The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a first tier firm,

The ‘truly excellent’ banking and finance team at Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira advised Banco Português de Negócios (BPN) on establishing a €1.2bn investment fund, and is currently advising both BPN and the Portuguese government on re-privatising BPN following its nationalisation in 2008. Other recent highlights include advising Caixa Geral de Depósitos on a $1bn joint venture relating to the incorporation of an Angolan bank, and also on a $500m joint venture concerning the incorporation of a bank in Mozambique. Praised for his ‘depth of analysis, thoroughness, diligence and consistency’, Manuel Magalhães is ‘a very special breed of lawyer and one of the best in Portugal’, while Maria João Ricou is also highly recommended.

Within Capital markets, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a second tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira’s responsive and efficient team has seen a flurry of capital markets activity, and enjoys a particularly strong reputation for debt-side work. It assisted the Republic of Portugal to establish its first multi-currency EMTN programme through IGCP, a programme worth €5bn. Major underwriter clients include Caixa Geral de Depósitos and Banif. The team also provides M&A-related capital markets advice including advising Telefónica on its €7.15bn offer for PT’s 50% stake in Brasilcel. Practice head Maria João Ricou and André Luiz Gomes are recommended along with associate Paulo Costa Martins, who has ‘outstanding technical skills’.

Within Corporate and M&A, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a first tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira had an impressive year, notably acting for Telefónica on its €7.5bn offer for Portugal Telecom’s 50% stake in Brasilcel, the holding company of Brazilian mobile operator Vivo. The ‘excellent’ team also advised Beckman Coulter on its €542m acquisition of Olympus’s global diagnostics business. Frederico Pereira Coutinho advised Direct Group Bertelsmann on selling its Portuguese publishing and book retail assets including Livraria Bertrand. Diogo Perestrelo has been advising Altrad on its offer for a stake in Irbal. CNP Assurances, Endesa and Banco Efisa are also key clients. Maria da Glória Leitão, Diogo Ortigão Ramos, André Luiz Gomes and José Diogo Horta Osório are all recommended.

Within Dispute resolution, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a second tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira operates an ‘excellent’ litigation practice and satisfied clients deem it ‘one of the best teams around’. Miguel Esperança Pina, who is described as ‘among the best litigators in Portugal’ and Rita Gouveia assisted the Portuguese state in a €90m breach of contract case against General Motors. The team also advised Galp Energia in an arbitration case, and is representing Auto-estradas do Atlântico in accident liability lawsuits. André Luiz Gomes and Paulo de Sá e Cunha act for Banif and Somague Engenharia, respectively, and are recommended.

Within EU and competition, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a second tier firm,

At Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, Frederico Pereira Coutinho handles competition and antitrust matters, while António Vitorino is particularly strong on EU law. This small team recently defended DalphiMetal Portugal against claims of a breach of competition law, and assisted Cabovisão in filing a claim made against ZON Multimédia. It also provided competition advice to book publisher Bertelsmann, and advised Cephalon during a merger control case. The firm lost Isabel Gião de Andrade to Vieira de Almeida & Associados in 2010.

Within Employment, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a second tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira’s reputable practice goes from strength to strength under the leadership of the ‘exceptionally good’ Maria da Glória Leitão, who is supported by the very able Diogo Leote Nobre. The team has experience of restructurings and lay offs, and is advising NetJets – Transportes Aéreos on 98 employment contract terminations. It also assisted Cabovisão – Televisão por Cabo on staff restructuring. Nortel Networks Portugal and Charon are also clients.

Within Energy and environment, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a third tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira advises on energy financing and transactions, and is representing a consortium on financing six photovoltaic power projects in Spain and Finerge on the sale of several wind farms. Electricidade Industrial Portuguesa and RRP Solar are also clients. Diogo Perestrelo is the key contact.

Within Insolvency and restructuring, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a second tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is acting on several of the insolvency proceedings currently dominating the Portuguese market. It continues to advise JSR Micro in its claim for over €130,000 following the insolvency of Qimonda Portugal. It also assisted Germaport in insolvency proceedings and liquidation, and Misiva in its €1.7m claim as a creditor in the insolvency of tinned fish supplier Entente. The group is co-headed by Miguel Esperança Pina in Lisbon and José de Freitas in Oporto, who are both highly recommended.

Within Intellectual property, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a second tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira advises on trade mark rights ownership, infringement and counterfeiting disputes, and represents several publishing and media clients. Carlos de Almeida Sampaio heads the group.

Within Oporto: Leading commercial firms, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a third tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira’s 25-strong practice advises clients across practice areas including tax, corporate and M&A, and employment matters. Recent clients include Probiomass – Biomass and EDP Gestão da Produção de Energia. Practice head José de Freitas is highly recommended, but Isabel Gião de Andrade moved to Vieira de Almeida & Associados in 2010.

Within Project finance, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Public law, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a third tier firm,

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira’s public law team can call on ‘one of the best litigation teams in Portugal’. The group also has experience advising consortia on tenders for the high-speed railway and also for new concession contracts to transform shadow tolls into real tolls on several motorways. Key clients include Somague Engenharia, Onitelecom, Dragados and Metro do Porto. Diogo Perestrelo and the ‘excellent’ Duarte Abecasis are recommended.

Within Real estate, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a third tier firm,

Offering ‘excellent real estate advice’, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira has particular expertise relating to projects in the leisure and tourism sector. The team represents Orizon on developing its luxury resorts and golf courses, and continues to assist HN Group with a beach resort project. Elsewhere, it advised H&M Group on establishing retail outlets in Portugal, and is negotiating storage facility contracts for DHL. Other clients include Millennium bcp, ING Real Estate and Aylesford International. Nuno Sá Carvalho ably assists practice head Frederico Pereira Coutinho.

Within Shipping and transport, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a second tier firm,

Luís Soares de Sousa heads the practice at Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, which has a strong emphasis on aviation work. The group advises manufacturers, banks and airlines on financing, registration and other matters, and is advising British Aerospace on the repossession of two aircraft following Euroair’s bankruptcy. Norway Airlines is also a client.

Within TMT, tier 4

Carlos de Almeida Sampaio leads the TMT team at Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, which advises major corporates on issues including data protection and IT.

Within Tax, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a first tier firm,

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.