Abreu Advogados

Chairman of the Board of Directors: Duarte de Athayde

Managing Partner: Inês Sequeira Mendes

Number of partners: 43

Number of lawyers: 200+

Team: 300+

Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Firm Overview: 

Abreu Advogados is the law firm set to provide legal advice in this changing society and for over 25 years has been working daily to ensure that new solutions are created for every industry. As a full-service law firm with offices in Lisbon, Porto and Funchal, Abreu Advogados is amongst the largest firms in Portugal.

With more than 200 lawyers and over 300 professionals, Abreu Advogados continuously attracts strategic opportunities for its clients’ in key areas such as Corporate/M&A, Tax, Litigation and Competition. Considered a leading Tech firm in the Finance, Fintech and TMT areas, its teams have analyzed the consequences not yet addressed of different corporate models related to cryptocurrency and blockchain. Whilst working for clients that develop cryptocurrency activities, the firm has assisted companies that want to launch ICOs, set mining activities in Portugal or that want to deal with NFTs.

Abreu Advogados invests in multidisciplinary, borderless teams that tackle increasingly complex transactions, breaking down barriers and established models, presenting a business-oriented vision and cost-effective solutions, anticipating its client’s needs.

With teams of highly skilled lawyers working closely with some of the largest law firms in the world and clients with international decision-making centers, Abreu Advogados offers a global outlook and approach. The path of internationalization has been followed by the extension of support in countries such as Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Macau and Timor-Leste.

Every year the firm is recognized in international legal rankings, having been recently distinguished as a highly commended firm and also as the law firm of the year 2020 for its partnership in Mozambique. The firm has also strengthened its relationships with some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world, joining forces in cross border transactions in Portuguese-speaking countries.

Abreu Advogados is a member of several Associations of international Lawyers, participating actively in their activities and ensuring that it can offer its Clients the benefits of a worldwide service, such as Consulegis, AIJA, UIA, CIArb, ABA, amongst other. Its international visibility has been renewed by the reinforcement of the relationship with Multilaw, which has allowed the firm to assist clients from various jurisdictions and refer Portugal based clients to international and multijurisdictional firms. Carmo Sousa Machado, Partner at the Employment practice area is, since 2019, Chair of Multilaw.

The goal has been achieved: In the past 5 years, Abreu Advogados’ reputation grew with international rankings, having been considered by The Lawyer as Highly Commended Law Firm of the Year Iberia 2020 and shortlisted for the FT Innovative Lawyers 2021, with law students, who consider Abreu Advogados the best law firm to work since 2019.

Abreu Advogados is committed to setting the future in progress.

ESG DNA: Sustainability is part of the DNA of Abreu Advogados.

This is a commitment that forms part of its identity and which has led Abreu Advogados to assume an active role in building something more than just a law firm over the course of its history.

Since 2015, Abreu Advogados is the only Law Firm in Portugal certified as B Corp, and as such, is committed to use its practice as a force for good. Abreu Advogados wants to serve as an example in the construction of a culture that values, supports and promotes best practice at a social, economic and environmental level. The firm´s energy team has developed the largest renewable projects in Portugal and residue management and is well equipped to advise on ESG Compliance.

By certifying its quality management system under the European ISO 9001 standards, the firm became the first law firm in Portugal to do so and to subsequently publish a Sustainability Report. Abreu Advogados is also the first (and still the only) Portuguese law firm to publish a Sustainability Report under the directives issued by the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), to publish its accounts and to measure its carbon footprint.

Abreu Advogados is in a particularly well positioned to advise its clients on ESG-related matters, advising companies from many different sectors, as well as public bodies and non-governmental organizations on all aspects related but not limited to environmental law, including environmental impact assessments, prior information procedures, and licensing and certification of economic activities, effluent management and waste management.

Main Areas of Practice:  

■ Agriculture

■ Banking & Finance

■ Competition, Regulatory & EU

■ Corporate & M&A

■ Dispute Resolution

■ Distribution & Retail

■ Employment

■ Energy & Natural Resources

■ Information Technology

■ Insolvency & Restructuring

■ Intellectual Property

■ Litigation & Arbitration

■ Media

■ Public and Environment

■ Real Estate

■ Sports

■ Tax

■ TMT

■ Transport & Shipping