Dispute Resolution: Portugal

The market continues to recognise Miguel Galvão Teles as a star lawyer “who sees things nobody else sees.” Highly regarded practice head António Pinto Leite is “a very clever and reasonable guy, who manages cases well and quickly understands the principal issues,” say sources. Rui Patrício is a key member of the team working on both civil and criminal matters. Increasingly prominent partner Miguel de Almada works on commercial and corporate litigation and played an integral role advising BP on its joint venture with Mobil. Observers point out that corporate litigation team head Francisco Cortez “is very accurate and knows exactly when something should be done. We always get the best possible result with him.” Senior statesman José Manuel Galvão Teles continues to work on complex disputes. 

Arbitration team head José Miguel Júdice is recognised as a top-class arbitrator on a domestic and international level. “We go to him with cases of high complexity and specificity, and he personally takes charge of them,” say sources. Clients are impressed by the calm and organised manner in which litigation team leader and insolvency expert Nuno Líbano Monteiro conducts cases. Commentators affirm that Paulo Farinha Alves has “excellent legal skills,” especially in corporate crime. Pedro Metello de Nápoles is a rising star in the arbitration world. Pedro Faria leads the civil and commercial litigation team. Nuno Morais Sarmento enters the rankings on the back of positive client feedback highlighting his “strategic vision.” 

Vastly experienced Daniel Proença de Carvalho is a reference in the dispute resolution market, and wins glowing praise from clients: “I trust him, he is calm, he explains everything clearly, and he can see what is important very quickly.” Sources describe department co-head Tito Arantes Fontes as “one of the best court lawyers I know, and a very experienced negotiator.” Market sources praise the well-rounded Fernando Aguilar de Carvalho for “being well prepared technically, always available and responsive, and creating an environment of trust.” Sources view Alexandre Mota Pinto as "a rising star – he is very intelligent, has great knowledge and understands our problems.” Sofia Martins is an important member of the team and a well established name on the market.

Miguel Esperança Pina is equally adept at litigation and arbitration, and sources pinpoint “his technical skill and strong client relationships.” Clients endorse Rita Gouveia for her “vast knowledge of civil law and strong technical skills.”

Long-standing practice head Miguel Pinto Cardoso is a specialist in both litigation and arbitration. Clients describe him as “a very skilled and capable person.” Rising star Nuno Ferreira Lousa continues to attract market recognition and is particularly active in the insolvency litigation arena.

Luís Miguel Cortes Martins is recognised for his strong litigation skills, with sources describing him as “a combative lawyer who studies cases deeply.” Key team member Maria Raquel Moreira focuses on commercial and civil matters. Senior statesman António Serra Lopes dedicates the majority of his time to the team's arbitration practice.

Team head Frederico Gonçalves Pereira is equally adept in litigation and arbitration proceedings, and is lauded for his wide legal knowledge. Sources recognise Ana Falcão Afonso for her IP litigation skills, observing that “her preparation is very good, she always engages and involves our company, she interviews witnesses well and her debates in court are excellent.”

Sources enthuse about team leader José Jácome, highlighting his intelligence, efficiency and clear explanations. He recently acted on a number of real estate and development disputes.

Team leader Francisco Colaço is much admired for his litigation and arbitration expertise. He was recently involved in major litigation against airport construction companies.

Founding partner José Alves Pereira is an experienced and well respected international arbitrator. Sources are impressed by João Marques de Almeida, stating that "he is responsive and meets deadlines, whilst the advice that we receive from him is robust and we feel confident relying on it.”

On 1 January 2012, the firm formerly known as Rui Pena, Arnaut & Associados officially joined the CMS international network and became CMS Rui Pena & Arnaut. Clients value the practical approach of founding partner Nuno Pena, a key member of the department. Co-head Joaquim Shearman de Macedo wins great acclaim from observers, who are “extremely impressed by his speedy responses and depth of knowledge in specific fields of law.”

Sources laud department head Joao Duarte de Sousa for his accessibility, high-quality work and excellent results. Miguel Azevedo is commended for his knowledge of insolvency matters.

The "gifted" Ricardo Guimarães receives superb market feedback for his litigation and arbitration abilities. João Amaral e Almeida is an important player in the public litigation area. The highly respected Fernando Ferreira Pinto is a valuable member of the team. João Saúde is a rising star in the market, and one interviewee states: “I would have no hesitation in referring my clients to him."

Key department member José Luís Moreira da Silva is respected for his involvement in public law litigation.

Department head João Nuno Azevedo Neves stands out for his arbitration work. João Guedes is an important member of the group who is particularly adept at employment litigation.

A standout name on the team, Miguel Castro Pereira is highly regarded for his litigation and arbitration capabilities. He led advice to Banco Efisa in a number of arbitration proceedings.

Founding partner Teresa Anselmo Vaz is much admired for her dispute resolution and IP practice. Pedro Afra Rosa brings labour and insurance knowledge to the team.

Leading partner Manuel Barrocas wins acclaim for his excellent arbitration skills. Sources report that practice head Carlos Costa e Silva “quickly understood the main points of the case and identified how we could attack the other party's weaknesses.”

The firm's founding partner Miguel Castelo Branco is the primary point of contact for dispute resolution matters. He has two decades' experience of major litigation and arbitration cases.

Sources are impressed by José Côrte-Real, describing him as "a high-quality, experienced lawyer in both litigation and arbitration.”

Sources highlight founding partner Carlos Aguiar for his arbitration and corporate/M&A capabilities.

The main contact for dispute resolution is founding partner Carlos Cruz. He has a broad practice, including long experience in national and international arbitration.

Ana Cláudia Rangel leads the department, and is admired for her dispute resolution experience and expertise.