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JL Advogados Lawyers RL is a Portugal based law firm delivering multidisciplinary legal services to individuals and businesses across sectors. The firm operates from offices in Leiria, Alcobaça and Lisbon, enabling close collaboration with clients throughout the country. It was founded in 2009 by Dr. Jorge Laureano, establishing a stable platform for practical, results-oriented legal counsel.
The practice areas include Criminal Defense, Lawsuits & Disputes, Employment & Labor, Real Estate, and Corporate & Commercial law, reflecting a broad, client-focused approach.
Clients benefit from a team-oriented culture that combines experienced lawyers with a strong emphasis on personalized service and practical outcomes.
Founded in 2009
8 people in their team
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Real Estate Law
Our firm provides specialized legal services in Real Estate Law, offering comprehensive and tailored solutions to meet the needs of both domestic and international clients. With an experienced team and in-depth knowledge of the Portuguese real estate market, we deliver rigorous advisory services across all stages of real estate transactions—from negotiation and contract formalization to dispute resolution. Our commitment is to ensure legal certainty and efficiency, aligned with our clients’ objectives.
We assist clients in structuring and executing complex real estate transactions, ensuring legal compliance and contractual optimization, including legal opinions, business and contract analysis, in-depth due diligence, and all types of real estate transactions. This includes analysis of investment vehicles such as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and the legality of real estate investment funds, risk mitigation in cross-border operations, the application of force majeure clauses in national and international contracts, and compliance with global standards such as the International Bar Association (IBA) principles for ethics in real estate transactions. Our services include:
Purchase and Sale: Drafting and negotiation of contracts for the acquisition and disposal of real estate, including earn-out clauses in real estate M&A transactions.
Exchanges and Dation in Payment: Advisory on asset swap transactions and debt settlement through transfer of real property (dation in payment), including analysis of asset equivalence.
Leasing and Tenancy: Drafting and review of lease agreements, including commercial and residential leases.
Mortgages and Financing: Analysis of mortgage loan agreements, registration of mortgages, and preparation of legal opinions.
Acquisition of Real Estate Companies: Advisory on corporate transactions involving real estate assets, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A) with cross-border due diligence.
Inherited Real Estate: Resolution and assessment of the legal status of inherited properties, including partition actions and regularization of title transfers and registrations.
Real Estate Compliance: Evaluation and advice on reports concerning latent structural defects and enforcement of statutory warranties, assistance with legalization of ownership, and correction of land registry records.
Development and Urban Planning: Advisory on real estate development projects, including zoning laws, obtaining land-use permits, and compliance with environmental regulations and municipal master plans (PDM).
Easements and Lesser Real Rights: Drafting of contracts for the creation of easements (servitudes) and rights of way under civil law principles.
Expropriation and Eminent Domain: Representation in eminent domain or public-interest expropriation proceedings.
Due Diligence: Comprehensive legal due diligence to assess risks in real estate transactions.
Analysis of Real Estate Asset Contracts: Provision of legal advice.
Establishment of Condominium Ownership: Formalization and registration of condominium regimes.
Licensing and Compliance: Support in obtaining architectural project licenses and verification of compliance with the General Regulation for Urban Buildings (RGEU).
We provide legal support on all formal and tax aspects of real estate transactions, including:
Deeds and Registrations: Execution of public deeds and verification of land and commercial registry records, including electronic conveyancing.
Incorporation of Real Estate Companies: Advisory on the establishment of companies dedicated to the real estate sector.
Tax Structuring: Consultancy on tax optimization in contracts and real estate transactions.
Real Rights: Advisory on timeshare arrangements and life estates.
Construction Contracts, Works Contracts, and Commodatum: Drafting of construction contracts.
Sale and Purchase, Lease, and Mortgage Agreements: Incorporation of subordination clauses in financing and sale-and-leaseback arrangements.
Swap Agreements and Assignment of Contractual Position: Structuring of novation and assignment agreements with safeguards against third-party claims.
Review of Real Estate Mediation Clauses and Franchising Agreements: Analysis of franchise agreements in the real estate sector.
Usufruct and Surface Rights: Drafting of contracts for the constitution of usufruct and surface rights.
We represent clients in real estate disputes, providing effective solutions to protect their interests. Our services include:
Eviction Actions and Specific Performance for Delivery of Property: Eviction proceedings and enforcement actions.
Injunctive Relief and Property Claims: Provisional measures and real actions for recovery of possession, applying the principle of lis pendens in international registries.
Coercive Collection of Rents and Condominium Debts: Enforcement of real guarantees and mortgage foreclosure procedures to recover homeowners’ association credits.
Actions for Damages to Real Estate: Compensation claims for wrongful acts, such as nuisance or trespass, including quantification of damages.
Disputes Regarding Title and Ownership Legitimacy: Quiet title actions and boundary disputes, resolved through arbitration when appropriate.
International Arbitration and Mediation: Representation in arbitral proceedings concerning cross-border real estate disputes.
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Involving Real Estate Assets: Administration of insolvent estates containing real estate, including ranking of privileged credits.
Commercial Law
In the dynamic commercial environment, companies face daily legal challenges that demand swift, rigorous, and effective responses. Our firm provides specialized legal support, delivering practical and tailor-made solutions both in judicial and extrajudicial contexts.
We ensure the drafting, review, and negotiation of commercial contracts with clarity and legal certainty, covering:
Supply, Service, and Distribution Agreements: Drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts, including force majeure and hardship clauses, in accordance with comparative law.
Franchising and Commercial Partnership Agreements: Structuring of franchise contracts, including master franchise agreements and cross-border joint ventures.
Confidentiality and Non-Compete Agreements: Drafting of NDAs and non-compete clauses in line with EU competition law guidelines.
Agency and Commission Agreements: Advisory on negotiation and termination of agency and commission contracts, including analysis of termination rights and clientele indemnity.
Technology Licensing and Know-How Transfer Agreements: Drafting and implementation of intellectual property licensing contracts, including technology and know-how transfer.
Outsourcing and Offshoring Contracts: Structuring of service outsourcing agreements, including data protection clauses compliant with the GDPR.
Asset Purchase Agreements: Acquisition of business assets, including client portfolios, with warranties and representations, due diligence, and indemnification mechanisms.
Strategic Alliance Agreements: Structuring of commercial collaborations without creating a separate legal entity, including profit-sharing clauses and governance models.
Guarantee Agreements: Incorporation of instruments such as letters of credit, performance bonds, and parent-company guarantees to secure contractual obligations.
Consultancy Agreements: Regulation of consultancy services, including scope of work, deliverables, and confidentiality obligations.
Banking Law
Our firm provides highly experienced legal services in Banking Law to companies, individuals, and financial institutions. With a rigorous and client-focused approach, we deliver practical and secure solutions in contractual, regulatory, and contentious matters, always prioritizing the protection of our clients’ interests and legal certainty.
Drafting, review, and negotiation of credit agreements, mortgages, leasing, and factoring contracts.
Advisory on financing transactions and project finance.
Analysis and drafting of general and special contractual clauses, including security mechanisms.
Compliance with guidelines from the Bank of Portugal and the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM).
Implementation of internal compliance policies, including anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures.
Data protection advisory in the financial sector in full compliance with the GDPR.
Defense and representation in disputes arising from contractual breaches and unfair terms.
Handling of litigation related to financial intermediation and complex products.
Banking litigation on behalf of companies and individuals.
Advisory on financing and project finance transactions, with legal and financial optimization.
Analysis and structuring of bank guarantees, sureties, and other security instruments.
Advisory on issuances and trading of securities.
Assistance in judicial and extrajudicial debt collection actions.
Enforcement of security interests, including attachment of assets and income.
Negotiation of settlement agreements for overdue credits and debt restructuring.
Defense in enforcement proceedings.
Drafting and negotiation of restructuring plans with financial institutions.
Representation in insolvency proceedings involving banking entities.
Mediation and negotiation with creditors to achieve sustainable financial recovery.
Advisory on issuances and trading of shares, bonds, and other securities.
Guidance on derivatives, swaps, and futures.
Structuring of capital-market transactions with full regulatory compliance.
Planning and structuring of corporate financing operations.
Due diligence in acquisitions with financial or banking impact.
Resolution of corporate disputes with a financial component.
Advisory on financial taxation and regulatory reporting.
Corporate Law
We represent our clients in corporate and commercial litigation, delivering effective solutions for dispute resolution. Our practice covers risk analysis, development of procedural strategies, representation in court and arbitral proceedings, and enforcement of judgments, with a strong focus on damage mitigation and maximization of outcomes.
Contractual Disputes: Representation in actions for breach of contract, termination or annulment of contracts due to defects in consent (mistake, fraud, duress), including analysis of penalty clauses, force majeure, and changed circumstances (hardship).
Unfair Competition: Representation and defense in proceedings involving acts of unfair competition, including applications for interim injunctions to immediately cease unlawful practices.
Debt Recovery and Enforcement Proceedings: Preparation and pursuit of judicial and extrajicial enforcement actions for coercive debt collection, including attachments, freezing orders, and specific performance measures, with structuring of dation in payment and subrogation of claims.
Commercial Mediation and Arbitration: Facilitation of mediation processes and representation in national and international arbitrations, including enforcement of arbitral awards and drafting of tiered dispute-resolution clauses.
Shareholder Disputes: Resolution of conflicts among shareholders, challenges to corporate resolutions, and actions for directors’ liability, including analysis of shareholders’ agreements, minority rights, and squeeze-out or forced buy-out mechanisms.
Intellectual Property Disputes: Actions for infringement of IP rights (trademarks, patents—including EU trademarks), seeking damages and lost profits.
Insolvency and Restructuring Litigation: Intervention in insolvency proceedings, including challenges to culpable insolvency qualifications, opposition to recovery plans, preventive restructurings, negotiation and verification of creditor claims, and clawback actions.
Banking and Financial Litigation: Representation in disputes involving unfair terms in credit agreements, mis-selling of financial products, and enforcement of security, particularly in mortgage credit, with regulatory compliance analysis.
Extra-Contractual Liability Actions: Claims for patrimonial damages and loss of profits arising from tortious acts, including product liability, with full compensation under the principle of integral reparation.
International and Cross-Border Disputes: Management of litigation with international elements, including choice-of-law issues, coordination of parallel proceedings in multiple jurisdictions, and enforcement of foreign judgments in cooperation with local counsel.
Interim and Urgent Measures: Pursuit of provisional remedies such as preventive attachments, injunctions, and suspension of acts to protect rights and prevent irreparable harm.
Administrative Litigation with Commercial Impact: Challenges to administrative decisions affecting business activities, including regulatory sanctions, revocation or denial of licenses and authorizations.
We develop effective strategies for credit recovery, prioritizing out-of-court solutions. Our services include:
Drafting and monitoring of payment plans tailored to achieve sustainable financial recovery.
Negotiation of balanced debt restructuring agreements with creditors.
Court representation to obtain judicial approval of restructuring agreements, ensuring enforceability and protection against dissenting creditors.
Representation in the renegotiation of defaulted credit facilities, loans, leasing, and other financial products.
Advisory and litigation against financial institutions, including challenges to unfair terms and defense against enforcement of personal or real guarantees.
Assistance in recovering commercial debts from clients, suppliers, and business partners under national and international contracts.
Negotiation of tax payment plans with the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority.
Administrative and judicial appeals against tax decisions.
Defense in tax enforcement proceedings, including opposition to tax attachments.
Coordination of tax debt negotiations within insolvency or revitalization processes.
Immigration and Nationality Law
With extensive experience in Immigration Law, we provide comprehensive legal advice on the legalization and regularization of immigrants in Portugal, as well as on obtaining documents for Portuguese citizens living abroad. Our practice covers administrative and judicial proceedings, representing clients before entities such as the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN), the Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination (CICDR), the Ombudsman (Provedoria de Justiça), and the courts.
We provide support in obtaining and managing essential documents for the regularization of immigrants, foreign citizens, and Portuguese emigrants, ensuring compliance with Portuguese and European legal requirements:
Advisory services and preparation of applications for the attribution of Tax Identification Number (NIF), Social Security Number (NISS), and National Health Service Number (Nº de Utente).
Advisory services and assistance with the opening and/or closure of business activity.
Advisory services and incorporation of companies.
Legalization and residence services: handling legalization procedures and obtaining residence permits, accompanying all phases of the process and analysing the specific needs of each case.
Screening and advisory services to determine the most suitable type of residence permit for each individual situation.
Obtaining a Residence Title: support from document collection to submission and follow-up of the application with AIMA, including in-person accompaniment.
Processing of Expressions of Interest: assistance in submitting expressions of interest for the regularization of immigrants in irregular situations.
Procedures for obtaining Portuguese nationality: handling the acquisition of Portuguese nationality, whether original or derived.
Representation of clients in administrative or judicial appeals in case of refusal, and guidance on specific requirements such as legal residence, family or cultural ties with Portugal.
Immigration litigation: acting in contentious proceedings against AIMA, IRN or other entities.
Preparation and submission of challenges to administrative decisions that violate our clients’ rights, such as refusals of residence or nationality.
Representation in court, drafting judicial actions and appeals against removal decisions and/or procedural irregularities.
Extradition litigation: court representation contesting the legality of extradition requests on grounds of human rights violations or lack of guarantees of a fair trial, ensuring the protection of fundamental rights enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Litigation concerning orders to leave the territory: preparation of hierarchical appeals or judicial actions to challenge removal orders.
Litigation for unlawful presence: handling administrative-offence or criminal proceedings for irregular stay in Portuguese territory, protecting against arbitrary expulsions.
Litigation for other reasons, including racial discrimination: filing complaints with the Ombudsman for administrative delays, ensuring equal treatment regardless of race or ethnic origin.
Representation in judicial actions for the annulment of unlawful administrative decisions, such as violations of the right to be heard or abuse of power, guaranteeing effective protection of immigrants’ rights at all levels.
We assist in applying for all types of Schengen visas and residence visas, whether for temporary or permanent stays, for citizens of European and non-European origin. Our services include:
Assistance at consulates: support in obtaining visas at Portuguese consulates or foreign consulates, including preparation of the application, analysis and processing of required documentation.
Schengen visa: for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period within the Schengen Area, including Portugal, for purposes such as tourism, business or family visits.
Residence visa for employment: aimed at non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens wishing to carry out professional activity in Portugal, including highly qualified workers, seasonal workers or intra-corporate transfers.
Residence visa for intra-corporate worker mobility: analysis of requirements (employment contract, qualifications, etc.), obtaining authorizations from AIMA, and review of tax and social security implications.
Residence visa for study: for international students, handling the application process and document preparation (proof of enrolment, financial means), with follow-up at AIMA or consulates.
Residence visa for investment (ARI former Golden Visa): residence through investment (e.g., real estate acquisition, job creation or capital transfer), with access to the Schengen Area and the possibility of applying for nationality after five years.
Residence visa for family reunification: for legally resident persons in Portugal, covering preparation of proof of family ties and financial capacity, submission to AIMA and resolution of any administrative issues, ensuring the protection of the fundamental rights of families.
Digital Nomad Visa: guidance on obtaining the visa, including analysis of practical tax and social security implications, ensuring legal integration; requires proof of stable income, remote employment contract, and compliance with Portuguese tax rules such as the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) regime.
Temporary stay visa for medical treatment or other purposes: full support in preparing the application, obtaining necessary authorizations and monitoring the process, ensuring compliance with legal requirements.
Apostille, certification and translation of documents: assistance with certification, translation and apostille of documents.
Tax and social security advisory to clarify and avoid double taxation.
Civil Law
Our firm offers legal services with vast experience in Civil Law, providing complete and tailor-made solutions for individual clients, companies and public entities. With an experienced team and in-depth knowledge of the Portuguese legal system, we provide advice across all areas of Civil Law, from preventive consultancy to court representation. We work with rigour, closeness and efficiency, always aiming to protect our clients’ rights and interests.
Drafting, analysis and litigation related to various types of contracts, including:
Loan, deposit, mandate, commodatum, service provision, construction, purchase and sale, financial leasing and franchise agreements.
Negotiation, review and adaptation of general contractual clauses.
Out-of-court resolution of contractual disputes and representation in actions for breach, specific performance, termination and price reduction.
Constitution and enforcement of contractual guarantees, penalty clauses and default interest.
Covering judicial actions for contractual or extra-contractual liability, including insurance matters, with focus on:
Liability arising from high-risk activities.
Duty of supervision over minors or incapacitated persons, with consequent imputation of fault.
Medical errors or omissions in clinical acts, with claims for professional negligence.
Environmental damage, including pollution and ecological degradation.
Strict liability of manufacturers or producers for defective products.
Specific violations of consumer rights, with cumulative compensation.
Compensation for patrimonial and non-patrimonial damages, including actual loss, loss of profits and moral damages.
Strict or fault-based liability for injuries caused by animals
Road traffic accidents, including assessment of fault, quantification of damages and activation of insurance companies.
Consultancy on insurance policies, coverage analysis, claims management and exercise of subrogation rights.
Mediation and resolution of family cases, divorces, inheritance and legacy issues, including:
Mutual-consent or litigious divorce: division of marital property and prenuptial agreements.
Regulation of parental responsibilities: maintenance, visitation rights and guardianship of minors.
Succession planning: wills, lifetime gifts and early partition of estates.
Qualification of heirs, judicial and extrajudicial inventories, challenge of legacies and petition of inheritance.
Family mediation and court-approved agreements in separation and divorce proceedings.
Declaration of presumptive death due to absence.
Proceedings related to the insolvency of individuals and companies, namely:
Application for insolvency, discharge of remaining liabilities and payment plans.
Representation of creditors at creditors’ meetings and verification of claims.
Advisory to insolvency administrators and company recovery.
Monitoring of special revitalisation proceedings (PER) and debt restructuring.
Defence of consumer rights in various situations, with intervention in:
Complaints for hidden defects, faults in goods or services and statutory warranties.
Urban leasing disputes and conflict management; actions against unfair terms, unfair commercial practices and misleading advertising.
Compensation for damages arising from breach of contract or defective products.
Representation before consumer arbitration centres and injunction procedures.
Representation in civil court proceedings, including:
Declaratory, condemnatory, enforcement and precautionary actions.
Procedures for attachment, embargo of new works and conservatory measures.
Ordinary and extraordinary appeals in civil matters.
Enforcement for payment of a sum certain, delivery of goods or performance of an act.
Issues of nationality, civil registry and land registry, with services including:
Acquisition of nationality.
Registration of birth, marriage, divorce, death and declaration of presumptive death due to absence.
Annotations, rectifications and cancellations in civil, land and commercial registries.
Entry and stay of foreigners.
Management and collection of debts, including:
Collection of debts arising from bills of exchange, cheques or other documents.
Extrajudicial and judicial collection of credits based on enforceable titles.
Injunction procedures, enforcement actions and attachment of assets.
Negotiation of payment plans and agreements of novation or dation in payment.
Establishment of incapacity by interdiction or limited incapacity.
Guardianship, curatorship and administration of assets of minors or interdicted persons.
Civil protection of personality rights: honour, image, privacy and personal data.
Actions for infringement of copyright and industrial property rights.
Institutional mediation and arbitration in civil disputes.
Legalization of documents, notarizations and acknowledgements.
Advisory on parental responsibility and proceedings for inhibition of parental powers.
Consultancy on insurance matters, claims and strict liability.
Assistance with vehicle registration and commercial annotations.
Family and Succession Law
Our firm offers dedicated legal advice in Family and Succession Law, with a balanced approach that prioritizes the well-being of all parties involved. Our team acts with empathy, efficiency and technical expertise, providing comprehensive guidance on emotional and patrimonial matters, from dispute prevention to judicial defence. We combine innovative, tailor-made solutions with a multidisciplinary perspective to achieve optimal outcomes.
Drafting and review of prenuptial agreements.
Preparation and adaptation of premarital contracts for property regimes.
Modifications/changes to matrimonial property regimes.
Matrimonial property regimes and prenuptial conventions.
Allocation of the family home.
Strategies for asset protection in marriage scenarios, including advance planning to prevent future disputes.
Early structuring of inheritances with impact on matrimonial property regimes.
Amicable or contentious divorce, including resolution of pending proceedings.
Divorce by mutual consent or litigious divorce.
Equitable division of assets in separations or dissolution of de facto unions.
Advisory on patrimonial separations, including divisions in divorces or de facto unions.
Partition of community property.
Mutual-consent or litigious divorce proceedings.
Registration of de facto unions.
Recognition and dissolution of de facto unions.
Regularization of informal unions.
Equitable division of assets upon dissolution of de facto unions.
Advisory, definition and adjustment of parental authority regulation, visitation regimes and child maintenance.
Proceedings to amend previous parental responsibility regulations.
Agreements on custody, visitation and child support for minors.
Amendments to prior decisions and enforcement of breached agreements.
Regulation of the exercise of parental responsibilities.
Investigations or challenges to parentage.
Proceedings for acknowledgment of paternity.
Actions to establish or contest paternity.
Applications for intervention in measures to promote and protect children and young people in vulnerable situations.
Requests for institutional intervention to safeguard minors.
Adoption and civil sponsorship proceedings to strengthen affective ties.
Adoption processes.
Adoption, civil sponsorship and promotion of children’s rights in at-risk situations.
Early structuring of inheritances, including drafting of testamentary dispositions.
Advisory on drafting wills without infringing forced heirship rules (legítima).
Succession planning and will drafting.
Support in drafting sealed (closed) wills.
Wills for foreigners and cross-border situations.
Qualification of heirs and acceptance or repudiation of inheritance.
Heir qualification procedures.
Management of repudiated inheritances transferred to minor children.
Forced heirship and rights of protected heirs.
Advisory on drafting wills without violating forced heirship.
Mediation in disputes between beneficiaries and challenges to legacies.
Resolution of conflicts among heirs.
Advisory on heir qualification procedures and division of estate assets.
Management of inventories and liquidations arising from death or separation.
Inventory proceedings.
Extrajudicial or judicial inventories and partitions, whether due to death or separation.
Judicial and extrajudicial partitions.
Inventories and management of hereditary estates.
Challenges to dispositions and patrimonial mediation.
Challenge of wills.
Representation in proceedings challenging wills or partitions.
Asset management and matrimonial agreements.
Strategies to safeguard economic interests in family dynamics.
Succession planning.
Mediation and negotiation in succession proceedings, promoting consensual agreements in complex, extrajudicial contexts.
Review of foreign decisions and migratory regularization for international families.
Review of foreign judgments on partitions, maintenance, parental responsibility and/or inheritance.
Homologation of foreign marriages.
Homologation of divorces registered abroad.
Advisory in cross-border contexts involving child abduction.
Urgent precautionary proceedings, such as judicial delivery of minors or urgent asset protection measures.
Wills for foreigners and cross-border situations.
Analysis and choice of legal regime for wills and marriages involving foreigners.
Successions involving foreign citizens and children.
Review of foreign judgments on partitions, maintenance, parental responsibility and/or inheritance.
Legal support to international families with members residing abroad or assets located outside Portugal.
Interventions in cases of dependency, curatorship or accompaniment measures for adults.
Proceedings for accompanied adults (maior acompanhado).
Appointment of guardians and/or curators in wills where beneficiaries are minors and/or incapacitated.
Advisory on matters related to economic dependency, incapacity or interdiction.
Family mediation and support in extrajudicial negotiations.
Representation in urgent precautionary proceedings.
Precautionary measures to protect assets at patrimonial risk.
Urgent proceedings involving domestic violence, parental responsibility regulation, or requests for intervention by child
protection institutions.
Nationality, residence and visa proceedings.
Regularization of nationality, residence permits, family reunions.
Nationality and dual nationality proceedings.
Criminal and Administrative Offence Law
With extensive experience, our firm provides legal services across all areas of Criminal and Administrative Offence Law, offering comprehensive and tailor-made solutions for national and international clients. With an experienced team and in-depth knowledge of the Portuguese legal system, we deliver rigorous advisory services throughout all phases of criminal and administrative offence proceedings – from prevention and initial counselling to court defence and dispute resolution. Our commitment is to ensure effective defence, justice and excellent outcomes, fully adapted to our clients’ rights.
We assist clients in mitigating criminal and administrative offence risks, promoting compliance practices and preventive approaches. Our services include:
Proactive consultancy on criminal matters for companies and individuals.
Development of compliance systems to prevent legal violations.
Support in drafting formal complaints and denunciations.
We defend clients’ interests in investigations and criminal actions with tailor-made, robust strategies, including:
Defence at trial for offences against property, honour and other crimes.
Assistance during inquiries, including interrogations and search warrants.
Filing of appeals and applications for review of judicial decisions.
Legal services for constitution as assistente (private prosecutor) in criminal proceedings and civil compensation claims.
Defence in economic and financial crimes such as fraud, corruption, breach of trust, embezzlement and tax offences.
Defence in domestic violence, cybercrime, offences against persons and patrimonial crimes.
Holistic approach in criminal proceedings ensuring invocation of constitutional safeguards, such as the right to a fair trial and prohibition of cruel or degrading treatment under the Portuguese Constitution.
Criminal proceedings involving acts against life, physical integrity, freedom, honour, privacy and sexual self-determination; patrimonial offences; crimes against society (family, forgery, common dangers, public safety and order); offences against the State (public authority, justice and official functions); economic, environmental, tax, cyber and industrial property crimes.
Guarantee of procedural rights: immediate assistance to detainees in temporary installation centres (CIT), border units or prison establishments, ensuring interpreters, consular contact and access to defence from the first interrogation.
Habeas corpus and review of coercive measures: challenge of pre-trial detention or house arrest on grounds of disproportionality, flight risk or humanitarian conditions.
Attendance at detention validation hearings: mandatory presence at criminal instruction courts for foreigners detained for illegal immigration.
Challenge of administrative decisions with criminal implications: judicial contestation of administrative expulsions that may constitute a crime.
Criminal liability of public entities: monitoring of proceedings for abuse of power, malfeasance or denial of justice in asylum or regularization procedures.
Civil compensation claims annexed to criminal proceedings: claims for damages arising from unlawful detention or rights violations in AIMA-managed centres.
Extraordinary appeals: applications for review of convictions due to manifest error, new evidence or breach of international norms.
Adaptation of sentences for foreigners: request for expulsion as an alternative to effective imprisonment, with follow-up before the Sentence Execution Court.
International cooperation: assessment of the legality of European Arrest Warrants (EAW) and extradition requests, with intervention before appeal courts and the Constitutional Court.
Defence against crimes impacting human rights: representation in proceedings for ill-treatment of detainees or denial of asylum constituting malfeasance, invoking the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees (ratified by Portugal) to argue non-refoulement in cases of persecution risk.
Challenge of criminal administrative decisions: contestation of measures violating constitutional rights, including appeals to the Constitutional Court for declaration of unconstitutionality in disproportionate sentences or detentions.
Support to victims of violations: assistance as civil party in criminal actions for crimes against humanity or discrimination, invoking the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), incorporated into Portuguese law via the Constitution.
Treatment of prisoners: application of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Intervention to guarantee detainees’ rights (family visits, healthcare, prohibition of prolonged solitary confinement and excessive pre-trial detention).
Extradition proceedings: acting in accordance with the Law on International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters, together with the European Convention on Extradition and its protocols.
Opposition to extradition requests via European Arrest Warrant when in conflict with constitutional rights or conventions, prioritizing examination of double criminality.
Our services cover proceedings before regulatory authorities for individuals and entities, at administrative and judicial stages, across all regulated domains including road traffic, environmental and tax offences. Our expertise includes:
Challenge of fines and penalties in employment, environmental and tax matters.
Challenge of administrative offence notices and filing of appeals.
Negotiation with competent authorities and promotion of strategic settlements.
Advisory on specific regulatory sanctions.
Judicial challenges, hearings and appeals against offences issued by entities such as ASAE, IMT, GNR, PSP, ANSR, IGAMAOT
and regional regulators in the Azores and Madeira.
Participation in alternative mechanisms such as arbitration and mediation.
Support in civil compensation actions derived from criminal offences.
Guidance on money laundering and anti-corruption issues.
Crisis management and liaison with official entities.
Drafting of written defences, applications and witness examinations.
Design, implementation and monitoring of compliance programmes to equip clients with tools for regulatory compliance, reducing exposure to liability.
Intellectual Property
We handle proceedings related to the protection of companies’ intangible assets, ensuring their valuation and security, including intellectual property and trade secret protection. Our services integrate consultancy, registration, litigation, contractual negotiation and more.
Registration and management of trademarks, patents and copyright: full handling of the registration process.
Intellectual property litigation: including negotiation of coexistence agreements and mediation.
Protection of trade secrets and know-how: drafting of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), confidentiality clauses in employment contracts, and resolution of misappropriation disputes.
Licensing and transfer of IP rights: analysis and drafting of royalty clauses and cross-licensing agreements.
Drafting and advisory on negotiation of licensing contracts: assignment (transfer of rights) and franchising, including royalty rates, territorial scope, cross-licensing and sublicensing clauses.
Due diligence in mergers and acquisitions (M&A): analysis of validity, ownership and potential litigation of intangible assets.
Defence against counterfeiting and piracy: criminal counterfeiting offences, customs law (seizure of counterfeit goods) and digital law (online infringement).
Drafting of contracts for licensing client databases in compliance with the GDPR.
International arbitration and mediation: dispute resolution.
Merger control: drafting contracts in mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, notifying operations to the authorities.
Anti-competitive practices: advisory on prevention and defence against restrictive agreements such as cartels or market sharing, representing clients before the Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC).
Private competition litigation: legal services in actions for damages caused by anti-competitive practices.
Distribution and franchise agreements: analysis of distribution and franchise contracts.
Compliance with online trade regulation: analysis and opinions on terms of use, privacy policies and commercial practices.
Protection of IP rights on online marketplaces: protection of trademarks, designs and copyright on e-commerce platforms.
Complaints for infringement: legal advisory in negotiations with platform operators.
Online advertising and intellectual property: advisory on protection of trademarks and protected content in digital advertising campaigns; litigation related to unauthorized use of trademarks in online ads (e.g., keyword advertising).
Domain name disputes: resolution of conflicts involving domain names that infringe registered trademarks, including arbitration proceedings.
Insolvency and Financial Recovery
In the field of insolvency, our firm offers specialized legal services focused on resolving insolvency situations for both individuals and companies. With a strategic and personalized approach, we develop solutions aimed at financial recovery or the efficient management of insolvency proceedings whether definitive, imminent, or by agreement. Our team combines technical rigor and practical experience to protect our clients’ interests and achieve effective outcomes with legal certainty.
Representation in insolvency proceedings for individuals and companies, acting in Portuguese courts and cross-border proceedings, including jurisdiction and coordination issues.
Preventive advice in imminent or definitive insolvency situations, analyzing restructuring and/or insolvency plans to avoid declaration of insolvency or mitigate its effects.
Opposition to qualification of insolvency as culpable or fortuitous, including analysis of directors’ or managers’ liability for mismanagement.
Support throughout the entire insolvency process, from cessation of payments until closure, including discharge of remaining liabilities.
Special Payment Agreement Procedure (PEAP): Assistance to individuals in negotiating agreements with creditors, including debt restructuring strategies and debt forgiveness plans to provide a fresh start.
Special Revitalization Procedure (PER): Advisory to companies on drafting and implementing revitalization plans, ensuring business continuity and creditor protection in line with EU preventive restructuring frameworks.
Recovery Plans: Structuring of financial and operational restructuring strategies, including liability renegotiation and business model redesign for viable companies.
Court representation to obtain judicial approval of recovery plans.
Subsequent verification of claims in insolvency proceedings, both national and transnational
Negotiation of tax and social security debts to reduce liabilities and ensure financial sustainability.
Discharge of remaining liabilities for individuals, enabling economic fresh start.
Negotiation of redemption rights over assets seized into the insolvent estate, including in cross-border contexts.
Applications for exemption from liquidation of seized movable assets essential for the debtor’s recovery.
Opposition to declarations of insolvency.
Challenges to wrongful attachments of assets or salaries, including European account preservation orders.
Negotiation of payment agreements with employees in restructuring plans, ensuring protection of employment credits.
Representation at creditors’ meetings to maximize voting rights and protect creditor interests.
Alternative dispute resolution in insolvency matters through mediation in civil and commercial cases, achieving faster and more cost-effective outcomes.
Employment Law
Our firm provides specialized legal services in Employment Law and Social Security, offering full support to both employers and employees. With a practical, rigorous and up-to-date approach, we accompany our clients throughout all phases of the employment relationship from its establishment to termination as well as in the resolution of employment disputes. Our goal is to ensure legal compliance, prevent conflicts and effectively safeguard labour and social rights.
Management of employment contracts: drafting, review and negotiation of employment contracts, including non-compete and remote-work clauses.
Employment litigation: representation in disputes concerning dismissals, workplace discrimination and violations of labour rights.
Corporate restructurings: advisory in collective dismissal processes and transfer of undertakings.
Collective bargaining: support in drafting collective agreements and mediation in labour disputes.
For companies: advisory in handling complaints, mitigating risks and resolving disputes efficiently.
Disciplinary proceedings: assistance to employers in conducting disciplinary procedures drafting statements of fault, internal inquiries and application of sanctions such as warnings or dismissal with just cause.
Collective dismissal: advisory to companies in preparing staff reduction plans, communication with employees and negotiation with worker representatives.
Dismissal by extinction of the job post: advisory in dismissal processes due to elimination of the position.
Workplace accidents: support in claims management, response to complaints and implementation of preventive measures to comply with health and safety regulations.
Advisory on HR policies: assistance to companies in creating and implementing compliant HR policies, including internal regulations, codes of conduct, remote-work policies or benefits programmes.
Advisory: guidance on working time, holidays, parental leave or social benefits, ensuring company practices comply with the law and promote a balanced working environment.
Equality and non-discrimination in the workplace: advisory to companies on implementing equality and diversity policies.
Worker mobility and expatriation: advisory on labour mobility issues, including transfer of workers to other countries or hiring of expatriates.
Expatriation contracts (employers and employees): management of tax and social security issues and compliance with immigration rules.
Claiming labour credits: unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, holiday or Christmas allowances or other due compensation.
Negotiation with employers and, if necessary, judicial or administrative proceedings to ensure full payment of amounts owed.
Disciplinary proceedings (for employees): representation in challenging disciplinary procedures, defending employee rights at all stages.
Collective dismissal (employees): support in ensuring compliance with legal obligations (prior consultation, proper justification) and negotiation of exit conditions such as severance pay or additional benefits.
Agreements for termination of employment contracts: assistance to employers and employees in negotiating and drafting termination agreements.
Amicable termination of the employment relationship: negotiation of agreements protecting the client’s interests, including clauses on compensation, confidentiality or non-competition.
Dismissal by extinction of the job post (employees): defence of rights, analysis of the legitimacy of the job elimination and negotiation of appropriate compensation; representation in court if litigation arises.
Workplace accidents (employees): representation of workers and/or employers in accident-related matters, including claims for compensation for injuries or disabilities.
Equality and non-discrimination: representation of employees in litigation concerning discriminatory practices or harassment.
Expatriation contracts (employees): ensuring employees’ rights are protected during mobility processes, including contractual conditions and associated benefits.
Enforcement Law
Our firm provides specialized legal services in Enforcement Law, ensuring the effective implementation of judicial and arbitral decisions. We act at all stages of enforcement proceedings – whether civil, commercial or employment-related offering rigorous and strategic advisory to secure debt collection, asset recovery and protection of rights, always focused on maximum efficiency and safeguarding our clients’ interests.
We develop effective strategies for credit recovery, prioritizing out-of-court solutions. Our services include:
Pre-litigation: formal notification of debtors through extrajudicial notices, mediation in civil and commercial matters for swift and cost-effective resolution.
Judicial collection: representation in enforcement actions and injunction procedures, including the European Payment Order, ensuring effectiveness in national and transnational jurisdictions.
Arbitration in collections: use of arbitration for credit disputes, recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, ensuring enforceability in international contexts.
Debt collection proceedings in European and international jurisdictions: management of cross-border recoveries, recognition and enforcement of judicial decisions, and bilateral legal assistance treaties.
Coordination with foreign authorities and legal partners: establishment of partnerships with international law firms and interaction with judicial authorities for European Account Preservation Orders.
Due diligence on transnational credits: analysis of debtor solvency and identification of assets in foreign jurisdictions using international databases.
Attachment of movable and immovable property, income, fruits, corporate quotas and tax refunds: execution of attachments including cross-border bank account freezes.
Structuring of dation in payment and creditor position transfers: drafting of dation in payment agreements and credit assignments, ensuring contractual validity in international contexts.
Challenge and opposition to attachments: defence against undue attachments in accordance with the principle of proportionality, protecting the debtor’s fundamental rights.
Lifting of attachments on essential assets: support in applications for suspension or lifting of attachments, particularly on assets essential for the debtor’s subsistence, in restructuring and insolvency contexts.
Drafting and monitoring of payment plans: development of tailor-made payment plans promoting sustainable financial recovery.
Negotiation of debt restructuring agreements: mediation with creditors for balanced liability restructuring.
Judicial approval of restructuring agreements: court representation for homologation of payment agreements, ensuring enforceability and protection against dissenting creditors.
Debts arising from banking contracts, loans and other financial products: legal representation in negotiating plans for defaulted credit agreements, loans and leasing.
Advisory in litigation involving financial institutions: representation in disputes with banks, including unfair terms cases, and defence against enforcement of real or personal guarantees.
Assistance in collecting debts from clients, suppliers and commercial partners: recovery strategies for commercial credits under national and international contracts.
Negotiation of tax debts and payment plans with the Tax and Customs Authority (AT).
Support in recovery proceedings against public entities: administrative claims and appeals against tax decisions.
Defence in tax enforcement proceedings: representation in tax enforcement actions, including opposition to tax attachments based on the principle of proportionality under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Monitoring of related insolvency proceedings: integration of tax debt negotiations into insolvency or revitalization processes.
We promote alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in enforcement proceedings in accordance with the Voluntary Arbitration Law:
Business mediation: facilitation of agreements between creditors and debtors to avoid protracted litigation.
Commercial arbitration: representation before arbitral tribunals for contractual disputes, supporting binding and enforceable decisions.
Arbitration and mediation clauses: drafting of mediation and arbitration clauses in contracts to prevent judicial litigation.
Constitution of real and personal guarantees: structuring of mortgages, pledges and sureties to secure contractual obligations.
Enforcement of guarantees: management of enforcement actions to realize real guarantees such as pledges and mortgages.
Defence against enforcement of guarantees: opposition to undue enforcement of guarantees in accordance with the principle of good faith.
Counter-guarantees: drafting of counter-guarantees such as comfort letters and bank guarantees for debtor protection in transnational enforcement proceedings.
Attachment of shares and quotas: management of attachments on corporate participations, with analysis of governance impact.
Defence of partners in enforcement proceedings: protection of partners’ rights against undue attachments based on the principle of separate legal personality.
Resolution of corporate disputes: mediation and arbitration in partner disputes, including issues of abuse of right or excess of power.
Dissolution and liquidation of companies: support in judicial or extrajudicial dissolution processes under the Portuguese Commercial Companies Code.
Family and Succession Law
Our firm offers dedicated legal advice in Family and Succession Law, with a balanced approach that prioritizes the well-being of all parties involved. Our team acts with empathy, efficiency and technical expertise, providing comprehensive guidance on emotional and patrimonial matters, from dispute prevention to judicial defence. We combine innovative, tailor-made solutions with a multidisciplinary perspective to achieve optimal outcomes.
Drafting and review of prenuptial agreements.
Preparation and adaptation of premarital contracts for property regimes.
Modifications/changes to matrimonial property regimes.
Matrimonial property regimes and prenuptial conventions.
Allocation of the family home.
Strategies for asset protection in marriage scenarios, including advance planning to prevent future disputes.
Early structuring of inheritances with impact on matrimonial property regimes.
Amicable or contentious divorce, including resolution of pending proceedings.
Divorce by mutual consent or litigious divorce.
Equitable division of assets in separations or dissolution of de facto unions.
Advisory on patrimonial separations, including divisions in divorces or de facto unions.
Partition of community property.
Mutual-consent or litigious divorce proceedings.
Registration of de facto unions.
Recognition and dissolution of de facto unions.
Regularization of informal unions.
Equitable division of assets upon dissolution of de facto unions.
Advisory, definition and adjustment of parental authority regulation, visitation regimes and child maintenance.
Proceedings to amend previous parental responsibility regulations.
Agreements on custody, visitation and child support for minors.
Amendments to prior decisions and enforcement of breached agreements.
Regulation of the exercise of parental responsibilities.
Investigations or challenges to parentage.
Proceedings for acknowledgment of paternity.
Actions to establish or contest paternity.
Applications for intervention in measures to promote and protect children and young people in vulnerable situations.
Requests for institutional intervention to safeguard minors.
Adoption and civil sponsorship proceedings to strengthen affective ties.
Adoption processes.
Adoption, civil sponsorship and promotion of children’s rights in at-risk situations.
Early structuring of inheritances, including drafting of testamentary dispositions.
Advisory on drafting wills without infringing forced heirship rules (legítima).
Succession planning and will drafting.
Support in drafting sealed (closed) wills.
Wills for foreigners and cross-border situations.
Qualification of heirs and acceptance or repudiation of inheritance.
Heir qualification procedures.
Management of repudiated inheritances transferred to minor children.
Forced heirship and rights of protected heirs.
Advisory on drafting wills without violating forced heirship.
Mediation in disputes between beneficiaries and challenges to legacies.
Resolution of conflicts among heirs.
Advisory on heir qualification procedures and division of estate assets.
Management of inventories and liquidations arising from death or separation.
Inventory proceedings.
Extrajudicial or judicial inventories and partitions, whether due to death or separation.
Judicial and extrajudicial partitions.
Inventories and management of hereditary estates.
Challenges to dispositions and patrimonial mediation.
Challenge of wills.
Representation in proceedings challenging wills or partitions.
Asset management and matrimonial agreements.
Strategies to safeguard economic interests in family dynamics.
Succession planning.
Mediation and negotiation in succession proceedings, promoting consensual agreements in complex, extrajudicial contexts.
Review of foreign decisions and migratory regularization for international families.
Review of foreign judgments on partitions, maintenance, parental responsibility and/or inheritance.
Homologation of foreign marriages.
Homologation of divorces registered abroad.
Advisory in cross-border contexts involving child abduction.
Urgent precautionary proceedings, such as judicial delivery of minors or urgent asset protection measures.
Wills for foreigners and cross-border situations.
Analysis and choice of legal regime for wills and marriages involving foreigners.
Successions involving foreign citizens and children.
Review of foreign judgments on partitions, maintenance, parental responsibility and/or inheritance.
Legal support to international families with members residing abroad or assets located outside Portugal.
Interventions in cases of dependency, curatorship or accompaniment measures for adults.
Proceedings for accompanied adults (maior acompanhado).
Appointment of guardians and/or curators in wills where beneficiaries are minors and/or incapacitated.
Advisory on matters related to economic dependency, incapacity or interdiction.
Family mediation and support in extrajudicial negotiations.
Representation in urgent precautionary proceedings.
Precautionary measures to protect assets at patrimonial risk.
Urgent proceedings involving domestic violence, parental responsibility regulation, or requests for intervention by child
protection institutions.
Nationality, residence and visa proceedings.
Regularization of nationality, residence permits, family reunions.
Nationality and dual nationality proceedings.
