Now in its 11th year, The Best Lawyers in Portugal surveyed the most respected members of the legal community to create a definitive guide to the best lawyers and law firms in the country. In this edition, Best Lawyers honored an elite of the 2% of practicing lawyers in Portugal. In Portugal, where Garrigues began its activities in 2005, it has positioned itself among the most important law firms in the country. Garrigues is involved not only in some of the most important transactions in the Portuguese market, but also in extremely sophisticated transactions that require high-quality, practical and innovative advice. In this context, the M&A market in Portugal has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in terms of transaction volume. Some sectors performed better than others: sectors such as tourism and hospitality were hit hard, while technology, infrastructure, healthcare and energy were notable positives in M&A activity. While the impact of the unprecedented health crisis has yet to be fully manifested, lawyers predict that the flow of transactional mandates in the aforementioned sectors will make sophisticated legal advice all the more relevant as transactions bring additional complexity. In addition, private equity players continue to support many of the largest commercial deals, a pre-pandemic trend that still prevails in the local market. Costa Pinto is a law firm strategically specializing in bespoke and personally provided legal services for corporates and mergers and acquisitions. Fifteen law firms in Portugal were awarded in the 11th year. Present the prestigious “Law Firm of the Year” award. Unlike other law firms, all M&A activities are personally managed by the managing partner in close contact with the client. The firm is an established corporate player with the ability and seniority to manage cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions, as well as extensive experience in general corporate legal advice, corporate secretarial services and commercial, governance and regulatory matters at every stage of a company`s lifecycle.

We are organized by departments and industry groups. This dynamic structure allows the firm to bring together a variety of legal experts within a single group, all of whom have relevant industry knowledge and experience. Industry groups have a deep understanding of the areas in which our clients operate and help clients achieve their goals. We know our customers` business and see ourselves as an active and dynamic part of it. By creating a strong network of cross-border relationships, our international presence aims to geographically expand our values and services. Our international relationships allow us to operate in different markets, focusing specifically on the world`s main financial markets and Portuguese-speaking countries. Despite uncertainties in other countries, the legal market in Portugal remains relatively stable. With a few exceptions, full-service law firms Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados, VdA and PLMJ take the helm of the most complex, large-cap, follow-on corporate and financial transactions. Cuatrecasas, Garrigues and Uría Menéndez – Proença Carvalho are Iberian players well established in the domestic market. A few full-service international companies such as Linklaters, CMS and DLA Piper ABBC are also active in the country. The renowned local law firms Sérvulo & Associados, Abreu Advogados and SRS Advogados are other important names in the Portuguese legal scene.

DLA Piper ABBC lawyers are frequently recommended by the most prestigious international directories (Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, IFLR 1000 and Best Lawyers) for the excellence of the services provided. With a team of more than 60 lawyers based in Lisbon, DLA Piper ABBC is today the world`s largest law firm operating in the Portuguese market. DLA Piper ABBC`s clients include various Fortune 500 companies and a significant number among the top 100 Portuguese companies operating in Portugal in a wide range of business areas. Summer 2021 voting is open to all lawyers featured in Best Lawyers in Chile, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. Mergers and acquisitions LawCampos Ferreira, Sá Carneiro & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados Not surprisingly, energy and natural resources are among the most dynamic and resilient sectors in the country. The increased focus on green energy, decarbonization and ESG concerns globally puts renewables at the forefront of the government`s carbon neutrality agenda. In fact, Portugal is the fourth country in Europe to stop using coal to generate electricity. Strong demand for renewable energy assets is expected to continue to attract the attention of traders as the sector becomes a key driver of domestic transactional activity.

Insolvency and Restructuring LawUría Menéndez Abogados SRS Advogados is a full-service law firm that has been advising clients on all aspects of national and international law for over 25 years. Our lawyers focus on their clients` activities and have knowledge and experience in advising large national and international corporations, financial institutions and private equity funds, as well as high net worth individuals and family offices. As businesses are backed by the government to avoid mass bankruptcies, non-performing transactions were rare in 2021, although they are expected to increase in the near future when the temporary moratorium regime expires. The non-performing loan (NPL) market, which saw considerable activity in 2019 but stagnated in 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, is also expected to see a resurgence. Arbitration and mediationServulo & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, SP Meanwhile, the country, which enjoyed a period of relative stability under Prime Minister António Costa, found itself in a political crisis after the incumbent government failed to pass its budget in the National Assembly in October. Shortly thereafter, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced the dissolution of parliament and called early elections two years ahead of schedule. In an unexpected turn of events, the Socialist Party (PS) of current Prime Minister Costa won an absolute parliamentary majority and won a third consecutive term. From our Lisbon office on Avenida Duque de Avila, one of the most important financial centers of the Portuguese capital, we have a team of local professionals with extensive and proven international experience, dedicated to our clients` goals and working to anticipate potential opportunities or challenges and solve any problems that arise. With the top 2 percent of practicing lawyers in the country.

After a difficult period, Portugal is on track for a solid recovery, thanks to one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and a cautious lifting of pandemic-related restrictions.