VdA retains a prominent position in the Portuguese disputes market, widely recognised as a ‘benchmark in the sector’, advising a prolific roster of clients on a range of matters from civil and commercial litigation and arbitration to shareholder, M&A, distribution and construction disputes. Practice co-head Frederico Gonçalves Pereira, who is praised for his ’strong experience’, specialises in restructuring and insolvency matters. Fellow co-head Carla Gonçalves Borges is noted for her focus on national and international civil and commercial litigation and arbitration. Mariana França Gouveia remains active in major cross-border disputes involving lusophone jurisdictions, while Miguel Pinto Cardoso focuses on international and domestic arbitration involving both commercial and investor-state disputes. Joana Neves shines in civil and commercial litigation, as well as arbitration proceedings, involving the telecoms, energy, tech, infrastructure, insurance and financial services sectors.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘VdA's litigation team is rightly recognised as a benchmark in the sector, offering a high-quality service, supported by in-depth knowledge of the procedural dynamics, functioning and trends of the courts, combined with technical/legal knowledge of the topics under review.'
'I highlight the ability to allocate and adapt the team of lawyers to monitor cases according to needs and to present innovative and disruptive solutions.'
‘From the very solid and homogeneous team, I would highlight Frederico Gonçalves Pereira and Joana Neves, highlighting their competence, availability, dedication and ability to solve extremely complex problems.'
‘Ana Lickfold Novaes e Silva stands out. She is a great litigator with a sharp mind for detail and she knows how to break down complex technical issues. She is also able to establish great rapport within the defence team including with experts and to ensure that witness interviews/depositions can as smoothly as possible.'
‘VDA provides a permanent customer support service, with a multidisciplinary team with different knowledge and experiences.'
‘Partner Frederico Gonçalves Pereira: Strong experience and unique ability to think and define the strategy that best serves the client.'
'Joana Neves: Strong technical solidity associated with extraordinary organisational capacity.'
‘Great in-depth legal knowledge, highly motivated, excellent litigation expertise.'
Key clients
- Banco Comercial Português, S.A
- Caixa Geral de Depósitos, S.A.
- Republic of Angola
- CTT – Correios de Portugal, S.A.
- Grupo Alves Ribeiro
- MEO – Serviços de Comunicação e Multimédia, S.A.
- Roche – Sistemas de Diagnósticos, Sociedade Unipessoal, Lda.
- Abed El Jaouni and the I-Jet Aviation Group
- Minas Moatize, Limitada
- Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados
Work highlights
- Representing BCP and CGD in a more than €1bn complex set of disputes against businessman and art collector José Berardo and his corporate group (Berardo Group).
- Representing the Republic of Angola in a $112.8m ICSID arbitration brought by a Portuguese investor against Angola.
- Representing MEO in a €383m private enforcement of competition law class action initiated by the consumer association Ius Omnibus aiming at the compensation of consumers for damages arising from alleged anti-competitive behaviour.
Lawyers
Hall of fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next generation partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Joana Neves
Practice head
Frederico Gonçalves Pereira; Carla Gonçalves Borges
Other key lawyers
Mariana França Gouveia, Miguel Pinto Cardoso, Joana Neves, Ana Lickfold Novaes e Silva, Matilde Líbano Monteiro, Catarina Carvalho Cunha