M L

Sobre Nós

A Sociedade

‘Elmano Sousa Costa and Cláudia Castanheira dos Santos are recommended.’

‘We worked on an extremely challenging transaction and the team were extremely professional and responsive.’

‘Cláudia Santos Cruz was amazing. Cláudia is a very talented lawyer.’

'Extensive legal and market knowledge essential for the success of the operation.’

‘ML’s team has been involved in a large number if not the majority of all key ECM deals and several DCM deals in Portugal for decades. They know extensively the process from within, all the key stakeholders, the applicable laws and regulations and its interpretations. Its team has also proactively promoted changes on behalf of its clients such as proposed law changes.’

‘We interact with several partners and senior associates from Morais Leitão and it may be unfair to leave some of them unmentioned since the overall quality is excellent. I would highlight the dream team that includes Carlos Osório de Castro, Diana Ribeiro Duarte, Eduardo Paulino, Maria do Lago, Marisa Larguinho, Ricardo Amaro, and Tomás Vaz Pinto. Several things distinguish ML’s team from the competition: a wide and flexible choice of practitioners; a mix of innovative young persons with an established group of experienced persons; sympathy and accessibility.’

‘Response readiness, constant availability, competence and rigour.’

‘Team with excellent knowledge, a lot of experience, great availability and excellent contacts with relevant entities.’

‘Carlos Osório de Castro has the ability to find solutions that meet the client’s needs; Eduardo Paulino stands out for his level of knowledge, experience and availability.’

Ricardo Andrade Amaro is recommended.’

 

‘Deep knowledge of the matters, enormous quality of the work delivered. They take into account the company’s perspective to create more value and better decisions. They are super available and always deliver. They are resilient. They have a lot of experience and add immense value every time.’

‘In this area, I would highlight Jorge Simões Cortez and Eduardo Paulino, two absolutely outstanding people.’

‘Extensive legal and market knowledge essential for the success of the transaction.’

‘Ricardo Andrade Amaro stands out.’

‘Over the years MLGTS has managed to grow substantially while maintaining excellent quality across the board.’

‘Eduardo Paulino is an excellent, responsive and intelligent lawyer.’

‘Morais Leitão is clearly a leading firm in Portugal.’

‘Eduardo Paulino is a very good M&A lawyer with plenty of experience.’

‘I emphasise the quality of the services provided and the constant updating of knowledge manifested by MLGT, given the complexity of the Regulation, its implementation and verification of its compliance. I also emphasise the diversity of knowledge on other matters of law, which is particularly useful in this type of services, given the various implications that the GDPR has on other matters (eg labor legislation and contractual matters).’

‘There is a Privacy and Personal Data team headed by an absolutely exceptional lawyer, competent, with a superior delivery quality, deeply knowledgeable about matters, resilient, who knows the client and the business extremely well, which always adds value.’

‘Tiago Felix da Costa is the partner responsible for this area. This same lawyer is also a reference in criminal law and administrative offences. His participation in all matters assigned to him in both areas – privacy and criminal – is always outstanding and extremely recognised within the company.’

‘Firm with a recognised ability to provide a global service, covering all areas of practice, with a very high quality of service, and with expert teams per practice area that are very well prepared and monitored by responsible partners with extensive and recognised experience in the national legal market. One of the most relevant characteristics of the profile of the Morais Leitão office lies in the great focus that the teams have on the Client and on the solutions they seek to find for the client’s needs within the regulatory constraints. Teams with excellent monitoring and knowledge of the Client. Very transparent invoicing system.’

‘Helena Tapp Barroso – Partner with extensive experience in the area of privacy and data protection. Perspective highly focused on finding innovative solutions adapted to client needs. Excellent client management skills.’

‘They have demonstrated speed, efficiency, and creativity. We have faced a few unusual issues in the data protection space, and MLGTS has provided creative, smart advice even in the face of uncertainty and novel procedural questions. They have deep expertise, and relationships within the legal community that allow them to understand how opposing parties think, strategise, and react.’

‘Particular credit must be given to Tiago Félix da Costa, for his clarity of communication and excellent management of the team of associates working with us. We had little familiarity with the rules of the Portuguese system, and Tiago has been careful to educate us about what we can expect and what the various pathways ahead might look like, without being patronizing or assuming prior knowledge. Additionally, Tiago’s connections and insight into other parties’ approaches have been exceptional.’

‘It stands out for its competence, multidisciplinarity and the personal involvement of the partners.’

‘Sofia Vaz Sampaio is recommended.’

‘Competence; rigor; proposals for possible solutions with identification of advantages/disadvantages.’

‘Diligent, experienced with in-depth knowledge, good communicators, empathetic.’

‘The team is permanently available, having a close, clear and pedagogical contact with the client, always reflecting enormous expertise, professionalism and trust.’

‘Excellent Labor Department.’

‘José Amorim Magalhães stands out for its availability, competence, technical knowledge and focus on the client.’

‘This is a very strong practice, one of the very best in Portugal. Very responsive, used to dealing with multinationals, good English capability, and deals well with matters large and small.’

‘Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados stands out from other companies in the national legal market for its efficiency in the response, ability to understand the business and its needs, proactivity and adjustment to an era in which technology is the basis of progress.’

Tier 1

Energy and Natural Resources

2022

‘The team is large, with many senior members. In addition, the team has strong capabilities in neighbouring niches such as telecoms and IP. Finally, they have strong inroads in Africa.’

‘Luís do Nascimento Ferreira is particularly friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Pedro de Gouveia e Melo and Eduardo Maia Cadete are both very much hands on and available.’

‘Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is a leading firm in terms of knowledge, namely in the field of State aid. The service they provide is excellent, with competent, up-to-date and well-trained professionals. Contact with this firm has always proved to be very easy.’

‘Our contact was with Eduardo Maia Cadete, a person with in-depth knowledge and exceptional competence and whom we recommend. What distinguishes them from competitors is precisely their deep knowledge of the subject of State Aid, as well as the clear and unequivocal way in which they transmit their knowledge.’

‘Excellent knowledge, both legal and of the market where the company operates.’

‘Inês Gouveia – excellent professional with great knowledge in this legal area, and ability to understand the markets.’

‘Theoretical knowledge and practical experience in competition matters.’

‘Philipp Melcher and Gonçalo Machado Borges seek to understand the activity carried out by the Client and identify risks and mitigation measures to prevent violation of competition law.’

Tiago Félix da Costa is an outstanding lawyer, capable of presenting innovative solutions that are completely suited to the client’s situation. While very pragmatic and solution-oriented (problem solver), he is very knowledgeable and inspires confidence in the solutions and approaches he presents.’

Morais Leitão is a very good and solid law firm. It is very easy to work with them, because they have a variety of areas of expertise with very experienced lawyers, which makes the client’s life very easy, because you can ask for the support you need in only one place. I would say, one of the best (if not the best in Portugal).

‘Dr. Rui Patricio, Dr. João Lima Cluny and Dr. Nuno Matos: I can only say their personal attention and availability is extraordinary in a big law firm. They treat each client like there are no other clients to deal with. The level of care in all aspects, is extraordinary.’

‘They pay a lot of attention to client’s needs and are always trying to find solutions (from technology, people, collaboration) to address client’s needs. In terms of billing, it has been always transparent and invoiced always as agreed.’

‘Nuno Matos seems to me extremely hard working, competent and committed to deliver in time and with quality, for whatever we agree between ourselves.’

‘First, I highlight knowledge and experience. These assets allow for an in-depth and precise analysis of legal issues, with concrete and measurable results. Availability for support whenever requested is equally relevant.’

‘Morais Leitao has a very wide range of practices, excellent teams, and in the case of the litigation team, the team’s availability was extraordinary.’

‘Tiago Felix da Costa and the team were exceptionally available, explaining to us every step of the process, and were working with us as if we were all one team. The guidance of Dr Tiago and the team has been essential. And Dr. Tiago’s availability is always total, at any time.’

‘In-depth knowledge of the rules, a lot of experience, ability to explain matters, functional complementarity between people allocated, excellent coordination, timely response.’

‘Very consistent and balanced team – each one stands out in the part/function they are in charge of.’

‘Nuno Gundar da Cruz is very responsive, easy to deal with, has great English language skills and is prompt in providing advice.’

‘Personalised service from reception to meeting room. The team’s availability and ability to resolve/answer questions/doubts stands out. Discretion, politeness and professionalism of all team members. Proximity to the client.’

‘I recommend Nuno Gundar da Cruz for his attention to detail, responsiveness and client care.’

‘I worked with Nuno Gundar, who is an excellent professional. Nuno, more than a lawyer, is a partner who can put himself in the client’s position and, together, debate the various alternatives/solutions, discuss the pros and cons in the client’s particular situation, taking into account the business in question and market environment. With Nuno we are able to make informed and debated decisions. Nuno dominates the subjects, making and sharing the analyses with coherence and pragmatism, giving a confidence far above the usual. Additionally, I highlight availability, which is very important in these processes, as the deadlines for responses are often not consistent with normal business hours.’

‘MLGTS has a huge technical knowledge on the matter, giving the client a clear map of the steps to be taken and the options available, a proactive attitude for the friendly and quick resolution of the various obstacles associated with this type of process creating bridges with the counterpart in a fair, balanced and effective way, and it enjoys enormous credibility and reputation with the various stakeholders, both official and private, which gives the client enormous negotiating leverage.’

‘Nuno Gundar da Cruz was in fact the main driver of our process. Technically brilliant, he combines enormous execution capacity with excellent negotiating skills. More than listing problems, he presents credible, technically resilient solutions and has the ability to implement them with a practical spirit.’

 

 

‘We have worked with the MLGTS team on patent litigation in Portugal. From our experience, we can say that this is one of the best patent law firms in Portugal. They are highly professional and knowledgeable in the field of patent litigation. The team is always available for us online/offline and informs us about all matters relevant to our case without us having to ask.’

‘We would like to highlight one person in particular, Ricardo Nascimento Ferreira. He is highly experienced and knowledgeable. He can answer any questions we have and responds to us within a short time. He gives us focused advice in a way that is easy to understand. He is also highly creative with litigation strategies. We have the impression that we can trust and rely on him in all matters.’

‘We work with Vasco Stilwell de Andrade on a frequent basis. We are very satisfied with the fast replies and his professional assessments. Also in general he is very flexible whenever issues arise.’

‘True experts, to the point, reasonable, ethical.’

‘Vasco Stilwell de Andrade – mastery of processes and interconnection with offices in other geographies ensuring the always excellent quality of the work developed.’

‘High technical competence, deep knowledge of the current legal and regulatory framework and focus on client needs.’

‘Vasco Stilwell D’Andrade is our main contact and our single source partner throughout the European Union for IP matters. He is extremely responsive, and provides unique and creative business solutions.’

‘Proximity and knowledge of the client.’

‘João Anacoreta Correia – Professionalism and constant availability.’

‘Ability to assume the essential elements of the business, Availability and diligence, ability to overcome the opposition of critical interests without prejudice to the efficient assertion of self-interest.’

 

‘Extensive knowledge of the market, the political and legal framework, as well as experience and involvement in “past lives” of the same assets.’

‘Rui Ribeiro Lima is a well of knowledge about urbanism, risks and opportunities and with a very positive attitude and openness.’

‘João Pereira Reis – cooperated especially from the angle of the current political context, having demonstrated an openness and availability.’

‘Filipa Moraes Vaz is competent and professional.’

‘Wide range of specialties, all with high quality associates and partners. Excellent communication of legislation, processes, expectations and risks either orally (virtual or in person), written (Portuguese or English) or in the context of meetings with external entities (business and customer monitoring).’

‘In particular I recommend Dr. Rui Ribeiro Lima. Brilliant communication, availability, diligence and mastery of specialties.’

 

‘The MLGTS administrative team responds efficiently and quickly to the questions that are posed by presenting innovative solutions, well-founded, supported by opinions that rely on the collaboration of lawyers with different technical strengths, contributing to legal certainty in making important decisions for their clients. It is an extremely well-organised structure with easy contact at any time, which allows you to resolve urgent issues in a highly qualified manner.’

‘Our contact is, first and foremost, Nuno Peres Alves. Pedro Costa Gonçalves is the best specialist in the area of public procurement matters. Nuno Peres Alves is an experienced lawyer in this area.’

‘The team demonstrates in-depth and comprehensive knowledge of the topics in which it is consulted, managing to give appropriate answers and allowing the resolution of the questions raised. The degree of knowledge and competence is transversal to counseling in theoretical/academic terms and to procedural action.’

‘João Tiago Silveira stands out for his pragmatism and global vision.’

‘The team is responsive and prompt in dealing with questions.’

‘What makes Morais Leitão’s team unique in terms of the service it provides is the quality of the team of lawyers involved in our matters, the seniority of knowledge and the permanent availability to respond to the various requests.’

‘João Tiago Silveira and Margarida Olazabal Cabral are recommended.’

‘Extreme competence of the Public Law team. Full availability. Absolute security in legal support and legal advice provided.’

‘João Torres Valente has a global view of a complex transaction and is able to delegate within this team which can accelerate the process. He is a very good professional, very clear in his explanations but also listening to his client. He will make things happen in a secure way.’

‘Available, flexible, closeness to the client, industry knowledge.’

João Torroaes Valente, Andreia Bento Simões, Manuel Ponces Magalhães, Rita Vicente: They have a high level of professionalism and delivery.’

‘It is an office with a lot of experience in the various areas of real estate, from urban planning to construction, which is always proactive in the face of issues found in due diligence and which has a lot of experience in closing large-scale and complex operations.’

‘João Torroaes Valente – great negotiating skills, adaptability, technical knowledge and accumulated experience.’

‘Andreia Simões – work capacity, resilience, technical capacity.’

‘Very good knowledge of the market and the political and legal framework, having a very relevant track-record not only in similar transactions but also in past transactions involving the same assets that we trade. All of this was a very positive asset for the work, to which was added the good relationship and past experiences already had with these same teams.’

‘The team is characterised by availability, interest and solid knowledge in the topics covered and in supporting the project. In the fiscal area, they were innovative in the proposed solutions, demonstrating that they have always up-to-date technical knowledge.’

‘Bruno Santiago – technical quality, knowledge, thoughtfulness, and client relationship.’

‘Francisco Sousa da Câmara – in addition to the great technical skills that characterise him, we highlight a special human component and technical sensitivity.’

‘António Lobo Xavier- knowledge, experience, genuine willingness to help, proximity, involvement and responsibility.’

‘The general level of service is excellent as they have a team that shows: good in-depth knowledge and understanding of the legal framework; high technical competence; professionalism; great negotiation skills and a particular ability to reach consensus solutions, placing the client’s interest at the centre of the analysis and resolution of each problem; an integrated vision and analysis of themes, covering the various specialties of law; the team is always available and able to give their opinion and work within demanding deadlines.’

‘In my opinion, Morais Leitão has the leading tax department of all Portuguese law firms. The depth of the team is outstanding and unmatched.’

‘Francisco de Sousa da Câmara is a reference in the market and a true star of the legal profession in this field. Bruno Santiago is clearly the most prepared tax partner in the firm and leading lawyer in high stakes litigation. The true hidden gem of the department is António Queiroz Martins, who is clearly at a young age a wildcard to become one of the leading Portuguese tax lawyers.’

‘ML’s Team is distinguished by its knowledge of the sector and applicable national and European legislation, the collaborative and close way in which it provides legal support, and its communication skills. The work is guided by a great relational dynamic, as if it were an in-house team, contributing with a vision that goes beyond strict legal analysis, contributing in a holistic way to the processes in which they participate. The team’s work is of high quality, always based on extensive investigation of international cases and relevant jurisprudence. The ability to communicate, translating complex concepts into simple and non-technical terms, is one of the strengths of the team.’

‘ML has been developing tools together with leading companies in the Artificial Intelligence sector. Throughout the COVID-19 period, the entire ML team in the ICT area demonstrated an unexpected ability to use remote work tools in their various dimensions of collaborative work, to facilitate collaborative work with clients, mimicking physical proximity that was not possible to ensure.’

‘Gonçalo Machado Borges is the person I would like to highlight. His combative, energetic spirit, with deep knowledge and experience of the market and of national and European TMT legislation, combined with his robust background in competition, give him the a special ability to find innovative solutions for the challenges we face. At the same time, he has a great ability to deconstruct complex themes/concepts, greatly facilitating the discussion of different themes at any level of the organisation.’

‘Availability and professionalism.’

‘Gonçalo Machado Borges- proximity and high professionalism.’

 

 

‘The team has significant ship finance and litigation experience and offers a streamlined service in all of the jurisdictions.’

‘Claudia Santos Cruz is the Shipping Team head at Morais Leitão and is considered in the international legal market as one of the leading shipping and maritime lawyers in Portugal. She is also qualified to practice in Mozambique and a foreign expert for Angola.’

Advogados

Luís Branco

Hall of Fame - Leading Individuals Banking and Finance
2022

Filipe Lowndes Marques

Leading Individuals Banking and Finance
2022

Cláudia Castanheira dos Santos

Rising Star Banking and Finance
2022

Carlos Osório de Castro

Hall of Fame - Leading Individuals Capital Markets
2022

Eduardo Paulino

Leading Individuals Capital Markets
2022

Maria Soares do Lago

Next Generation Partners Capital Markets
2022

Tomás Vaz Pinto

Leading Individuals Commercial, Corporate and M&A
2022

Carlos Osório de Castro

Leading Individuals Commercial, Corporate and M&A
2022

‘Eduardo Paulino is an excellent, responsive and intelligent lawyer.’

‘Eduardo Paulino is a very good M&A lawyer with plenty of experience.’

‘In this area, I would highlight Jorge Simões Cortez and Eduardo Paulino, two absolutely outstanding people.’

Luís Roquette Geraldes

Rising Star Corporate, Commercial and M&A
2022

Francisco Cortez

Leading Individuals Dispute Resolution
2022

 

Sofia Vaz Sampaio

Next Generation Partners Dispute Resolution
2022

Pedro Pardal Goulão

Leading Individuals Employment
2022

Luís Miguel Monteiro

Hall of Fame - Leading Individuals Employment
2022

Filipe Vaz Pinto

Leading Individuals Dispute Resolution
2022

 

Catarina Brito Ferreira

Next Generation Partner Energy and Natural Resources
2022

Carlos Botelho Moniz

Leading Individuals EU and Competition
2022

Joaquim Vieira Peres

Leading Individuals EU and Competition
2022

Pedro de Gouveia e Melo

Next Generation Partners EU and Competition
2022

‘Inês Gouveia – excellent professional with great knowledge in this legal area, and ability to understand the markets.’

‘Dr. Rui Patricio, Dr. João Lima Cluny and Dr. Nuno Matos: I can only say their personal attention and availability is extraordinary in a big law firm. They treat each client like there are no other clients to deal with. The level of care in all aspects, is extraordinary.’

‘Tiago Felix da Costa is the partner responsible for this area. This same lawyer is also a reference in criminal law and administrative offences. His participation in all matters assigned to him in both areas – privacy and criminal – is always outstanding and extremely recognised within the company.’

‘Particular credit must be given to Tiago Félix da Costa, for his clarity of communication and excellent management of the team of associates working with us. We had little familiarity with the rules of the Portuguese system, and Tiago has been careful to educate us about what we can expect and what the various pathways ahead might look like, without being patronizing or assuming prior knowledge. Additionally, Tiago’s connections and insight into other parties’ approaches have been exceptional.’

Tiago Geraldo

Next Generation Partners Fraud and White-Collar Crime
2022

‘Nuno Gundar da Cruz is very responsive, easy to deal with, has great English language skills and is prompt in providing advice.’

‘I recommend Nuno Gundar da Cruz for his attention to detail, responsiveness and client care.’

‘I worked with Nuno Gundar, who is an excellent professional. Nuno, more than a lawyer, is a partner who can put himself in the client’s position and, together, debate the various alternatives/solutions, discuss the pros and cons in the client’s particular situation, taking into account the business in question and market environment. With Nuno we are able to make informed and debated decisions. Nuno dominates the subjects, making and sharing the analyses with coherence and pragmatism, giving a confidence far above the usual. Additionally, I highlight availability, which is very important in these processes, as the deadlines for responses are often not consistent with normal business hours.’

‘Nuno Gundar da Cruz was in fact the main driver of our process. Technically brilliant, he combines enormous execution capacity with excellent negotiating skills. More than listing problems, he presents credible, technically resilient solutions and has the ability to implement them with a practical spirit.’

‘We work with Vasco Stilwell de Andrade on a frequent basis. We are very satisfied with the fast replies and his professional assessments. Also in general he is very flexible whenever issues arise.’

‘Vasco Stilwell de Andrade – mastery of processes and interconnection with offices in other geographies ensuring the always excellent quality of the work developed.’

‘Vasco Stilwell D’Andrade is our main contact and our single source partner throughout the European Union for IP matters. He is extremely responsive, and provides unique and creative business solutions.’

'João Pereira Reis – cooperated especially from the angle of the current political context, having demonstrated an openness and availability.’

‘Rui Ribeiro Lima is a well of knowledge about urbanism, risks and opportunities and with a very positive attitude and openness.’

‘In particular I recommend Dr. Rui Ribeiro Lima. Brilliant communication, availability, diligence and mastery of specialties.’

António Lobo Xavier

Leading Individuals Oporto: Leading Commercial Firms
2022

Carlos Osório de Castro

Leading Individuals Oporto: Leading Commercial Firms
2022

Bernardo Maria Lobo Xavier

Leading Individuals Oporto: Leading Commercial Firms
2022

‘João Anacoreta Correia – Professionalism and constant availability.’

Paulo Rendeiro

Next Generation Partners Oporto: Leading Commercial Firms
2022

Luís Branco

Leading Individuals Projects and Project Finance
2022

Filipe Lowndes Marques

Leading Individuals Projects and Project Finance
2022

Filipa Morais Alçada

Rising Star Projects and Project Finance
2022

Cláudia Castanheira dos Santos

Rising Star Projects and Project Finance
2022

Margarida Olazabal Cabral

Leading Individuals Public Law
2022

'Pedro Costa Gonçalves is the best specialist in the area of public procurement matters.'

‘João Tiago Silveira stands out for his pragmatism and global vision.’

‘João Torres Valente has a global view of a complex transaction and is able to delegate within this team which can accelerate the process. He is a very good professional, very clear in his explanations but also listening to his client. He will make things happen in a secure way.’

João Torroaes Valente, Andreia Bento Simões, Manuel Ponces Magalhães, Rita Vicente: They have a high level of professionalism and delivery.’

'João Torroaes Valente – great negotiating skills, adaptability, technical knowledge and accumulated experience.’

 

'António Lobo Xavier- knowledge, experience, genuine willingness to help, proximity, involvement and responsibility.’

‘Francisco Sousa da Câmara – in addition to the great technical skills that characterise him, we highlight a special human component and technical sensitivity.’

‘Francisco de Sousa da Câmara is a reference in the market and a true star of the legal profession in this field.'

‘Bruno Santiago – technical quality, knowledge, thoughtfulness, and client relationship.’

'Bruno Santiago is clearly the most prepared tax partner in the firm and leading lawyer in high stakes litigation.' 

‘Gonçalo Machado Borges is the person I would like to highlight. His combative, energetic spirit, with deep knowledge and experience of the market and of national and European TMT legislation, combined with his robust background in competition, give him the a special ability to find innovative solutions for the challenges we face. At the same time, he has a great ability to deconstruct complex themes/concepts, greatly facilitating the discussion of different themes at any level of the organisation.’

‘Gonçalo Machado Borges- proximity and high professionalism.’

‘Claudia Santos Cruz is the Shipping Team head at Morais Leitão and is considered in the international legal market as one of the leading shipping and maritime lawyers in Portugal. She is also qualified to practice in Mozambique and a foreign expert for Angola.’

Claudia is often seen as an international go to lawyer instructed by leading ship finance banks and foreign insurers and P&I Clubs. Although now a civil law expert she is also a qualified English law solicitor which adds great value to international clients working in those jurisdictions. I appreciate her direct, no nonsense pragmatic approach to getting the job done.’