Couto, Graça e Associados, lda – member of CMS

The firm: CGA – Couto, Graça e Associados, Lda. is a Mozambican law firm integrating multidisciplinary and focused teams with expertise in various fields of law that work in collaboration and share knowledge and information, in order to satisfy our client´s needs and expectations. Our firm embraces a spirit of diversity and inclusion and our lawyers are committed to create enduring client relationships founded in a value driven culture employing safe, pragmatic and innovative legal solutions tailored to each client´s requirements.

Our recognized expertise in the fields of corporate and commercial law, regulatory compliance and public law, banking and finance, capital markets, real estate, tax, labor and employment law, arbitration and litigation, information technology law and aviation and maritime law, afforded CGA a consistent top tear firm ranking by top ranking agencies, namely Chambers Global Guide, Legal 500 EMEA and IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate Guide. We´ve been also the only Mozambican firm listed among the Top 50 largest law firms in Africa in accordance with Africa Legal.

By being a full member of CMS , CGA is able to offer its clients a unique, comprehensive, and multi-jurisdictional approach, providing access to a global community of more than 5,800 lawyers spread across 74 cities and 44 countries.

Areas of practice
Corporate and M&A: the firm’s corporate and commercial practice advises clients on national and international corporate transactions, mainly mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, joint ventures, private equity investments, corporate restructurings, assets and business transactions, and collaboration agreements.

Banking, finance and insurance: the firm’s specialized finance practice includes counselling on all corporate and structured finance transactions, including asset, acquisition, corporate, project and structured financing; sale-and-leaseback transactions; other models of asset outsourcing; asset, mortgage and synthetic securitizations; assignments of credit; issuing of fixed-income and structured instruments, as well as other financial instruments and consumer credit. It also includes advice on several matters regarding insurance in the country.

Public law and regulatory compliance: the public law and regulatory practice includes advice on the following sub-practice areas: energy, mining, oil and gas, infrastructure and PPPs. The practice includes lawyers from different areas with extensive experience in the oil and gas exploration activities, energy and public infrastructures.

Foreign investment: the firm advises major companies on structuring of foreign investments in Mozambique regarding the specific framework for the realization in the Mozambican territory of ventures that involve national or foreign private investments in order to assure the legal protection of goods and rights.

Litigation: the firm has an leadership position in litigation based on unique experience and knowledge of local courts, which ensures the most efficient and successful approach to each case.

Labor and employment: the firm provides clients with multiple services, including strategic planning of employment-specific treatment required by senior management, employment due diligence, as well as client representation during inspection by labor authorities, court labor disputes, negotiations and litigations (at court and arbitrations).

Intellectual property: the IP area provides legal advisory services in the process of registration of trademarks, patents, internet domain names, management, follow up and litigation of trademarks, patents, industrial designs as well as on the copyrights.