LAWYER PROFILE

Claudia Santos Cruz

Global 2026

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados

Ranked in 3 practice areas

Corporate/M&A

Portugal

13 years ranked

Corporate/M&A

Portugal

13 years ranked

Banking & Finance

Portugal

14 years ranked

Banking & Finance

Portugal

14 years ranked

Banking & Finance

Portugal

14 years ranked

General Business Law: International Firms

Mozambique

3 years ranked

General Business Law: International Firms

Angola

11 years ranked

About

Provided by Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados

Global

Practice Areas

Banking & Finance; Projects; Oil & Gas; Mining; Corporate M&A; Infrastructure; Ports, Shipping.

Career

LLB University of Southampton, England, 1993; LPC College of Law Guildford, England, 1994; Post Graduate courses in Banking and Finance, Corporate, Oil & Gas; International Petroleum Transactions module of LMM, Lisbon, 2017; Previously at DLA Piper and Watson Farley & Williams in London, London, 1994-2005; IBA Oil & Gas Committee Officer, 2021.

Professional Memberships

Admitted to practice: Law Society of England and Wales (1996); Portuguese Bar Association (2005); Mozambique Bar Association (2018); International Bar Association Officer (2007-2022).

Personal

Claudia Santos Cruz advises clients on the international and cross border aspects of their investments in Portugal and Lusophone Africa. She is co-head of the Lusophone Africa practice team at Morais Leitão which is dedicated to transactions and advising international clients investing in these markets. Claudia works on a daily basis with ML Legal Circle integrated law firms in Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde and she is herself a member of the MDR Advogados team in Mozambique. Claudia coordinates the Shipping practice at ML and is also a member of the international Banking & Finance department.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers Global Guide

General Business Law: International Firms - Mozambique

Mozambique, expertise based abroad in Portugal

Individual Editorial

Claudia Santos Cruz is known for her capabilities in project finance and M&A matters. She is well placed to assist with cross-border matters. Based in Lisbon, she holds the distinction of being admitted in England & Wales, Portugal and Mozambique.

Learn more about this team View expertise based abroad table

General Business Law: International Firms - Angola

Angola, expertise based abroad in Portugal

Individual Editorial

Lisbon-based Claudia Santos Cruz offers a wealth of experience in finance matters, including debt restructuring and sector-related disputes. She is a talented practitioner who is often engaged by international players from the oil and gas and banking spheres. She offers further knowledge in private equity mandates.

Learn more about this team View expertise based abroad table

Corporate/M&A - Portugal

Foreign expert in Angola

Individual Editorial

Claudia Santos Cruz is a dual-qualified lawyer in Mozambique and Portugal. She also has extensive expertise in matters relating to Angola. From Lisbon, she assists clients in both countries, particularly in the oil and gas space, as well as the infrastructure and transportation sectors.

Learn more about this team View foreign expertise table

Banking & Finance - Portugal

Foreign expert in Mozambique

Individual Editorial

Claudia Santos Cruz advises on a variety of complex financing transactions involving the UK as well as lusophone African markets. She regularly assists international banks and investors with project and shipping finance deals and debt restructurings.

View foreign expertise table

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

I appreciate Claudia Santos Cruz’s second-to-none technical excellence. Her wealth of experience in this market gives clients confidence in the decision making process.
General Business Law: International FirmsChambers Global Guide