‘ Clearly number one’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is lauded by many as ‘ the best’ firm in Oporto. ‘ Legal genius’ and capital markets specialist Carlos Osório de Castro formed part of the team that advised Banco Commercial Português (Millennium BCP) on its €1.3bn offering of new ordinary shares. Meanwhile, competition expert Joaquim Vieira Peres assisted key client Sonae Distribuiçao with filing the proposed acquisition of Carrefour before the PCA. António Lobo Xavier is considered a ‘ tax guru’, contributing to the team a wealth of financial know-how. Although closely linked to its Lisbon counterpart, the Oporto office caters to a number of local clients, including several international football stars.

Although Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados saw the departure of Paulo Núncio and Filipa Correia Pinto in 2008, the team also welcomed the arrival of two new associates. Labeled ‘ the best’, the team is involved in some very high-profile tax structures. Recent work includes advising Accenture on the restructuring of accounting and financial services in the health sector, particularly when setting up a special vehicle. In addition to its consulting services, the team conducts tax litigation for a number of multinationals, having recently won an important case at the Administrative Supreme Court for its client Borealis. The team advises a number of banking clients, such as Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse, Bank of America and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Francisco de Sousa da Câmara is considered by many to be ‘ outstanding’, while Oporto-based António Lobo Xavier is praised for his ‘ capacity, knowledge and commitment to the client’.

Recent highlights for Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados include advising Impresa on its acquisition of several media companies, as well as assisting Sonaecom in a number of high-profile acquisitions, valued at €50m. António Lobo Xavier leads a department that clients praise as ‘ very efficient and very good quality’, citing, ‘ we can always trust on the work done’.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ shipping practice is split across three offices, with António Lobo Xavier in Oporto and Francisco de Sousa da Câmara shared between Lisbon and Madeira. The team advises on management and maintainence procedures for several shipping companies established with the International Business Centre of Madeira (IBCM). The team also assists such clients with the registration of fleet vessels with the International Shipping Register of Madeira (‘MAR’).

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is recognised as having ‘ several very strong clients’, many of which are pulled from the tourism sector. One such client includes SAIP, whom the firm advised on the planning and construction of a tourism real estate venture in Alentejo. The team is also advising Vila Sol on the planning and construction a €320m tourism development. Meanwhile, Sonae Sierra has instructed the firm to advise on real estate matters related to shoppings centres, land use, planning and municipal taxes. Fernanda Matoso heads this 6 fee-earner team that also includes the notable João Pereira Reis.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados fields one of Portugal’s largest public law teams, led by the highly revered Fernanda Matoso, who is ably supported by leading practitioners, João Serra, João Pereira Reis and Pedro Gonçalves. The team was instructed by the Portuguese Government and NAER – Novo Aeroporto to advise on the privitization model of ANA and the construction of the new Lisbon Airport, as well as assisting with the drafting of public tender documents. In the education sector, the team is advising Parque Escolar on the drafting and implementation of the contracting model for the process of state school modernization. EDP – Gestão da Produção de Energia remains a key client, with recent instructions including assisting with the negotiating and closing of the public concession contracts concerning various hydroelectric stations and correspondeing dams.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados advised an international syndicate of banks on the €471m project finance structure of the Marão Tunnel highway concession, the first to close under the new Portuguese roads legal framework. The team also advised another syndicate of banks on the €557.7m financing of a power plant in Pego. Luís Branco, noted for offering ‘ always brilliant solutions’, leads the department, while Filipe Lowndes Marques is considered a key practitioner. The team ‘ has the expertise and knowledge to provide legal services to a project finance deals for both sponsors and banks’.Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares Da Silva & Associados advised an international syndicate of banks on the €471m project finance structure of the Marão Tunnel highway concession, the first to close under the new Portuguese roads legal framework. The team also advised another syndicate of banks on the €557.7m financing of a power plant in Pego. Luís Branco, noted for offering ‘ always brilliant solutions’, leads the department, while Filipe Lowndes Marques is considered a key practitioner. The team ‘ has the expertise and knowledge to provide legal services to a project finance deals for both sponsors and banks’.

Clients feel ‘ greatly confident’ in the technical ability of Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados, and point towards department leaders, António Pinto Leite and Tomáas Vaz Pinto as a solid duo for IP matters. With high-profile clients such as Pfizer, and a steady stream of complex casework involving litigation and trade mark matters, the team is held in extremely high regard.Clients feel ‘ greatly confident’ in the technical ability of Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares Da Silva & Associados, and point towards department leaders, António Pinto Leite and Tomáas Vaz Pinto as a solid duo for IP matters. With high-profile clients such as Pfizer, and a steady stream of complex casework involving litigation and trade mark matters, the team is held in extremely high regard.

The strength of Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ corporate practice has led such clients to also seek the advice of its highly regarded employment lawyers. As a result, the team represents some of Portugal’s biggest and most reputable companies, and is seen as a go-to practice for the whole range of employment law matters. According to one client, the team demonstrates ‘ profound knowledge of my issues, knowledge about my company and our way of doing business, and is dedicated and committed to the subjects we ask them to be involved with’. Recently, the team has seen a steady stream of collective dismissal work, judicial employment litigation activity and collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Luís Miguel Monteiro leads a team that inspires ‘ great confidence’ among clients.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares Da Silva & Associados is home to leading expert Carlos Botelho Moniz, as well as Oporto-based Joaquim Vieira Peres. The team, praised for its ‘ knowledge and commitment’, is extremely active in merger control, judicial antitrust and administrative proceedings. Recent casework includes representing EDP in a filing before the PCA regarding the proposed acquisition of 11 mini-hydroelectric power plants to Babcock and Brown companies, Pebble Hydro and Hidroeléctrica de Janeiro de Baixo. The team also acted for TAP Portugal in a filing before the PCA concerning the acquisition and sole control over regional carrier PGA. Other team members worthy of recognition include Margarida Rosado da Fonseca, Eduardo Maia Cadete and Gonçalo Machado Borges.

Considered by clients ‘in a league of their own’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados has long been regarded as leaders in this field. Acting for big-ticket clients, such as Pfizer, BP, EDP, Sonae and Abbott, the team attracts some of the most coveted and complex cases within the Portuguese legal market. The team’s capabilities are broad, spanning arbitration, civil, commercial, criminal and labour litigation. António Pinto Leite leads the department, while both José Manuel Galvão Teles and Miguel Galvão Teles have traditionally been hailed as two of Portugal’s leading dispute resolution practitioners.Considered by clients ‘ in a league of their own’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares Da Silva & Associados has long been regarded as leaders in this field. Acting for big-ticket clients, such as Pfizer, BP, EDP, Sonae and Abbott, the team attracts some of the most coveted and complex cases within the Portuguese legal market. The team’s capabilities are broad, spanning arbitration, civil, commercial, criminal and labour litigation. António Pinto Leite leads the department, while both José Manuel Galvão Teles and Miguel Galvão Teles have traditionally been hailed as two of Portugal’s leading dispute resolution practitioners.

With ‘ great leaders and good teams’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados has traditionally been regarded as ‘ the best’ Portuguese firm. The team advised EDP and EDP Renováveis on the IPO of 25% of EDP Renováveis’ share capital, the largest IPO ever made in Portugal. Additional highlights include advising Banco Comercial Poruguês (Millennium BCP) on the €1.3bn offering of new ordinary shares, while Sonae Distribuição instructed the team to advise on the €662m acquisition of 99% of the share capital of Carrefour. With João Soares da Silva leading the department, peers comment, ‘ when we’re against the firm, we know we have a strong competitor’. Carlos Osório de Castro and Nuno Galvão Teles attract praise from clients.

Hailed as ‘one of the most brilliant capital markets teams in Portugal’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados possesses tremendous expertise in this area. Opposite Linklaters LLP, the firm advised EDP on the restructuring of its renewable assets under EDP Renováveis in preparation for an IPO that proved to be one of Europe’s largest, and subsequent listing on Euronext Lisbon. On the debt capital markets side, the team advised Banco Comercial Português (as issuer), Deutsche Bank (as arranger for Banco Espírito Santo) and Morgan Stanley (as arranger for Banco Santander Totta) on the establishment of three of four Portuguese covered bond programmes. This 10-partner department is fielded by João Soares da Silva who, along with Carlos Osório de Castro, is praised as a ‘ pre-eminent capital markets practitioner’, with the team displaying ‘ more knowledge and more commitment to clients’ than others.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is considered ‘an excellent choice’ for banking and finance matters. Its reputation is largely attributed to the calibre of its lawyers, including the formidable Luís Branco, considered ‘ the best Portuguese banking lawyer there is’, partner Filipe Lowndes Marques, and senior lawyer, Pedro Gorjao Henriques. The team advised Eurohype-Lisbon in the refinancing of two shopping centres; the deal, valued at €171.5m, involved using a complex crossed security structure in order to avoid financial assistant issues. The team also advised Bank of America on an acquisition finance matter for Carlyle Group, while other banking clients include Millennium BCP and Norscut. Clients rate the team’s ‘ knowledge, efficiency, performance and integrity’.