The ‘extremely competent, reliable and responsive’ team at Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados provides ‘outstanding advice and representation in tax disputes’. Francisco de Sousa da Câmara advised Abbott on its global split into two public companies, and is assisting Barraqueiro Transportes in a corporate income tax arbitration against the Portuguese state. Oporto-based António Lobo Xavier acts for Barclays Bank. Isabel Santos Fidalgo ‘takes all possible scenarios into consideration’, António Côrte-Real Neves is ‘very meticulous and assertive’, and Nuno de Oliveira Garcia is ‘excellent’.
Providing ‘a complete service’ and ‘extremely reliable advice’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados has ‘outstanding knowledge’ and ‘a deep understanding of clients’ needs’. Experienced telecoms practitioner Nuno Peres Alves advised Optimus – Comunicações in relation to the 4G spectrum auction. Joaquim Vieira Peres is representing Optimus in a private antitrust enforcement claim against PT, seeking €11.2m in compensation. António Lobo Xavier, based in Oporto, heads a team that includes João Alfredo Afonso, who has data protection experience, and Helena Tapp Barroso, who advised Sonae Investimentos on a software compliance review. Among the senior lawyers, Gonçalo Machado Borges is ‘very methodical’, and Eduardo Maia Cadete is also recommended. Teresa Morais Leitão left the firm in July 2012.
Shipping and Transport
2013
Responsive and commercially aware’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados provides ‘an excellent service’. On the shipping side, manager of the Madeira office Francisco de Sousa da Câmara, Manuel Freitas Pita, and senior associate Cátia Henriques Fernandes advise shipping companies and banks. Aviation matters are handled by Lisbon-based Luís Miguel Monteiro; Segismundo Pinto Basto, who ‘understands clients’ needs’; the ‘very attentive and trustworthy’ Tomás Vaz Pinto; and João Serra. TAP and Omni are clients.
At the ‘excellent’ Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados, João Pereira Reis has ‘in-depth knowledge across administrative, urban planning and environmental law’, and provides ‘excellent, authoritative and well-researched written legal opinions’. Reis is advising Sonae Capital on land use, licensing and planning matters. Filipa Arantes Pedroso advised Zara Portugal on the €73m acquisition of Massimo Dutti Portugal from the Regojo Group, and is also acting for Ponte Gadea on the acquisition of a building in Lisbon. Other clients include Eurohypo and Solaris Portugal. Senior associate Rita Ferreira Vicente is also recommended.
Top Portuguese firm’ Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is renowned for its ‘quality service’, and provides ‘assertive, appropriate and concise advice’ in public law, particularly in the pharmaceuticals, telecoms, energy and healthcare sectors. The ‘outstanding’ team of ‘very experienced, extremely qualified and client-focused’ lawyers is led by Fernanda Matoso and Margarida Olazabal Cabral. It also includes arbitrator Pedro Costa Gonçalves; and Miguel Nogueira de Brito and Nuno Peres Alves, who both made partner in June 2012 and have ‘in-depth knowledge’. Matoso is representing AgustaWestland Portugal and AWILL in a civil liability lawsuit, and Cabral continues to advise Pfizer and other pharmaceuticals companies on public procurement. Alves is advising Auchan Group on the new framework governing supermarket opening hours, and Brito and Cabral are advising REN on public procurement. Senior lawyer Bernardo Almeida Azevedo provides support from Oporto.
One of the best firms for project finance work’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados has particular experience in renewable projects in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking Africa. The team is also involved in the restructuring of credit facilities for a shopping centre development. Clients include Banco Santander Investment, the European Investment Bank, and Group Espírito Santo. Luís Branco is ‘very good’, and Filipe Lowndes Marques and senior associate Pedro Gorjão Henriques are recommended.
Intellectual Property
2013
Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ team is led by António Pinto Leite and Tomás Vaz Pinto, who has ‘profound knowledge’. The group provides ‘extremely sound and straightforward advice on complex issues’, and has a strong track record in contentious patent work. Leite continues to represent Pfizer in over 150 proceedings filed against generic drug companies, and Pinto is advising Nintendo of Europe on IP and media law issues in Portugal. Other clients include Philips IP and Champagne Louis Roederer. Associate Vasco Stilwell d’Andrade is also recommended.
Insolvency and Restructuring
2013
Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados delivers a ‘high level’ of service in insolvency and restructuring matters, and is praised for its ‘knowledge, toughness and negotiation strategies’. ‘Very meticulous’ senior lawyer Helena Soares de Moura is ‘an expert in the area’, and provides ‘quick and objective responses’. Moura is advising several insolvent companies in matters related to the Alqueva project, the largest artificial lake in the Alentejo region, and continues to advise EDP on the insolvency of Entigere. Eduardo Verde Pinho handles corporate and financial restructuring.
Energy and Environment
2013
Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is ‘without doubt one of the leading firms for energy work’. Nuno Galvão Teles and Rui de Oliveira Neves advised EDP on the disposal of a stake in EDP Renováveis Portugal to a company in the China Three Gorges group, and also advised the Portuguese Republic and Parpública on the eighth phase of the reprivatisation of EDP, worth $3.4bn. ‘One of the most active and respected energy lawyers’, Neves has ‘extensive experience handling complex transactions in the energy arena’. On the environmental side, Fernanda Matoso and João Pereira Reis act for Sonae Sierra, Abertis and Respol Resinas.
Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ practice is led by the very experienced Luís Miguel Monteiro, and acts for clients in the pharmaceuticals, telecoms, publishing, financial services, and aviation sectors. António Emílio de Vasconcelos is noted for his expertise. Helena Tapp Barroso continues to represent Impresa Group in areas including social security and litigation. Senior associates Maria João da Luz and Pedro Pardal Goulão, associate Joana Almeida and Oporto-based consultant Paula Ponces Camanho are also recommended.
The ‘extremely professional’ team at Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados has ‘deep knowledge’, and delivers ‘well-thought-out legal strategies’, with experience across antitrust investigations, merger control, state aid cases and matters before the ECJ. Carlos Botelho Moniz has an ‘outstanding capacity to analyse various legal challenges’, and recently acted for EDP on competition matters related to its privatisation process. ‘Top lawyer’ Joaquim Vieira Peres is advising EDP, Sonae Investimentos and others in claims regarding stamp duty collected in alleged breach of an EU directive. Among the senior associates, Eduardo Maia Cadete ‘easily solves difficult competition problems’, and Gonçalo Machado Borges is also recommended.
António Pinto Leite’s team at Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is an undisputed leader in litigation and arbitration. Leite continues to advise Pfizer in 150 proceedings filed against generic drug companies, and also acted as the sole arbitrator in a dispute between Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI) and a private company. Miguel Galvão Teles is advising DST Group in arbitration and litigation proceedings relating to a fibre-optic telecoms network in Oporto, and Miguel de Almada is acting in a Paris-seated arbitration relating to the performance of aircraft sales agreements. Francisco Cortez and Rui Patrício are ‘incisive and clear’. Cortez is representing ZON TV Cabo in a dispute against PT Comunicações, and Patricio acts for Medipress and BCP. António Sampaio Caramelo, José Manuel Galvão Teles and Luís Miguel Monteiro are also recommended. Other clients include Sonae, Sierra Management Portugal, BP, Abbott, EDP, and Santander.
‘Simply outstanding’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados demonstrates ‘a perfect command of client briefs’ and provides ‘thorough and innovative solutions to complex regulatory issues’. Nuno Galvão Teles and Rui de Oliveira Neves were appointed to act for the Portuguese state, Parpública and EDP in the eighth reprivatisation phase of EDP, and are noted for their ‘intellect and interpersonal skills’. The team also acted for the state and Parpública on the second reprivatisation phase of REN. In Oporto, the highly rated Carlos Osório de Castro is advising La Seda de Barcelona on the €30m sale of Artenius Portugal to Control PET. Eduardo Verde Pinho in Oporto and Liliana Malheiro Tomás have experience in the Angolan market. Segismundo Pinto Basto is ‘always on top of all issues’; Eduardo Rui Paulino is ‘totally committed’; and João Soares da Silva, Luísa Soares da Silva and Tomás Vaz Pinto are also recommended.
Best in class’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados’ ‘excellent’ securities team includes João Soares da Silva in Lisbon and Oporto-based Carlos Osório de Castro, who are both praised for their ‘all-round effectiveness and highly relevant knowledge’. A ‘clear problem-solver’, Castro has ‘vast experience’. Rui de Oliveira Neves provides ‘innovative solutions’, and recently advised INAPA on a share capital increase through an issue of preferential shares. Luísa Soares da Silva advised EDP on a €1bn facility agreement with China Development Bank Corporation and on a €250m offering of debt instruments; and also advised three Portuguese banks as joint lead managers on Brisa – Concessão Rodovíaria’s €150m notes issuance under its EMTN programme. Nuno Galvão Teles is ‘very technical and well informed’, and senior associate Ricardo Andrade Amaro is ‘focused on clients’ needs’. The team is also noted for its ‘extremely fast response times’ and its ‘knowledge of different legal jurisdictions in Europe’.
Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is highly recommended for its domestic financing work. Luís Branco’s team counts Banco Comercial Português, Banif – Banco de Investimento, Eurohypo and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria among its clients. It is active in advising key banks on debt restructuring matters, while other recent work includes assisting with the structuring of an aircraft lease agreement, and advising on a term loan facility agreement granted to an Angolan corporation. The ‘very good’ Filipe Lowndes Marques is ‘a sound lawyer’ noted for his ‘great gravitas and experience’.
Oporto: Leading Commercial Firms
2013
‘One of the best firms in Oporto’, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados maintains its significant position in the market, and is a recognised leader across a number of key areas. Highlights for Carlos Osório de Castro included advising a Portuguese bank on regulatory issues following the international bailout assistance given to the country in 2011, and advising Sonae Capital on the €37m sale of its stake in TP – Sociedade Térmica Portuguesa to Enel Green Power España. Elsewhere, consultant Paula Ponces Camanho handles employment matters; and, on the corporate side, Eduardo Verde Pinho is recommended along with the ‘totally committed’ Jorge Simões Cortez, who has ‘deep technical knowledge’. António Lobo Xavier leads on the tax side, and counts Turbogás and media group Cofina as key clients. For EU and competition matters, Joaquim Vieira Peres is singled out and acts for clients including ZON TV Cabo Portugal.