Law firms that bill excessively high amounts cause
considerable frustration for Ascendi's Paulo Marinho, who wants
external lawyers to have a detailed understanding of his
company's business
It's vital that law firms have an in-depth knowledge of
their client's business, while proactivity is also a trait that
is highly valued in external lawyers, says Ascendi's
Porto-based head of legal Paulo Marinho.
Ascendi is a Portuguese road infrastructure asset management
company that provides toll collection, operation and maintenance
services. The company has majority interests in five Portuguese
toll road concessions.
Marinho says a law firm that is unwilling to understand the
specifics of the business and its problems would be unlikely to win
any business from Ascendi. Other issues that deter Marinho from
awarding a mandate to a law firm include a lack of proactivity and
excessive billing. He says that such issues can cause considerable
frustration when using external
