Mr João Honorato > Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados > Lisbon, Portugal > Lawyer Profile

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados
RUA CASTILHO, 165
1070-050 LISBOA
Portugal
João Honorato photo

Position

Partner

Career

Between 2014 and 2022 he was senior counsel at Galp for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, Renewable Energy and Financial Markets, and has been involved in all types of energy transactions, including oil and gas, in a variety of geographies such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Namibia, Morocco, Timor-Leste, Mexico and Uruguay.

Qualified to practice in Brazil, from 2009 to 2014 João was a senior associate at Brazilian law firm Mattos Filho, working in the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro offices and advising Clients on mergers and acquisitions, oil and gas and infrastructure deals. He was ranked as Foreign Expert for Brazil in Banking and Finance by Chambers Global (2014).

Previously, he had been working at Morais Leitão since 2002.

Furthermore, João has been active in financial transactions, with extensive experience in project finance – including of LNG facilities, solar and wind farms, motorways, football stadia and logistic parks – and in financial derivatives.

Memberships

Portuguese Bar Association. Brazilian Bar Association. Association of International Energy Negotiators.

Education

Law Degree (University of Lisbon School of Law, 2002). Postgraduate Studies in International Financial Transactions (University of Lisbon School of Law, 2009). International Oil & Gas Law, Contracts, and Negotiations – Upstream Issues and Agreements (Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, 2012). International Oil & Gas Law, Contracts, and Negotiations – Midstream Issues and Agreements (Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, 2013).

Lawyer Rankings

Portugal > Projects and project finance

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is renowned for its extensive expertise in the projects space, providing comprehensive advice, from tendering and contract negotiation to financing, in sectors such as energy, transport, water, and sanitation. Led by project finance expert Filipe Lowndes Marques, the department is equipped to handle domestic and cross-border matters, most notably projects in Portuguese-speaking African countries. Filipa Morais Alçada is a key point of contact for lenders and sponsors seeking legal support in renewable energy projects and infrastructure concessions. João Honorato, who rejoined the firm as a partner in 2022, brings vast in-house experience in the energy sector, covering project finance in the conventional and renewable segments. Cláudia Castanheira Dos Santos excels in the financing of road concessions and energy projects.

Portugal > Banking and finance

Fielding a ‘prestigious team with clear client orientation’, the banking and finance practice at Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associadosstands out as a strong choice for clients who seek advice on a range of matters, including high-value structured lending, securitisations, project finance, and fintech-related issues. Praised for the ‘mastery of the topics covered’, the practice counts prestigious Portuguese and foreign banks among its roster of clients. At the helm sits Filipe Lowndes Marques, who has extensive experience in the financing of infrastructure and energy projects. Cláudia Castanheira Dos Santos excels in structured finance, real estate and project finance, while the ‘very knowledge’ João Honorato is recommended for his strong credentials in bond and commercial paper issues, project finance and derivatives. Also part of the core team, Luís Branco is a reference in the domestic banking and finance market. Elmano Sousa Costa is praised for his ‘exhaustive knowledge of Portuguese legislation’.