António Payan Martins > CMS > Lisbon, Portugal > Lawyer Profile

CMS marries a wealth of experience in construction law, public procurement and government contracts with a strong track record in high-end corporate and financing transactions. ‘The firm features professionals with very specific and specialised knowledge of the energy sector in Portugal‘, and is a main port of call for international financial institutions engaged in the financing of renewable projects, including wind farms and photovoltaic plants. Department head António Payan Martins specialises in banking and finance law, with considerable experience in Portuguese-speaking countries. Alberto Galhardo Simões leads the firm’s Lusophone Africa team, handling infrastructure projects for both public and private clients. Mónica Carneiro Pacheco is lauded as a ‘reference in the energy sector in Portugal’.

Routinely engaged by domestic and foreign banks, multilateral institutions and borrowers, the team at CMS is well positioned to assist with an array of banking and finance mandates, including NPL deals, real estate finance, acquisition finance, structured products and financial disputes. The team is led by António Payan Martins, who has a strong track record in the financing of infrastructure projects and in the structuring of foreign investments. A variety of domestic and international companies and banks regularly turn to Francisco Xavier de Almeida, who brings together expertise in securitisations, M&A, private equity and capital markets issues. Senior associate Filipa Gaspar Branco offers key support in pan-European and cross-border factoring transactions.

Drawing on the firm’s global expertise, CMS effectively serves clients from diverse sectors, including banking, finance, real estate, retail, and telecoms, offering advice on both the transactional and litigation aspects of restructuring and insolvency matters. The leadership of the team is shared by three partner: Nuno Pena, who is proficient in Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive-related issues; Miguel Esperança Pina, who shines in domestic and international arbitration; and António Payan Martins, who brings substantial expertise in special situations, restructurings, and transactions involving distressed assets and non-performing loans. The team was further reinforced in August 2022 by the addition of Gonçalo Madeira from Cuatrecasas.