Team size: Two

Major legal advisors: Garrigues and Cuatrecasas

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Telpark is the leading carpark operator in Iberia and the fourth largest operator in Europe, with a strong presence in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. 

The legal department at Telpark Portugal is responsible for providing legal support to all Telpark companies within the Portuguese jurisdiction, as well as coordinating several projects with our Iberian teams, legal, operations, EV, Commercial and others. 

The diversity of matters and projects that are brought to us ensures that there is always a wide variety of legal issues and projects to plan and/or implement. In the last year our legal team have been involved in very different and important projects for the growth of Telpark, as well as to its restructure namely: (i) the sale of Telpark operation in Turkey; (ii) M&A transactions regarding the acquisition and construction of car parks; (iii) the due diligence process for the eventual sale of Telpark Group; (iv) new mobility projects regarding mobility hubs and (v) more recently the EV project for the transition of Telpark OPC company has an energy supply company.

What do you value most in external advisers working alongside your team: sector knowledge, responsiveness, innovation, or something else? 

What we value most in external advisers working alongside our legal team is a combination of deep sector expertise, commercial understanding, responsiveness, and the ability to operate as a genuine strategic partner to the business. While technical legal excellence is essential, we place equal importance on advisers who understand the broader commercial, operational, and regulatory environment in which we operate. 

Sector knowledge is particularly valuable because it enables advisers to provide practical and context-driven guidance rather than purely theoretical legal analysis. Responsiveness and effective communication are also critical. In a fast-moving business environment, we rely on external counsel who are accessible, proactive, and capable of delivering clear and concise advice within demanding timelines. The ability to communicate complex legal issues in a straightforward and business-oriented manner is especially important, as it facilitates efficient decision-making across the organisation. 

In addition, we highly value innovation and adaptability. This includes a willingness to leverage technology, improve efficiencies in legal processes, and propose creative solutions to complex matters. 

Ultimately, the most effective external advisers are those who integrate seamlessly with the in-house legal team, demonstrate a strong understanding of our strategic objectives, and consistently deliver practical, commercially focused, and solution-oriented advice.

How has the role of the legal function evolved within your organisation over recent years, and where do you see it adding the most strategic value today? 

A few years ago, much of the legal team’s work was centered on traditional responsibilities: managing contracts, handling disputes, ensuring regulatory compliance, and mitigating legal risk when issues were escalated. The function was often brought in at the later stages of decision-making, mainly to review or approve actions that had already been shaped by commercial teams. 

Today, that model has changed substantially. Legal is embedded much earlier in business planning and execution. The pace of regulatory change, the complexity of M&A transactions, compliance, Data Protection increased scrutiny around data use, ESG, AI, governance, and the broader expectation of corporate accountability have all expanded the role. Legal is no longer just protecting the business from downside risk; it is helping shape how the business grows responsibly and competitively. 

Along the years, Telpark legal department has grow from: gatekeeper to strategic advisor; isolated legal support to integrated business partnership and expertise alone to broader governance leadership. 

Today, the legal function is adding the most strategic value in decision-making at the intersection of risk, growth and innovation.