It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados announces to its clients, colleagues and friends that Miguel Galvão Teles, one of our founding partners, has passed away.
Miguel Galvão Teles does not need an introduction in the Portuguese legal area. Besides his leading expertise in Constitutional Law and Public International Law to which he substantially contributed, practically there does not exist an area that has not benefited from the depth of his thought.
The scientific value of his work, as well as his personal qualities, fully justified the homage from the Portuguese and international legal community in 2012, with the launch of the book Studies in Homage to Miguel Galvão Teles, written by approximately 90 authors, members of the national and international scientific community.
He was equally recognised by the Portuguese State having received the Grand Cross of the Order of Henry the Navigator (1986) and the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ (2004). Internationally, his distinctive career was honored in 2006 with the “Chambers’ Lifetime Achievement Award”, awarded by the prestigious legal publication Chambers and Partners.
Miguel Galvão Teles was born in Foz do Douro, Porto, in 1939. He had a Law degree from the Law Faculty of the University of Lisbon and a Master's Degree from the same Faculty. In 1959, he received the “Gulbenkian Award for Political-Economic Sciences” and in 1961 the “Gulbenkian Award for Historical-Juridical Sciences”. He was a former Professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Lisbon, in charge of the Chair of Constitutional Law (until 1978) and member of the Law Faculty of the University of Lisbon Restructuring Committee (1976-1977). He was a former member of the Council of State of the Portuguese Republic from 1982 to 1986.
Miguel Galvão Teles had also wide activity in litigation matters, including appearances before the International Court of Justice (notably representing the Portuguese Republic in the East Timor case) and International Arbitral Tribunals. He was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague.
Further from his distinctive career in Law, Miguel Galvão Teles was also known for his great passion for “his” football club, Sporting Clube de Portugal. In 1995 he became President of the General Assembly, position he occupied with great credit for 11 years, convoying with four managing Presidents. In 1996 he was distinguished with the “Stomp Award”, in the Member category.
“No words can express the dimension of the loss we have suffered. Not only the ones who had the privilege of share our lives with him, but all who knew the extraordinary human being he was; and also the Institution we are, created under the light of the incomparable figure, recognised both nationally and internationally in the legal world, who was Miguel Galvão Teles. Today a part of us died.”
João Soares da Silva
Chairman of the firm’s Board of Directors, Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados
