Legal 500

In a major coup, Vieira de Almeida & Associados hired a 26-lawyer team with significant experience in the Angolan market from Miranda & Associados, including its former chairman Rui Amendoeira and energy, natural resources and infrastructure expert João Fialho. Partner Hugo Moredos Santos, who is part of the banking and finance and capital markets team, continues to coordinate the firm’s country-specific activities. The team covers a full range of practice areas, and recently acted for the International Telecommunication Union and insurer Zurich.

Recommended Lawyers

• Hugo Moredo Santos
• João Fialho
• Rui Amendoeira

The ‘very proactive’ and ‘knowledgeable’ team at Vieira de Almeida & Associados advised Banco de Portugal on the resolution measure applied to Banco Espírito Santo. The team is frequently instructed by banks and acts for international clients including Barclays, Deutsche Bank, RBS and Société Générale. Pedro Cassiano Santos leads the team and is recommended alongside Paulo Olavo Cunha, Pedro Simões Coelho and Paula Gomes Freire. Managing associate Tiago Correia Moreira is commended for his business understanding and ‘excellent legal know-how’.

Leading Lawyer

• Pedro Cassiano Santos

Recommended Lawyers

• Paula Gomes Freire
• Paulo Olavo Cunha
• Pedro Simões Coelho
• Tiago Correia Moreira

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ ‘very creative and responsive’ team is led by of counsel José Pedro Fazenda Martins, who is ‘a breath of fresh air’ as he ‘thinks outside the box’. He led advice to Parpública on the sale of the remaining 31.5% stake in CTT through an accelerated bookbuild offering. Pedro Cassiano Santos, Paula Gomes Freire, Pedro Simões Coelho and the newly promoted Hugo Moredo Santos are also recommended.

Leading Lawyer

• Pedro Cassiano Santos

Recommended Lawyers

• Hugo Moredo Santos
• Paula Gomes Freire
• Pedro Simões Coelho
• José Pedro Fazenda Martins

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ ‘very creative’ team acts with a ‘sense of urgency’, and is noted for its strength in the public entity space. ‘Great lawyer’ Jorge Bleck led the advice to Apollo Global Management on its acquisition of insurer Companhia de Seguros Tranquilidade. The ‘business and client-oriented’ Cláudia da Cruz Almeida is recommended alongside João Vieira de Almeida and Helena Vaz Pinto. Paulo Trindade Costa joined from Miranda & Associados in August 2015.

Leading Lawyers

• João Vieira de Almeida
• Jorge Bleck

Recommended Lawyers

• Cláudia da Cruz Almeida
• Helena Vaz Pinto
• Paulo Trindade Costa

Vieira de Almeida & Associados added a fourth partner to the practice in July 2015 with the arrival of Rui Andrade from Miranda & Associados. ‘Top-notch lawyer’ and ‘brilliant arbitrator’ Miguel Pinto Cardoso is representing Petrogal in arbitration proceedings against the main contractor of the Sines refinery conversion project in a case involving alleged breach of obligations. Frederico Gonçalves Pereira and Sofia Ribeiro Branco are also key names to note in the team, which is adept at handling a wide range of litigation, including patent disputes.

Recommended Lawyers 

• Frederico Gonçalves Pereira
• Miguel Pinto Cardoso
• Rui Andrade
• Sofia Ribeiro Branco

The ‘expert’ Nuno Ruiz leads Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ team, which is valued for its ‘knowledgeable and detailed analyses’. Miguel Mendes Pereira, Rita Aleixo Gregório and the ‘committed’ Cláudia Coutinho da Costa successfully opposed a merger control notification for advertisers association APAN.

Leading Lawyers

• Nuno Ruiz
• Miguel Mendes Pereira

Recommended Lawyers

• Cláudia Coutinho da Costa
• Rita Aleixo Gregório

At Vieira de Almeida & Associados, managing associate Tiago Piló and senior associate Benedita Fernandes Gonçalves successfully defended Esegur in a wrongful dismissal appeal considering employees’ posts on Facebook. Américo Oliveira Fragoso and Tiago Cochofel de Azevedo are also recommended.

Recommended Lawyers

• Tiago Piló
• Américo Oliveira Fragoso
• Benedita Fernandes Gonçalves
• Tiago Cochofel de Azevedo

Vieira de Almeida & Associados made substantial strides in 2015 to strengthen its international expertise and oil and gas practice with the hire of a sizeable team from Miranda & Associados, including Rui Amendoeira, who is now heading the firm’s oil and gas team. The ‘knowledgeable and well-connected’ Vanda Cascão, together with managing associate Ana Luís de Sousa, led advice to the borrowers on the finance agreement for a wind farm portfolio, as well as assisting the shareholders and sponsors with negotiating the security package. Manuel Protásio and Matilde Horta e Costa are also recommended.

Leading Lawyers

• Vanda Cascão

Recommended Lawyers

• Manuel Protásio
• Rui Amendoeira
• Ana Luís de Sousa
• Matilde Horta e Costa

Vieira de Almeida & Associados is involved in defending allegations of tax fraud, bribery and corruption, and has recently noted an increase in insider trading cases. The team is led by Sofia Ribeiro Branco and acts for clients including CTT, Novartis, REN and Portugal Telecom.

Recommended

• Sofia Ribeiro Branco

Vieira de Almeida & Associados has notable strength in advising on the acquisition of distressed assets, evident in its advice to Barclays, Centerbridge and Morgan Stanley regarding an investment in Grupo Espírito Santo’s debt and share capital. On the debt recovery side, the team assisted BBVA with the restructuring of industrial group Martifer’s €25m financial liabilities. Frederico Gonçalves Pereira and senior associate Teresa Pitôrra are held in high regard.

Leading Lawyers

• Frederico Gonçalves Pereira

Recommended Lawyers

• Teresa Pitôrra

Vieira de Almeida & Associados is lauded for its ‘creative’ approach and has built a reputation as a leading firm in the area by ‘applying cutting-edge strategies’. The team has a strong patent practice, notably in the pharmaceuticals sector, where it acts for AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, and Shionogi. The group includes several well-known practitioners, including the ‘vastly experienced’ António de Magalhães Cardoso, managing associates António Andrade and Margarida Sameiro, and senior associate Patrícia Paias.

Leading Lawyers

• António de Magalhães Cardoso
• António Andrade

Recommended Lawyers

• Margarida Sameiro
• Patrícia Paias

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ office head Isabel Gião de Andrade led the advice to international school network TALENT on the sale of four higher education businesses. Fernando Resina da Silva is a TMT ‘expert’, and Mário Esteves de Oliveira is recommended for public law matters.

Recommended Lawyers

• Mário Esteves de Oliveira
• Fernando Resina da Silva
• Isabel Gião de Andrade

Standout matters for Vieira de Almeida & Associados include advising Fundbox on Quinta da Ombria, a proposed environmental resort and eco-friendly urban development. Rodrigo Esteves de Oliveira heads the department.

Recommended Lawyers

• Rodrigo Esteves de Oliveira

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ ‘knowledgeable’ team has a strong track record handling road projects. Paulo de Barros Baptista, who has a ‘profound knowledge of PPPs’, and Manuel Protásio are advising the Brisa Group and AELO – Auto-Estradas do Litoral Oeste on renegotiating road PPPs. Vanda Cascão is a key name for energy, of counsel Teresa Empis Falcão ‘adds value to any project’, and Ana Luís de Sousa is also recommended.

Leading Lawyers

• Manuel Protásio

Recommended Lawyers

• Paulo de Barros Baptista
• Teresa Empis Falcão
• Vanda Cascão
• Ana Luís de Sousa

Vieira de Almeida & Associados is ‘one of the best firms in the market’ for public procurement, where Paulo Pinheiro and managing associate Catarina Pinto Correia handle matters for CTT – Correios de Portugal, the national postal services operator. Rodrigo Esteves de Oliveira is assisting the government of Cape Verde with revising the administrative legal framework. Pinheiro and Ana Marta Castro are ‘phenomenally efficient and thorough’. Mário Esteves de Oliveira and André Proença are also recommended.

Leading Lawyers

• Mário Esteves de Oliveira
• Paulo Pinheiro

Recommended Lawyers

• Rodrigo Esteves de Oliveira
• Ana Marta Castro
• André Proença
• Catarina Pinto Correia

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ ‘highly impressive’ team is ‘particularly switched on for a market that has seen little activity in recent years’. The ‘efficient’ Pedro Ferreirinha is leading a cross-departmental team, which includes managing associates Leonor Brito and Manuel Gouveia Pereira, advising Quinta da Ombria Hotel Spa and Golf Resort on the development of an eco-friendly resort.

Leading Lawyers

• Pedro Ferreirinha

Recommended Lawyers

• Leonor Brito
• Manuel Gouveia Pereira

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ team includes some of the best-known figures in the area, notably Magda Cocco, the ‘great’ Margarida Couto and the ‘incredibly knowledgeable’ Fernando Resina da Silva. While better known for telecoms matters – where it acts for Portugal Telecom, Cabo Verde Telecom and Timor Telecom – the firm has carved out a strong practice handling IT issues.

Leading Lawyers

• Fernando Resina da Silva
• Magda Cocco
• Margarida Couto

Vieira de Almeida & Associados has a strong track record handling the tax aspects of financial transactions, and has considerable expertise in the telecoms and pharmaceuticals sectors. Tiago Marreiros Moreira’s team now numbers three partners with the addition of Samuel Fernandes Almeida from Miranda & Associados. Conceição Gamito and the newly promoted Joaquim Pedro Lampreia are also recommended.

Recommended Lawyers

• Tiago Marreiros Moreira
• Joaquim Pedro Lampreia
• Samuel Fernandes Almeida
• Conceição Gamito

Vieira de Almeida & Associados’ ‘knowledgeable’ team has seen a growth in aviation mandates; Rodrigo Esteves de Oliveira was part of a team representing airport authority ANA Aeroportos de Portugal in a dispute pertaining to the tax on Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE). Aviation finance expert Pedro Simões Coelho and Paulo de Barros Baptista are key contacts.

Recommended Lawyers

• Paulo de Barros Baptista
• Pedro Simões Coelho
• Rodrigo Esteves de Oliveira