Paulo de Sá e Cunha

Practice Areas

White Collar Crime, Corporate Governance and Compliance. Litigation

Career

Paulo de Sá e Cunha is an Of Counsel and has been at Abreu Advogados since 2023, working mainly in the areas of Criminal Law, Sanctions and Compliance.

His practice focuses on criminal litigation, administrative offences, compliance, corporate governance and internal investigations.

He has extensive experience in high-profile white-collar crime matters, representing individuals, companies and large economic groups in complex criminal and administrative offence cases, with a particular focus on financial and tax crime, corruption, money laundering and property crimes.

With more than 30 years’ experience, he was a Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon (1987 to 1997) and at the Lusíada University (1993 to 1999); head of the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Health Administration (1989-1990); director of the Legal Department of SUCH – Serviço de Utilização Comum dos Hospitais (1998-2002). He was a partner in an international law firm where, for the last sixteen years, he coordinated the areas of criminal practice, administrative offences, compliance and internal investigations.

Founding member of APDI – Associação Portuguesa de Direito Intelectual and Gestautor – Associação de Gestão Colectiva do Direito de Autor; founding member and vice-president of OSCOT – Observatório de Segurança, Criminalidade Organizada e Terrorismo; member of the Lisbon District Council of the Portuguese Bar Association (2010-2012) and founder and president of Fórum Penal – Associação dos Advogados Penalistas (2012-2014).

He has participated as a speaker and lecturer at conferences and courses on matters of his speciality, and has published several opinion and scientific articles. He is a regular presence in the media, appearing as a guest commentator on television and radio and in the press.

He is currently President of the Superior Council of the Portuguese Bar Association and vice-president of OSCOT.

Professional Memberships

Member of the Portuguese Bar Association. Founder member and former vice-president of OSCOT (Portuguese Observatory on Security, Organized Crime, and Terrorism). Member of the Lisbon Council of the Portuguese Bar Association (2011-2013). Founder and Chairman of Fórum Penal (Portuguese Criminal Lawyers Association).

Personal

Law degree from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon, 1988.