VCA - Valadas Coriel & Associados > Lisbon, Portugal > Firm Profile

VCA - Valadas Coriel & Associados
Rua Tierno Galvan, 10, Torre 3, 16th floor
1070-274 Lisbon
Portugal

Portugal > Dispute resolution Tier 4

With a balanced claimant and defendant practice, VCA - Valadas Coriel & Associados noted a recent increase in maritime-related disputes and tax arbitrations. Real estate disputes are another focal point for the dispute resolution team, along with civil, corporate and commercial litigation. Rated for displaying 'a rare combination of legal knowledge and strategic pragmatism', the practice is under the leadership of four practitioners: João Valadas Coriel, who possesses significant experience in white-collar crime cases; Hugo Martins Braz, who leads on mass litigation; Vera Chalaça, a contact for civil and administrative litigation, and Sofia Quental, whose strong background in tax disputes is noteworthy.

Practice head(s):

João Valadas Coriel; Hugo Martins Braz; Vera Chalaça; Sofia Quental

Other key lawyers:

António Cayolla

Testimonials

‘João Valadas Coriel is a competent lawyer and excellent managing partner of the firm. He has a business-oriented approach and a great understanding of clients’ needs.’

‘Valadas Coriel & Associados makes a difference compared to other law firms/firms.’

‘João Valadas Coriel stands out for his availability, speed in processing and resolving our legal processes.’

‘Hugo Martins Braz – availability, proactivity, technical knowledge and timely responses.’

‘VCA – Valadas Coriel & Associates represents a bastion of competence in the sphere of litigation. The technical excellence of the team is complemented by a meticulous understanding of the commercial realities that the cases entail. The team, composed of highly esteemed lawyers, displays a rare combination of legal knowledge and strategic pragmatism, namely around dispute resolution.

‘This law firm stands out for its consultative and anticipatory approach. They do not just provide legal advice, but offer an integrated strategy aimed at mitigating risks and leveraging opportunities for their clients.’

‘When considering the effectiveness of a law firm, eyes frequently fall upon the leaders who direct it and the excellence of its members. In Valadas Coriel & Associates, certain figures stand out in this landscape. Among them is the managing partner João Valadas Coriel, whose strategic acumen and institutional perspicacity have served as foundations for the firm becoming one of the most reputable in the country.’

Key clients

EDP – Energias de Portugal, S.A.

GALP Energia, S.A.

Albano Alves

EDP Foundation and MAAT Museum

Hotéis Roma Group

STILL – Sociedade de Tratamento de Imagem Lusitana

Work highlights

  • Representing Albano Alves in a range of major litigations, including a dispute with the landlord of its industrial site concerning unlicensed buildings and environmental issues.
  • Representing EDP – Energias de Portugal in the launch of a special task force to combat and litigate against criminal insolvencies by companies that create successive fronts to avoid energy payments.
  • Advising Hotéis Roma Group on administrative litigation linked to alleged regulatory infringements.

VCA was established in 2001 by João Valadas Coriel, currentely managing partner. Today we are seen as a lean versatile full-service firm. Our team combines experience, expertise and creativity, that allow us to support our clients in a wide variety of projects, both national and international.

VCA’s dynamic yet informal environment has attracted lawyers from major firms and audit companies. Networks and trust-based relationships allow us to pool resources and expertise across continents.

Firm details

Our firm has a very energetic team of 7 partners and 20+ associates who combine experience, expertise, innovation, and creativity. Our team works on all sorts of cases from litigation and dispute resolution to labour, real estate, corporate, energy, finance and international projects, for clients of all sizes, both domestic and international. We also have a very strong practice focused on private clients and the art world, assisting various individuals in investing or relocating to Portugal.

We work in litigation matters for two of the largest Portuguese listed companies on a permanent basis, side by side with a practice group focused on SME and private clients. We are able to effectively respond to clients across the spectrum of legal, regulatory and tax issues.

We believe that each case is as unique as the individuals involved. We approach every legal challenge not just with expert knowledge and experience, but with unmatched creativity that sets us apart in the legal arena. Our team recognizes that behind every case there’s a person, a family, a business, or a community, depending on its nature. Thus, we ensure that our clients remain at the very heart of our focus, guiding each decision we make. Our innovative strategies are tailored to the specific needs of our clients, ensuring that their best interests are always at the forefront. With us, clients are not just numbers or files, but the very essence of why we practice law with such dedication and passion.

VCA has become a firm of polymath lawyers, with expertise in specialised areas of practice, which also cater to other areas of law that are intersectional with our areas of specialisation.

Our 25-lawyers team combines experience, anticipation, creativity, and determination, offering clients a range of skills and resources for a variety of projects, both locally and internationally.

We seek to immerse in your cases. We want to become your trusted advisors, to be considered not only as lawyers but also as reliable partners.

Our lawyers make a big effort to keep a close connection with their assigned clients.You shall never feel like a number at VCA.

Our main focus is to solve every case using creative andout-of-the-boxsolutions. We embrace challenges. We are resilient by principle, mostly conciliators, and always determined.

Main areas of practice
  • Dispute resolution
  • Corporate
  • Tax
  • Real estate
  • Private wealth
  • Immigration
  • Labour
  • Insolvency
Offices

Amoreiras Office
Rua Tierno Galvan, 10, Torre 3, 16th floor
1070-274 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel:+351 211 625 700
Email:vca@valadascoriel.com

Madeira Office
Rua Queimada de Cima, 28, 2.º M
9000-065 Funchal
Tel:+351 211 625 700
Email:vca@valadascoriel.com

Côte d’Ivoire Office
Immeuble Le Marigny 3eme Etage
08 BP 1411 Abidjan 08
Tel:+225 0758793379
Email:vca@valadascoriel.com

Department Name Email Telephone
Private Wealth and Tax Law João Valadas Coriel joao.coriel@valadascoriel.com
Litigation, Insolvency, and Labour Law Hugo Martins Braz hugomartinsbraz@valadascoriel.com
Real Estate Law Marta Valadas Coriel marta.coriel@valadascoriel.com
Immigration Law Patrícia Valadas Coriel patricia.coriel@valadascoriel.com
Corporate and Real Estate Law Rita Tigeleiro Afonso rita.afonso@valadascoriel.com
Tax and Private Wealth Law Sofia Quental sofia.quental@valadascoriel.com
Litigation and Administrative Law Vera Chalaça vera.chalaca@valadascoriel.com
Nationality Law Ana Santos Fontes ana.fontes@valadascoriel.com
Immigration and Investment Law Cláudia Cardoso claudia.cardoso@valadascoriel.com
Immigration Law Sarah Lopes sarah.lopes@valadascoriel.com
Nationality Law Maria Moura Fonseca maria.fonseca@valadascoriel.com
Litigation and Maritime Law Sónia Antunes Dias sonia.dias@valadascoriel.com
Litigation and Insolvency Rita Maia rita.maia@valadascoriel.com
Litigation and Criminal Law António Cayolla antonio.cayolla@valadascoriel.com
Immigration Law Sandra Jardim Fernandes sandrajfernandes@valadascoriel.com
Labour Law Tiago Lopes Fernandez tiagolopesfernandez@valadascoriel.com
Photo Name Position Profile
Sónia Antunes Dias photo Sónia Antunes Dias Senior Associate in the Litigation and Maritime Law Department
Cláudia Cardoso photo Cláudia Cardoso Managing Associate of the Immigration Department
António Cayolla photo António Cayolla Of Counsel
Vera Chalaça photo Vera Chalaça Partner in the Litigation and Administrative Departments
Rita  Cortes Maia photo Rita Cortes Maia Lawyer at the Litigation and Insolvency Departments
Sandra Jardim Fernandes photo Sandra Jardim Fernandes Co-Head of the Immigration Department
Tiago Lopes Fernandez photo Tiago Lopes Fernandez Of Counsel of the Labour Department
Hugo Martins Braz photo Hugo Martins Braz Partner in the Litigation and Labour Departments
Maria Moura Fonseca photo Maria Moura Fonseca Senior Lawyer of the Nationality Department
Sofia Quental photo Sofia Quental Partner in the Private Wealth and Tax Departments
Ana Santos Fontes photo Ana Santos Fontes Managing Associate of the Nationality Department
Rita Tigeleiro Afonso photo Rita Tigeleiro Afonso Partner in the Corporate and Real Estate Departments
Patrícia Valadas Coriel photo Patrícia Valadas Coriel Partner and Co-Head of the Immigration Department
Marta Valadas Coriel photo Marta Valadas Coriel Partner in the Real Estate Department
João Valadas Coriel photo João Valadas Coriel Managing Partner
Partners : 7
Managing Associates : 3
Senior Associates : 2
Associates : 12
Trainees : 1
Of Councels : 5
Solicitors : 4
Paralegals : 7
Financial and Administrative : 4
Marketing and Business Development : 1
Portuguese
English
Spanish
French
Italian
Russian
Ukrainian
Dutch
Hindi
Urdu
Gurjati
OA Portugal – Portuguese Bar Association
Portuguese Fiscal Association
IBA - International Bar Association
ABA - American Bar Association
IFA - International Fiscal Association
CIArb - Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
IR Global
GRIMALDI Alliance
Law & Numbers
IUSFUL
Other Offices : Madeira and Ivory Coast

Diversity

VCA- Valadas Coriel & Associados, since its foundation 17 years ago, has cultivated diversity in line with the best of Portuguese culture, a country which brought new worlds to Europe since the XIV century. VCA has 5 partners and 20 lawyers and most are women. We are proud to have people from all ages, social perspectives, faith, spiritual and religious beliefs, sexual orientation, social backgrounds, ethnic origins, abilities and cultures, even being a small firm.

VCA-Valadas Coriel & Associados has a professional career plan with objective evaluation with remuneration and incentives based on merit, regardless of the characteristics of its lawyers and workers based on equal pay for equal outcomes.

For VCA, living and working without diversity would be not just unfair and against ethic and the law: it would be like offering to our clients a service using half of our brains. Diversity at VCA is our guarantee of a service of excellence of this specialized business law firm.

VCA-Valadas Coriel & Associados works in or for several countries other than Portugal and its partners integrate and in some cases co-ordinate multinational teams of lawyers and other business experts of several European, African and Latin American countries with diverse cultures, languages and religions. Lisbon, our head office location is a multicultural hub where many people from different origins live together in peace in one of the safest cities in the world. This is so entrenched in the Firm’s DNA that for us diversity is just a way of living and working.

Pro Bono/CRS

VCA-Valadas Coriel & Associados has an organized Pro Bono/CRS department.

One of João Valadas Coriel’s passions, managing partner of VCA, is pro-bono work in criminal cases, something that comes from a desire to help people who have made mistakes.

We assist civil society organizations from children protection charities to social intervention associations and VCA partners work for rehabilitation and social development organizations.

VCA Pro Bono work has also involved the legal representation of destitute clients, some in complex legal issues, including litigation cases. For VCA- Valadas Coriel & Associados, a lawyers’ job is to pursue Justice, that sometimes elusive notion amidst the pressure and the stress of business legal practice.

Pro bono and CRS works remind to all lawyers at VCA-Valadas Coriel & Associados that our communities not only in Portugal but also in other countries where we work have given to us. It is also a constant reminder that destitute people also seek Justice and do have some technically complex legal issues to be sorted out and solved with the same high level of professionalism as paying clients.