represents Delta Airline and Royal Caribbean. José Pedroso de Melo is valued for his ‘analytical skills’ and ‘creative legal solutions’.

At Rui Pena, Arnaut & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados, RL, Nuno Pena leads on tax litigation, while the ‘very dedicated’ Patrick Dewerbe handles tax planning and tax structured finance work. Clients include Mota-Engil, Banif, Barclays Capital and BNP Paribas. Dewerbe advised RDS Ultra-Deepwater on tax matters relating to the issuance of $270m senior secured notes and a further $270m loan agreement, while Pena is representing Prisa Group in 46 VAT litigation cases. The firm is particularly recommended for its value for money and competitive fee structure.

SRS Advogados advises on tax planning, contentious tax cases, and taxation relating to M&A, capital markets and banking transactions. The team acted for several major international banks in 2010, and also advised Nestlé Portugal on taxation of Portuguese expatriates. Other clients include Galp Gás Natural and Iberdrola. The experienced Paula Rosado Pereira heads the practice.

The ‘intelligent and accurate’ Gonçalo Leite de Campos leads the ‘excellent’ tax practice at Sérvulo & Associados, which offers tax consultancy and litigation advice. The group has been representing KPMG on withholding tax cases and tax representation, and also advises the Ministry of Education on VAT matters.

Luiz August Teixeira de Freitas leads the tax team at Teixeira de Freitas, Rodrigues e Associados – Sociedade de Advogados RL. The group also features Leonor Xavier, who joined from Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira in 2010, adding further international taxation experience to the team, which is already well known for its work in Lusophone countries and beyond. The highly recommended Vasco Carvalho Marques advised a multinational company on commodities investments in Angola.