João Soares da Silva

João Soares da Silva had a strong impact on several generations of lawyers. He started as a trainee of Miguel Galvão Teles, of whom he was a student, and then became his partner for 30 years. In 2004, their firm, Miguel Galvão Teles, João Soares da Silva & Associados, merged with Morais Leitão, J. Galvão Teles & Associates. The history and culture of Morais Leitão was indelibly marked by his personality and his vision of advocacy, especially his absolute dedication to defending others’ interests.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Morais Leitão from 2004 to 2012, he was one of the most brilliant lawyers in Portugal. João Soares da Silva graduated in law from the Law School of the University of Lisbon and had a post-graduate qualification in Finance from CIFAG – Instituto das Participações do Estado. He attended the “International Aspects of Legal Finance” course at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. He was also a “Certified International Director (IDP-C)” by INSEAD.

A member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 1979, he was chairman of the panel appointed by the General Council to assess applications for the title of specialist lawyer in financial law, a founding member of the Securities Institute, a member of the ECGI – European Corporate Governance Institute, a member of the Club of Florence – Instituto Internazionale per una buona Corporate Governance, member of the INSEAD International Directors Network and member of the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre.

As a lawyer, João Soares da Silva was rightly recognised for the excellence and incredible elegance of his legal work, both in Portugal and abroad.

In 2018, he published A propósito de Corporate Governance e de Direito das Sociedades e dos Valores Mobiliários: escritos vários (On Corporate Governance and Corporate and Securities Law: selected essays), a collection of twenty years of studies and reflections on issues of company and securities law and corporate governance, in which he combines his unique practical experience with admirable theoretical knowledge.