Frederico Gonçalves Pereira > VdA > Lisbon, Portugal > Lawyer Profile

Well-regarded for its expertise across a wide range of matters, the restructuring and insolvency team at VdA excels in financial restructuring, distressed asset negotiations, voluntary business recovery, special revitalisation processes, and insolvency proceedings. The practice is jointly steered by Frederico Gonçalves Pereira, a seasoned commercial litigator and corporate restructuring expert and Paulo Olavo Cunha, who is frequently engaged in significant projects, transactions, and group restructuring operations. Teresa Pitôrra is a key figure for both creditors and debtors, with a strong focus on restructuring and insolvency cases in sectors like banking and telecoms, while Catarina Carvalho Cunha specialises in restructuring and insolvency matters across Portugal and Portuguese-speaking African countries, assisting clients in the telecoms, banking, and energy sectors.

VdA retains a prominent position in the Portuguese disputes market, widely recognised as a ‘benchmark in the sector’, advising a prolific roster of clients on a range of matters from civil and commercial litigation and arbitration to shareholder, M&A, distribution and construction disputes. Practice co-head Frederico Gonçalves Pereira, who is praised for his ‘strong experience’, specialises in restructuring and insolvency matters. Fellow co-head Carla Gonçalves Borges is noted for her focus on national and international civil and commercial litigation and arbitration. Mariana França Gouveia remains active in major cross-border disputes involving lusophone jurisdictions, while Miguel Pinto Cardoso focuses on international and domestic arbitration involving both commercial and investor-state disputes. Joana Neves shines in civil and commercial litigation, as well as arbitration proceedings, involving the telecoms, energy, tech, infrastructure, insurance and financial services sectors.