Key team members:

Bruno Pina, General Counsel, Portugal

Vanessa Morgado, Legal Manager

Marta Pereira, Senior Legal Counsel

Miguel Soares Branco, Senior Legal Counsel

Miguel Lamy, Senior Legal Counsel

Guilherme Drummond Ludovice, Legal Counsel

Rui Fonseca, Legal Specialist

Team size: Seven

Jurisdictions your role covers: Portugal.

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

The Repsol Portugal legal team has played a central role in supporting the company’s strategic objectives, particularly in advancing the energy transition and promoting sustainable growth. The team’s legal expertise and dedication have been critical to the success of several high-profile initiatives, reinforcing Repsol’s position as a leader in innovation and responsible business practices in Portugal.

A notable example of the team’s recent contributions is its involvement in the modernisation and expansion of the Sines petrochemical complex. This project represents the largest industrial investment in Portugal in the past decade and has been recognised by the Portuguese government as a Project of Potential National Interest (PIN), with an investment of €657 million. The legal team has provided end-to-end legal support across all phases of this landmark development, dealing with contractual aspects as well as licensing and regulatory issues.

The team has also overseen the legal framework for the construction of one of the largest electrolysis units approved by Repsol to date, dedicated to the production of renewable hydrogen. This initiative forms part of the broader decarbonisation strategy for the Sines facility and includes the commissioning of a 6.6 MWh photovoltaic plant in 2023, with a further 20.9 MWh plant scheduled to become operational in late 2025.

In line with Repsol’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, the legal team has been actively involved in projects aimed at the immediate decarbonisation of mobility. In particular, the team has supported the development and nationwide rollout of 100% renewable fuels, now available at Repsol service stations across Portugal, addressing the regulatory challenges of this initiative.

Within the Client division, the legal team has played a key role in shaping a multi-energy strategy that delivers innovative solutions for both mobility and domestic energy needs. Since July 2021, Repsol has expanded its electricity and natural gas supply services, with the legal team ensuring the establishment of robust legal frameworks to underpin this ambitious growth.

The team has also facilitated the establishment of the Repsol Foundation’s local presence in Portugal, providing ongoing legal support for a range of social initiatives. This includes assistance with the signing of a protocol between the Portuguese Government, the Repsol Foundation, and the Sylvestris Group to launch the “Motor Verde +Floresta” project—the largest reforestation initiative in Portugal. The project aims to restore biodiversity across 100,000 hectares through the planting of over 90 million native trees.

What are some of the biggest legal or regulatory challenges currently facing your industry, and how is your team preparing to address them?

The energy transition and digital transformation are two of the most significant challenges currently shaping the business environment. These developments require coordinated efforts across all areas of the organisation, with the legal function playing a particularly important role. Our legal team is actively involved in a wide range of projects—supporting the development of new business areas and exploring emerging sectors—while continuing to provide robust legal support to our more established operations.

This period of change brings both opportunities and demands. It calls for careful preparation and a proactive, solution-oriented approach. In response, Repsol’s legal team spearheaded the Protea Project, a pioneering initiative to create an efficient, innovation-driven legal department. Protea supports Repsol’s global strategy and has integrated advanced technologies, fostered cross-functional collaboration, and developed new professional profiles. Innovative working models, such as liquid teams and AI tools, have been introduced to enhance efficiency and strategic impact.

Our continued focus on transformation ensures we remain flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the business, helping to position Repsol for success in the face of the challenges and opportunities presented by the energy transition and digital change. In this sense, Repsol’s legal department is the first in Portugal to strategically partner with Harvey, leveraging the power of domain-specific foundation models to automate and optimise complex legal tasks across both litigation and transactional work.

How do you approach talent development and knowledge sharing within your legal team? Are there any specific practices or programmes in place?

The Protea Project is a revolutionary model of collaboration within the legal team and with our strategic stakeholders. Driven by the legal team’s commitment to forming fluid teams that think outside the box, move faster, and act more creatively, this initiative focuses on enhancing innovation processes and business partner relationships through new collaborative models and digital tools. It emphasises the importance of agile, multidisciplinary teams in legal work.

Protea introduces a groundbreaking ecosystem for legal collaboration and management within Repsol. It has involved the creation of innovative workspaces that incorporate new approaches to collaboration, work models, and the use of digital tools. It serves as a dynamic hub for advanced training, stakeholder engagement, and the promotion of cutting-edge innovation, integrating:

A holistic training model: The elastic model is a completely new concept of the in-house lawyer, ensuring that legal professionals are not only proficient in legal knowledge but also equipped with essential digital and business skills to navigate the evolving legal landscape.

This dynamic model has required the planning of specific training itineraries, considering different professional stages, years of experience, business areas, and individual development goals—while also addressing the exacting demands of this complex industry. It combines mandatory training, to ensure the evolution of Repsol’s legal profile, with individuals’ willingness to acquire competencies and knowledge from other areas within legal. This creates both collective and personal development within a unique model that evolves alongside the professional. Fully aligned with one of Protea’s strategic pillars and aimed at elevating the legal team to a new level to lead Repsol’s transformation and accelerate new ways of working, the exclusive creation of the Harvard & IE Law School Certificate on “Repsol Legal Methodology” was one of the key innovations in 2024. The programme was jointly designed by Repsol and IE, with the collaboration of Harvard Law School.

Transversal and collaborative ways of working: Protea has also introduced multidisciplinary “liquid teams” and pioneering initiatives such as the “Projects Corner” and the “Time Bank,” enabling professionals across legal departments globally to dedicate up to 10% of their time to other projects within the legal area. These new working methods break down traditional silos and encourage cross-functional teamwork and knowledge sharing, enhancing the overall efficiency and adaptability of the legal department. They also help broaden our team’s experience and strengthen shared knowledge and collaboration.