The ‘outstanding’ team at VdA Vieira de Almeida is ‘dynamic and innovative when handling complex transactions’.
Portuguese powerhouse VdA Vieira de Almeida advised Sonangol on its corporate restructuring and assisted the government with drafting its space strategy. Hugo Moredo Santos is recommended for banking and finance advice and João Afonso Fialho for infrastructure projects. The desk works together with local firm Angola Counsel.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida, in cooperation with local partner Guilherme Daniel & Associados (GdA), is a diligent advisor on oil and gas, mining, banking and finance and telecommunications matters. The Portugal-based group advised Nosso Banco concerning its liquidation; Aujan Group on the sale of properties; and the Alliance for Affordable Internet on infrastructure sharing regulation. Teresa Empis Falcão heads the Mozambique desk.
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The ‘outstanding’ team at VdA Vieira de Almeida is ‘dynamic and innovative when handling complex transactions’. After advising Banco de Portugal on the resolution measure applied to Banco Espírito Santo (BES), the group acts for Novo Banco on its sale to Lone Star. Other work included advising lenders, such as Caixa Económica Montepio Geral, and borrowers, such as Mota-Engil, on separate loan agreements. Hugo Moredo Santos, who alongside Paula Gomes Freire is a structured finance expert, was involved in both matters. Pedro Cassiano Santos and Pedro Simões Coelho are ‘excellent at proposing ideas’, while managing associate Tiago Correia Moreira is ‘very knowledgeable, dedicated and trustworthy’. Nuno Castelão joined from Allen & Overy’s London office.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida is a debt capital markets heavyweight and is ‘always available for client requests’. It advised a syndicate of banks, including Banco Português de Investimento, Caixa Banco de Investimento, Novo Banco and Banco BPI, as arrangers on the Portuguese state’s approximately €4.5bn bond issuances. The group includes the ‘confident’ Hugo Moredo Santos, Pedro Cassiano Santos, Paula Gomes Freire and José Pedro Fazenda Martins.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida ‘adds value’ across the full range of commercial work. A highlight was advising Nanium on the €400m sale of its entire share capital to Amkor Technology. Paulo Olavo Cunha has ‘a good sense of diplomacy’, Cláudia da Cruz Almeida is ‘proactive and creative’, and ‘excellent negotiator’ Jorge Bleck has ‘a very good sense of the business world’. Managing partner João Vieira de Almeida, Paulo Trindade Costa and the ‘experienced’ Helena Vaz Pinto are also recommended.
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The ‘technically excellent’ team at VdA Vieira de Almeida recently defended Portugal Telecom in litigation brought by competitors concerning the alleged abuse of dominant position in the broadband market, and represented consortium Elos in an ad-hoc arbitration against the Portuguese state following the withdrawal of the first high-speed railway system concession. Arbitrator Miguel Pinto Cardoso and ‘true leader’ Frederico Gonçalves Pereira jointly head the practice. Sofia Ribeiro Branco and Rui Andrade are also recommended.
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At VdA Vieira de Almeida, clients can count on ‘a responsive and flexible team’, which includes the ‘very committed’ Nuno Ruiz and ‘experienced’ senior associate Cláudia Coutinho da Costa. Miguel Mendes Pereira, who has ‘great acumen’, and ‘detail-oriented’ managing associate Rita Aleixo Gregório represented TAP in antitrust proceedings concerning alleged infringements to codeshare agreements entered into with Brussels Airlines.
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The ‘professional, competent and dedicated’ team at VdA Vieira de Almeida assisted Banco CTT with pension fund matters. Managing associate Américo Oliveira Fragoso is ‘a competent and dedicated professional’, who has ‘control even over difficult situations’. Fellow managing associates Benedita Gonçalves and Tiago Piló are also recommended.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida is ‘a reliable partner’ with an excellent reputation in the oil and gas sector. In renewables, the department advised TrustWind on the refinancing of a 322MW wind farm portfolio. João Afonso Fialho, ‘proactive’, Ana Luís de Sousa, Manuel Protásio and Vanda Cascão are also recommended.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida’s nine-strong department is headed by the ‘quick-witted’, ‘well-prepared’ Sofia Ribeiro Branco. It was instructed by Sport Lisboa e Benfica on a cybercrime investigation. Other work includes representing Brisa director Vasco de Mello in an insider trading case.Recommended
VdA Vieira de Almeida provides ‘excellent guidance through the restructuring process’. Highlights included advising real estate investment fund manager Fundger on filing Fundo Promovest’s insolvency. Frederico Gonçalves Pereira is recommended (...).
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VdA Vieira de Almeida’s intellectual property group is ‘very aware of changes and trends in the market’. With strong expertise in the pharmaceutical sector, it represented AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo and Novartis in patent arbitrations. Advising technology sector clients is another mainstay of the practice. António de Magalhães Cardoso and António Andrade , who has ‘a wealth of experience’, are the names to note.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida is ‘always able to find useful solutions’. Public law specialist Mário Esteves de Oliveira represented the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia in liability litigation against cement producer Cimpor, which closed its warehouse in the city following the implementation of a new regulation. The ‘calm, sharp and business-minded’ Isabel Gião de Andrade heads the office, which also includes TMT expert Fernando Resina da Silva.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida’s team, which is led by Rodrigo Esteves de Oliveira, covers the full range of services, including zoning, land use and urban planning. It assisted Quinta da Ombria with the company’s environmental resort development project. The team also advised Auchan on the planning aspects of the expansion of a shopping mall.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida’s projects and project finance lawyers have ‘strong expertise’ and are ‘very reactive’. The ‘creative, knowledgeable and available’ Paulo de Barros Baptista advised AEBT and AELO as concession holders on renegotiating the project and finance documents for the Baixo Tejo and Litoral Oeste concessions. Teresa Empis Falcão provides ‘insightful advice’ and is recommended along with Manuel Protásio and João Afonso Fialho.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida has strong experience in national and international infrastructure projects. Rodrigo Esteves de Oliveira advised the concessionaires and sponsors of four road concessions on the financial rebalancing of the projects. Paulo Pinheiro and Mário Esteves de Oliveira jointly head the group, which also includes managing associates Ana Marta Castro and André Proença.
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One of the best law firms in town’, VdA Vieira de Almeida is experienced in handling transactions in the retail, residential and hospitality sectors. In 2017, the 15-strong real estate team, which is led by Pedro Ferreirinha, acted on the sale and acquisition of several office buildings. Clients include AB Group, ProWinko and Westmont Hospitality Group. Managing associates Manuel Gouveia Pereira, Pedro Pereira Coutinho and the ‘hardworking, trustworthy and loyal’ Pedro Corrêa de Oliveira are also recommended. In December 2017, leading lawyer Miguel Marques dos Santos and his team joined from Garrigues Portugal.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida’s impressive client roster includes the Alliance for Affordable Internet, Meo and Microsoft as well as various public entities. The team advised the International Telecommunication Union on creating an intra-regional digital agenda for CPLP countries. Fernando Resina da Silva handles IT and emerging technologies; Magda Cocco acts on privacy, data protection and cybersecurity; and Margarida Couto is the name to note for telecoms matters.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida’s tax team has ‘formidable knowledge’ and is ‘available at short notice’. It has an indirect tax team and is increasing its presence in Lusophone Africa. In Portugal, it offers mostly transactional support, such as advising Nanium on its sale to Amkor Technology. Tiago Marreiros Moreira, Joaquim Pedro Lampreia and Samuel Fernandes de Almeida are recommended; Ricardo Seabra Moura is ‘an outstandingly competent’ managing associate.
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VdA Vieira de Almeida’s João Afonso Fialho assisted the North of England P&I Association with the detention of the Merlin III vessel, and advised Arkon Shipping on the financing and registration of two vessels. The ‘innovative’ Paulo de Barros Baptista provides ‘insightful advice’ by ‘thinking in legal terms but explaining in management terms’, and handled several road transportation projects.
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