Dentons LEAD

Managing Partner: Emanuela Vunge

Number of partners: 5

Number of lawyers: 13 (excluding partners)

Languages: Portuguese (main language), English, French, Spanish

Firm Overview

Founded in 2016, LEAD Advogados is a full-service law firm based in Angola, known for its strong international focus and strategic global outlook. Its distinctive approach to the Angolan legal market quickly set it apart, leading to a combination with the international law firm Dentons from November 2020 to June 2025 — further strengthening its international strategic positioning.

Already recognised as one of the leading law firms in the Angolan market, LEAD Advogados advises top-tier clients from across the globe. Its in-depth understanding of the Angolan legal landscape—its complexities, specificities, and regulatory challenges — allows the firm to deliver solutions that are efficient, cost-effective, and grounded in responsibility. LEAD Advogados is distinguished by its ability to combine international reach with deep local insight.

The firm’s multidisciplinary team advises clients across a broad range of practice areas, including corporate and M&A, finance, litigation and alternative dispute resolution, employment, natural resources, tax, and public law. Trusted by international corporations, the Angolan government, and state-owned entities, LEAD Advogados maintains strong, long-standing relationships with key players in the national economy — from regulators and industry bodies to labour organisations and market participants.

The firm’s partners and senior lawyers are also actively involved in shaping Angola’s legal framework, contributing to the drafting of landmark legislation and offering thought leadership across their respective fields. Over recent years, LEAD Advogados has consistently achieved top-tier recognition in renowned international legal directories, includingChambers GlobalandThe Legal 500, reinforcing its reputation as a premier law firm in Angola.

Main industry sectors

Financial Institutions, Energy and Natural Resources, Construction, Government, Infrastructure and PPP, Mining, Technology, Manufacturing (Food & Beverage and consumer products), Media, Real Estate and Retail.

Main Areas of Practice

Banking, Finance & Capital Markets

Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Investment

Employment & Social Security

Litigation & Arbitration

Public Law, Competition & Law-Making

Real Estate

Tax

Energy & Natural Resources

Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Investment

LEAD Advogados understands how to get deals done, whether in one locality or across national and jurisdictional borders. The team has solid experience and extensive knowledge in the area of commercial law, covering matters such as corporate and contract law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and legal compliance, cross-border transactions and joint ventures. The firm advises international companies on their investments in Angola (both under the general and the special legal frameworks) from structuring to its implementation, and has a team specialised in monitoring private investment projects.

Contact: Djamila Pinto de Andrade

Contact: Raquel Lourenço

Banking & Finance:

LEAD Advogados team operates at the industry’s forefront, working with innovative finance products across the world.

At LEAD Advogados a fully dedicated and experienced team provides professional services in finance operations such as the assistance in matters related to financial intermediation activities, banking contracts, insurance, among other issues related to capital markets.

The team is also highly qualified for the assistance in the preparation of legal instruments related to local and international financing agreements, from the lender or from the borrower perspective and has been involved in the establishment and registration of banking and non-banking financial institutions and matters relating to the regulation and supervision of such entities, including legal advice on regulatory compliance and integrating risk advisory and assurance.

Contact: Djamila Pinto de Andrade

Tax Law:

When clients engage LEAD Advogados for tax services, they’re getting an interdisciplinary team that understands how tax law meshes with other areas of the law — corporate, real estate and litigation, to name a few.

The firm’s expertise comprises tax planning in corporate restructuring operations such as mergers, spin-offs, acquisitions and restructurings and other commercial operations with significant tax impact. The Dentons LEAD team is highly experienced in tax litigation and in accompanying, upon client request, inspection actions carried out by the Tax Authority.

Contact: Emanuela Vunge

Litigation & Arbitration:

Business involves taking risks. The client’s choice of litigation and dispute resolution lawyers should not. LEAD Advogados lawyers employ the most appropriate tools and strategies for each stage of the process and each unique situation.

LEAD Advogados team has extensive experience in the dispute resolution field and represents both national and international clients in various areas of litigation namely civil, commercial, corporate, constitutional, maritime, criminal, administrative and intellectual property. The team is also experienced in national and international arbitrations, as attorneys and arbitrators.

Contact: António Caxito Marques

Employment Law:

LEAD Advogados represents local and multinational businesses with respect to the full range of workforce-related issues and matters, including: Employment and Labour Advice and Counseling; Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures; Employment and Labour Litigation; Employment Contracts and Policies; Collective Employment Agreements; Human Resources Advice and Counseling; Occupational Safety and Health; Wrongful Termination and Unfair Dismissal; Social Security; Merger & Acquisition and corporate restructuring impact on employment contracts.

Contact: João Manuel Lourenço

Real Estate:

The firm brings strong, established local, regional and global experience and know-how to help clients succeed in all their real estate ventures and projects. Whether they need advice on real estate leasing, project finance, acquisition and disposition, development, construction or investment, or they need the services of astute counsel to resolve a real estate dispute, the firm’s team of committed, respected professionals across the globe is keen to help clients succeed.

Considering the specific characteristics of the land property regime in Angola, LEAD Advogados has a team dedicated to the concessions transfer and encumbrance of real estate rights, horizontal property residential and condominium development matters.

Contact: Raquel Lourenço

Public Law, Competition & Law-Making:

LEAD Advogados offers a unique blend of knowledge and experience in all aspects of public law, on constitutional principles as well as administrative proceedings. The Firm has a solid background in advising private and public clients, as well as in relations with the State and other public entities and institutions namely in matters of public procurement, public contracts (concessions and works contracts), expropriation and public domain. More recently the team has also been involved in control of concentration and practices that restrict competition matters and disputes.

Contact: Emanuela Vunge

Energy & Natural Resources:

In a market that is fast-changing and under pressure from a variety of different directions, clients need a firm that is immersed in energy markets and is local, innovative and agile in driving and achieving their business goals.

The team is experienced in legal, financial, and commercial issues associated with upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas production, public procurement processes for supply and provision of services in the oil and gas sector, negotiation, setup and implementation of oil and gas contracts.

LEAD Advogados represents national and international mining companies in mining concessions, mining transactions and operations as well as in respect of the relevant regulatory matters.

Contact: Emanuela Vunge

Offices

ANGOLA

TALATONA: Rua do Dubai, Via AL 15, R/C, Condomínio

Palmeiras, Luanda

Tel: +244 936 575 317

LUANDA: Avenida de Portugal 31-35, Edifício Dália Plaza,

2nd Floor, right side

Tel: +244 944 873 242