Event information
Agenda
10.00am-11.00am Arrival and registration
11.00am-11.05am Welcome address
-
- Francisco Castro, research editor, Legal 500
11.05am-11.15am Opening brief: ESG priorities shaping Portugal in 2026
This opening presentation will frame ESG as a business‑wide priority shaping strategy, capital flows and governance across Portugal. It will provide a concise overview of the regulatory landscape, highlighting key EU frameworks, and assess how recent developments are influencing disclosure practices, due‑diligence expectations and corporate accountability in the Portuguese market. It will also examine sustainable finance as a major accelerator of ESG integration, outlining how lenders and investors are embedding sustainability criteria into financing terms and how this is reshaping corporate behaviour, data quality demands and project execution. In all, its aim is to set a clear, market‑facing foundation for the discussions that follow at the ESG Forum: Portugal 2026.
11.15am-11.55am How corporate governance and sustainable finance are shaping Portugal’s energy transition
Portugal’s energy transition is accelerating, and with it comes a growing need for governance structures and financing models capable of supporting complex, capital‑intensive projects. This panel will examine how corporate governance and sustainable finance are shaping the country’s transition landscape—both enabling progress and, at times, creating friction.
The discussion will explore how boards and executive teams are adapting oversight and decision‑making frameworks to manage transition‑related risks. It will consider how responsibilities are distributed across legal, compliance, sustainability, procurement and project delivery functions, and how General Counsel teams are embedding ESG requirements into contracts, approvals and project governance to ensure regulatory alignment and commercial discipline.
Sustainable finance will be addressed from a practical perspective, focusing on how financing structures influence project design, risk allocation and supply‑chain diligence. Panellists will discuss how lenders’ expectations around contractor performance, ESG metrics and transparency increasingly shape governance decisions from the outset.
On the execution side, the panel will assess the operational constraints that continue to challenge Portugal’s transition ambitions, including permitting and licensing timelines, grid capacity limitations, contracting models and delivery risk. Drawing on anonymised case themes, speakers will highlight what has accelerated project execution and what has slowed it down.
Finally, the conversation will consider the role of EU‑level frameworks—whether they function primarily as compliance hurdles or as strategic opportunities to unlock investment and harmonise standards. Together, these insights will offer a concise, cross‑functional view of how governance and finance are influencing Portugal’s ability to deliver its energy transition at scale.
-
- João Marques Mendes, partner, PLMJ
- Marta Almeida Afonso, head of legal and company secretary, REN
11.55am-12.10pm Coffee break
12.10pm-1.00pm Litigation, liability, and the new enforcement era for sustainability claims (across sectors)
As regulatory scrutiny intensifies across Europe, organisations in every sector are facing a new enforcement era for sustainability‑related claims. This panel will examine the growing landscape of ESG‑driven disputes, investigations and liability exposures, with a focus on how greenwashing, inaccurate disclosures and misleading sustainability statements are rapidly evolving into core legal and reputational risks.
The discussion will explore the typical trigger points that give rise to litigation and regulatory action, from sustainability reports and corporate websites to marketing materials, investor presentations and product or service claims. Panellists will assess how these touchpoints are being tested by regulators, competitors, consumers and NGOs, and what this means for corporate risk management.
Recent case law developments will be analysed for their practical impact in Portugal, including how courts and regulators are interpreting sustainability‑related representations and the evidentiary standards emerging around ESG disclosures and due diligence obligations. The conversation will also address the increasingly relevant question of directors’ personal exposure, examining when governance failures, oversight gaps or misleading statements may translate into direct liability.
Our expert speakers will provide a cross‑sector view of how legal, compliance and sustainability teams must adapt to a more assertive enforcement environment – one in which sustainability claims are no longer treated as aspirational messaging but as statements capable of creating binding legal obligations.
-
- Madalena Perestrelo de Oliveira, senior counsel, PLMJ
- Carla Góis Coelho, partner, PLMJ
1.00pm-1.05pm Closing remarks
-
- Francisco Castro, research editor, Legal 500
1.05pm-2.00pm Networking and light lunch
Speakers
Carla Góis Coelho, partner, PLMJ
Carla is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution practice, bringing over 15 years of experience in civil and commercial litigation. She has developed an extensive track record representing clients in complex contractual, corporate, and M&A disputes, as well as in product liability matters, with particular expertise in class actions.
Her practice includes both complex litigation and strategic pre-litigation advisory work, with a significant portion of her caseload involving international and multidisciplinary matters.
Carla has developed a strong focus on key sectors of the economy, regularly advising clients in the transport, energy, and technology industries, as well as investment funds and financial institutions.
She is recognised for her pragmatic approach to dispute resolution and her ability to navigate high-stakes litigation across multiple jurisdictions.
João Marques Mendes, partner, PLMJ
João is a partner in the Projects and Energy, and Public Law practices. With over 15 years of professional experience, he has focused on the area of energy and natural resources, providing legal assistance with regulatory, projects, transactions and litigation, to Portuguese and international clients.
In the area of energy and public law, his main focus has been advising on the implementation and operation of projects and infrastructures, with a special focus on renewable energies. He advises Portugal’s leading energy companies, especially on regulatory and contractual issues. He also advises on dispute resolution in the fields of energy and regulatory.
João is the author of numerous papers and articles on energy law and has frequently been invited to lecture and participate as a speaker in classes and conferences in the fields of energy and regulatory law.
Madalena Perestrelo de Oliveira, senior counsel, PLMJ
Madalena is a senior counsel in the Banking and Finance and Corporate M&A practices at PLMJ, a non-executive director at Novabase, Professor at the University of Lisbon School of Law and a researcher at the Research Center for Private Law (CIDP).
In recent years, her professional and academic work has focused on the integration of sustainability into corporate governance frameworks and corporate finance decision-making, with a particular emphasis on sustainability factors, capital markets and long-term value creation.
She holds a PhD from the University of Lisbon School of Law, where she teaches, and is the author of several books and numerous academic articles in the fields of sustainability, technology, capital markets, and corporate law.
She coordinates several postgraduate programmes, including corporate finance, corporate governance, insolvency bankruptcy law, as well as intensive courses in investment funds, and breach of contract at CIDP.
Marta Almeida Afonso, head of legal and company secretary, REN
Experienced Legal Director and Company Secretary with over 10 years of experience leading the legal department of the REN Group. Currently heads REN’s legal and compliance department, overseeing all legal matters for the group at both national and international levels, with a proven track record in managing complex cross‑border transactions.
Marta is a lawyer with more than 25 years of experience in corporate and financial law, mergers and acquisitions, she was part of Linklaters Lisbon (including a secondment to the London office) from 2002 to 2015.
Recognized by Legal 500: “REN’s legal team, led by Marta Almeida Afonso, expertly manages a range of important internal matters. Marta’s extensive background in top-tier law firms and her strategic insight ensure the team delivers comprehensive legal support. Her collaboration with external counsel and dedication to excellence make her a trusted partner.
