Cláudia Cruz Almeida and Sofia Ribeiro Branco now belong to VdA's college of partners, reinforcing once again M & A - Corporate Finance and Litigation & Arbitration practices

After the integration of two former partners from Linklaters, in the last quarter of 2013, the M&A - Corporate Finance and the Litigation & Arbitration practices are once again reinforced with the promotion of Claudia Cruz Almeida (M & A - Corporate Finance) and Sofia Ribeiro Branco (Litigation & Arbitration) to partners. Both lawyers began their careers at VdA in 1999, having developed and dedicated their entire professional career within and to the firm.

Cláudia Cruz Almeida has an extensive experience in corporate law and securities in the shed of equity, having integrated into her curriculum legal advisement to numerous M & A and equity capital markets transactions, such as privatizations and acquisition finance / corporate finance transactions, where she supported both international and national clients in various sectors and in large operations, where a high level of legal innovation was required.

Sofia Ribeiro Branco, highly experienced in litigation, in particular criminal and misdemeanour (regulatory) litigation, will jointly lead the litigation and arbitration practice, more focused on economic and financial crimes and on misdemeanours proceedings launched by regulators of various economic sectors, as well as on matters of compliance and private enforcement associated with infractions.

With this reinforcement, the VdA college of partners has almost one third of female partners (9 out of 27), making VdA one of the leading firms with the highest ratio of female partners.

For João Vieira de Almeida, managing partner of the firm, "The willingness and ability to strengthen the college of partners, without ever affecting the demanding level of requirements at admission, is the best proof of the vitality and sustainability of VdA. I am particularly proud to be able to count, among peers, on partners who grew up in the firm and are an integral part of our journey so far".