Major Portuguese and international companies turn to PLMJ for its ‘above-average expertise’ in EU and competition law and understanding of the regulatory environment. Ricardo Oliveira oversees the practice, bringing ’solid experience’ defending domestic and multinational clients in cartel matters, abuse of dominance cases, competition litigation and merger control. Rita Aleixo Gregório is recognised for her competence in State aid, cartel cases, vertical agreements and audits. Martim Valente is a ‘go-to’ adviser for international clients in class actions and merger control, while the ’pragmatic and efficient’ Alexandra Dias Henriques focuses on restrictive practices cases and compliance. João Prata Rodrigues is experienced in administrative offences and private enforcement.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘The competition team is of the highest quality, demonstrating not only legal but also economic knowledge – both essential in this field. Both the team leaders and associates exhibit above-average expertise in this area, making them arguably the best competition team nationally.’
‘As a PLMJ client, I believe the firm stands out from others due to its experience in competition law, its highly practical approach to the issues, and its adaptability to the diverse stakeholders it interacts with within the company.'
‘PLMJ's competition team is excellent: attentive to detail and always available. They stand out for their ability to understand the industry and the client's business model, which is essential for an effective defence. Their responsiveness (always quick and well-founded) makes the PLMJ team a benchmark choice in competition law.’
‘PLMJ has consistently impressed with its professionalism and collaborative spirit. The team is responsive, commercially minded, and easy to work with across borders. Their ability to align with international counsel and deliver clear, pragmatic advice makes them a strong partner for complex matters in competition law. We worked with them on merger control and complex distribution issues.’
‘Martim Valente delivered a very practical training for senior management and acted as an inspector in a mock dawn raid, managing to portray his role so well that the internal teams didn't realise it. In turn, Rodrigo Policarpo is always available and is leading several compliance initiatives on his own.’
‘Martim Valente continues to be my go-to lawyer in Portugal, particularly for tech matters. Martim is an exceptional advocate across both Portuguese and EU law. Moreover, he is deeply embedded in the tech landscape with an excellent grasp of cutting-edge and emerging technologies, e.g., AI. He is extremely user-friendly and combines this with a strong relationship with the AdC, which has facilitated my clients in developing their own relationships with the regulator.’

Key clients

Mastercard
PrimeDrinks
Volvo/Renault Trucks
NBC Universal
Grupo Bimbo
Tabaqueira (Philip Morris International Group)
Start Campus
Affidea
Dreammedia
Eleven Sports Network
Cabelte (Oxy Capital Group)
Live Nation

Work highlights

Advising the Mastercard group on the consumer class action brought by Ius Omnibus, a consumer protection association, which is asking for compensation for all Portuguese consumers who were allegedly impacted by Mastercard’s anticompetitive practices, as identified by the European Commission.

Advising PrimeDrinks on an investigation launched by the Portuguese Competition Authority into the food and drinks sector, in particular, on possible hub-and-spoke arrangements involving several suppliers and retailers.

Assisting Volvo/Renault Trucks with preparing their defence against damages claims stemming from an infringement decision issued by the European Commission relating to an alleged antitrust arrangement in the truck sector.