The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Garrigues is a second tier firm,

Garrigues has solid banking and finance expertise coupled with excellent capital markets experience. Diogo Leónidas Rocha advised Banco Espírito Santo on matters related to its €1bn rights issue. Associate Bruno Ferreira counts the Bank of Ireland and Magnum Capital Partners among his clients, and in 2012 advised PT and PT Comunicações on the expansion of facilities with a group of banks including Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Barclays Capital.

Within Capital markets, Garrigues is a first tier firm,

Garrigues provides ‘a top-quality service’ to clients in sectors including telecoms, media and banking. Noted for his ‘deep technical knowledge’ and ‘innovative solutions’, Diogo Leónidas Rocha leads the team, which advised Banco Espírito Santo on a share capital increase of €530m through an exchange offer, as well as on a subsequent increase through a rights issue. The team also advised key client PT on a €400m notes issuance under its EMTN programme. Marta Graça Rodrigues became a partner in 2011, and has ‘excellent technical skills’.

Within Corporate and M&A, Garrigues is a second tier firm,

Praised for its ‘great knowledge’, the team at Garrigues is led by the ‘very good’ Diogo Leónidas Rocha, and acts for clients including Secil, Santander, PT, Deloitte and Endesa. Mário Lino Dias represented fertiliser manufacturer Fertiberia in the purchase of a company in the chemicals sector, and Susana Pimenta de Sousa advised Nove SGPS on the sale of the entire share capital of Massimo Dutti to Inditex. Marta Graça Rodrigues and senior associate Cristina Ribeiro Coelho are recommended.

Within Dispute resolution, Garrigues is a second tier firm,

‘Fully aware of clients’ goals and objectives’, the team at Garrigues ‘goes above and beyond the call of duty in their defence’. João Duarte de Sousa’s team acted for Somague Concessões and Somague Engenharia in an arbitration relating to the performance of a share capital subscription agreement, and is advising PT in proceedings brought by competitor ZON. Associate and ‘top-level litigator’ Miguel Azevedo acts for Decathlon, and is also advising Beira Terrace (Ebro Puleva Group) in a property dispute.

Within EU and competition, Garrigues is a second tier firm,

João Paulo Teixeira de Matos’ team at Garrigues acts on merger filings, state aid matters, abuse of dominance cases, and EU law matters. It advised Mercapital Private Equity and Actividades de Construcción y Servicios on a merger filing before the PCA regarding the acquisition of CLECE. It is also acting for Comércio de Especialidades Farmacêuticas on appeals and procedures opened by Infarmed. Other clients include IBM, Kraft Foods Portugal, and Magnum Capital. Associates Ana Ferreira Neves and Joana Peres Machado are recommended.

Within Employment, Garrigues is a second tier firm,

Garrigues’ ‘highly professional’ team advised the winding-up board of insolvent bank Banco Privado Português in relation to a collective dismissal and labour credits claimed by employees. João Paulo Teixeira de Matos advised Sapa Perfis II on the closure of its plant in Cacém, and also advised Panrico regarding proceedings filed by 40 self-employed workers. Associates Rui Valente, Sofia Silva e Sousa, Rita Nogueira Neto and Tiago Lopes Fernandez are also recommended.

Within Energy and environment, Garrigues is a second tier firm,

Singled out for its regulatory expertise and ‘tailor-made advice’, Garrigues’ ‘enthusiastic and hardworking’ team is led by João Rosado Correia, who has ‘deep knowledge of political and legal risks’. Correira recently advised the Portuguese Republic on legislative proposals in the energy sector, and advised Repsol on offences related to water and soil contamination and air emissions. Associates Sara Castelo Branco and Filipa Alves Botton are also recommended.

Within Insolvency and restructuring, Garrigues is a third tier firm,

Garrigues has great strength in depth, with a team including Diogo Leónidas Rocha, João Duarte de Sousa and senior associates Bruno Ferreira and Miguel Azevedo. In a major ongoing mandate, the team is representing Banco Privado Português in its insolvency procedure. Other clients include ECS Capital, and Banc of America Securities. Ferreira continues to advise UBS on the restructuring of its operations in Portugal.

Within Intellectual property, Garrigues is a first tier firm,

Providing ‘very quick and professional responses’, Garrigues has an ‘excellent’ IP practice. With a ‘strategic manner’ and ‘great experience’, João Miranda de Sousa led in advising Pêra-Grave on an injunction procedure brought against the company in a trade mark case. Senior associate Isabel Bairrão has ‘very good’ knowledge of IP enforcement, and associate Francisca Ferreira Pinto is also recommended.

Within Oporto: Leading commercial firms, Garrigues is a third tier firm,

Garrigues has a longstanding reputation for its tax expertise, largely due to the reputation of Miguel Reis, who is a very well-known individual in the arena. The Oporto office also advises on corporate, employment and litigation matters. Reis, together with associate Joana Tavares de Oliveira, is advising Iberdrola on tax matters related to the construction of four hydroelectric dams in northern Portugal. Elsewhere, associates Rui Valente and Miguel Koch Rua are assisting Oxylane Group (Decathlon) on corporate and employment matters in Portugal.

Within Public law, tier 4

The ‘very good’ team at Garrigues remains strong in public procurement, energy and infrastructure matters. João Rosado Correia is ‘quick thinking’, and is currently advising the Secretary of State for Energy on drafting the new legal framework in the electricity and gas sectors. Among the associates, Sara Castelo Branco is ‘always available’, and Filipa Alves Botton is also recommended.

Within Real estate, Garrigues is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Tax, Garrigues is a first tier firm,

Garrigues’ ‘trustworthy’ team is noted for its ‘accountability and value for money’. Fernando Castro Silva is advising CSN Group on tax matters related to the restructuring of its activities in Portugal. Oporto-based Miguel Reis acts for Iberdrola and Cavalum Group. Pedro Miguel Braz leads on the tax litigation side. Senior associate Tiago Cassiano Neves is also recommended.