Helena Correia Mendonça
Helena Correia Mendonça
Helena Correia Mendonça joined VdA in 2007. She is a Principal Consultant in the Information, Communication & Technology practice.
She has been involved in several national and international projects and transactions, both for the private and the public sector, on space, technology, data, cybersecurity, fintech and mobility.
Notably, she has extensive expertise and experience in the space sector, having advised on the drafting and set-up of space policies, laws and space agencies, on the national Space Surveillance and Tracking programme and on spaceports. She has also been directly involved on the legal assessment of projects for the European Space Agency (ESA) notably on cybersecurity and satcom, on blockchain and satcom, and on a legal project regarding European Union regulatory opportunities and challenges for the satcom market. She has also been involved in various private sector projects, including for satellite networks construction and launch, sale of satellite systems (including ground segment and data), lease capacity agreements and downstream services. She is also contributing to the VdA legal products in the context of the New Space Portugal consortium.
Helena also works regularly with technology (software, outsourcing, cloud, emerging technologies including distributed ledgers/blockchain, robotics, AI and metaverse) and has been involved in major operations in the field, including in outsourcing projects for major organisations, cooperation and technology transfer projects, online platforms, blockchain, crypto-assets and smart contracts projects and AI initiatives. She is contributing to the VdA legal products in the context of the Centre for Responsible AI consortium, and she has further advised clients in several sectors and jurisdictions on the drafting of ICT legal and regulatory packages, including on technology / software, e-commerce and e-signature, digital identity, cybercrime, as well as on digital transformation projects. Her expertise further covers assistance to innovation, testing and experimentation approaches, including on regulatory sandboxes and innovations hubs, having advised on the drafting of regulatory frameworks in this regard.
She also provides advice on matters relating to protection, management and governance of intellectual property, know-how and trade secrets, having advised on the setup of IP structures and policies including for intergovernmental organisations.
She further advises on data economy and cybersecurity matters, having expertise on data sharing and trading as well as on cyber-resilience and cyber-incident response programmes, provision of cybersecurity services such as white hacking.
Helena also works on mobility, especially on connected and autonomous mobility, advising clients on the development, testing and deployment of CAM, taking into consideration the regulatory framework and the challenges brought by data, cybersecurity, 5G and emerging technologies.
Helena also has experience in Fintech, advising on payment services and e-money, as well as on crypto-assets. She has been involved in setting-up payment providers, in the issuance of tokens/ NFTs, and in custody, negotiation and trading of crypto-assets, including on regulatory and contractual matters, advising on contracts with suppliers, acquirers, terms of service, and set-up of wallets.
Law Degree, University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law.
Postgraduate Degree in Communication Law, University of Coimbra, Faculty of Law.
Master Degree in Intellectual Property, University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law.
Master Degree in Animal Law and Society, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Faculty of Law.
Course in Law and Space Policy by the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) / European Space Agency (ESA).
Strategic Space Law Program, Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University.
Compact MBA for Law Firm Leaders, Porto Business School and VdAcademia.
Course in National Defence Law, University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law.
Course in Animal Law, University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law.
Course in Status of Animals in Science, Ethics and Law, University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law.
Lecturer at the UN - Portugal Outer Space Fellowship, promoted by the United Nations, in collaboration with the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Portuguese Space Agency (2025);
Lecturer at Space for Business Course, promoted by NOVA School of Business and Economics, in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen, the Rotterdam School of Management and with the support of the European Space Agency (2025);
Lecturer at ECSL Summer Course on Space Law and Policy, promoted by European Centre for Space Law and Nova School of Law, Lisbon, Portugal (2022);
Lecturer at Space Studies Program, International Space University, Lisbon, Portugal (2022);
Lecturer at Master’s in Law & Technology, Nova University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law (2020 – 2022);
Lecturer at Advanced LL.M. on Air and Space Law, panel discussion on national space law and policy, Leiden University, 2021;
Lecturer at Space Law Course, Nova University of Lisbon, Law School, SPARC (Space Research Centre), 2019;
Lecturer at the Summer Course on Aviation Law, ELSA (European Law Students’ Association) of Lisbon Católica University and VdAcademia, 2017;
Lecturer of “Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer” in the Foresight, Strategy and Innovation Post-Graduate Course, at ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics and Management, 2016;
Lecturer at the Summer Course on Space Law, ELSA (European Law Students’ Association) of Lisbon Católica University and VdAcademia, 2016;
Lecturer at Course on Space Law, ELSA (European Law Students’ Association) of Lisbon Católica University and VdA Academia, 2015.
She has penned or co-authored several articles published in national and international specialized publications, notably: World Economic Forum; Elgar Encyclopaedia of Space Law; Lexology In-Depth Space Law; Chambers Global Practice Guide: Space Law and TMT; ISTE Ltd editions; Iberian Lawyer; Wolters Kluwer; Space in Africa Journal; Thomson Reuters; Via Satellite Digital.
Admitted to the Portuguese Bar Association.
Member of APDC - Portuguese Association for the Development of Communications.
English.