Abreu Advogados

We are an independent Law Firm that in 25 years grew from 6 to over 300 people by successfully applying a 3Q policy - Technical Quality, Organizational Quality and Human Quality.

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1992

Over a period of 18 months, we meet every fortnight to discuss the project we wanted to build.



Even before incorporating the Firm, we were part of the largest Leveraged Management Buy Out in Portugal, supporting the management in the acquisition of GRUPO P?O DE A?UCAR.
1993

We are officially born on June 15 and organise the first conference in Portugal on the legal and tax implications of the derivative market and the ISDA Agreement. Our initial focus is banking law (derivates and futures), tax law (international taxes), corporate law (M&A) and public law (energy).



The HYDROCONTRACTING Group becomes our first offical Client when it asks our assistance in bidding for licenses for the production of hidro-electricity in Portugal.



While our offices are still under refurbishment, MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION asks us to assist on the setting up of their direct operations in Portugal. MMC Portugal is incorporated.
1994

With CITIBANK, we review the legal and tax aspects of new financial products, then introduced into the Portuguese market.
1995

Having assisted NMC /National Medical Care (USA) in a due diligence of its Portuguese operations, we are requested to assist and help solve all labour problems of their 2,600 employees in Portugal. Later on, NMC requests our assiatcne in selling their healthcare business to FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE.
1998

The management and clinical directors of CLINICA FERNANDO TEIXEIRA ask our assistance in the acquisition of 17 clinical analysis laboratories, in what is the largest Management Buy Out in the health care sector in Portugal.
1999

With PORTUGAL TELECOM, we become the legal advisors in what was the biggest Outsourcing operation carried out in Portugal, as its IT Systems department is outsourced to PTSI and DCSI in a joint venture involving also IBM.



STAPLES chooses us to set up its Portuguese operations through the acquisition of the retail stores of MAKRO OFFICE CENTRE.
2000

We launch a new practice area dedicated to Intelectual Property and Information Technology with the hiring of Cesar Bessa Monteiro and his team.
2001

We challenge SGS to adapt the ISO 9001 certification process to legal services and become the first Portuguese Law Firm to be certified under this Norm.
2002

We reinforce our orporate and litigation practice areas with the hiring of the entire legal team of Avillez Pereira & Associados.



We exceed 50 lawyers and move our offices to Avenida das For?as Armadas 125 - 12.? in Lisbon.
2003

We are requested by CORINTHIA to assist on the acquisition and rehabilitation of the Portuguese Alfa Hotel (today, CORINTHIA HOTEL LISBON).
2004

We launch a new practice area dedicated to Environmental Law with the hiring of Jos? Eduardo Martins.



LEHMAN BROTHERS requests our assistance in the recovery of a 370 Million USD credit over a company in the Madeira Free Trade Zone. Our assistance involves the lifting of the corporate veil of the Madeira company and the filing of claims against its beneficial owner.



We become part of an international group of lawyers assisting SONY in the spun-off of its distribution business and the merger of its record business with BMG.
2005

We sponsor the Catholic University Global School of Law and the launching of the first English speaking LLM in Portugal.
2006

We reinforce our corporate, tax and competition practices with the hiring of Duarte Athayde and his team.



We start our operations in Oporto with the integration of local law firm RUI PEIXOTO DUARTE & ASSOCIADOS.



The International Law Office awards us with the CLIENT CHOICE AWARD.



We acquire and adapt INTERWOVEN WORKSITE and become the first Portuguese Law Firm to use this document management system.



We are hired by the Consortium for the ANGOLA LNG Project (Sonangol, Chvron, BP and Total) for the the establishment of the legal framework involving its activities and the incorporation of its operational company in Angola.
2007

EXAME magazine and HEIDRICK & STRUGGLES award us the prize for the best law firm to work for in Portugal.



We set up and register with the Portuguese Securities Exchange (CMVM) the first Portuguese Carbon Fund.



We team up with FBL ADVOGADOS and start our operations in Angola.
2008

IBERDROLA hires us to advise on the tendering, licensing and construction of the largest hydro-electric dams ever implemented in Portugal to date (Alto-T?mega).



EXAME magazine and HEIDRICK & STRUGGLES consider us the best Portuguese company to work for in Portugal, considering all sectors.



Based on our experience as a ISO 9001 Firm, we become a case study with the publication of a book on the development of quality systems in Portugal.



In one single operation, we integrate the entire legal teams of PACSA, LUSOJURIST and CHASTRE and become one of the largest Portuguese law firms.



We reinforce our corporate and arbitration practices with the hiring of Paulo de Tarso Domingues and his team.



We join the United Nations Global Compact Te Principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.



We join BCSD Portugal, the Business Council for Sustainable Development.
2009

We start our operations in Madeira with the integration of local law firm SMS ADVOGADOS.



We become the first Portuguese Law Firm and the first entity in the sector of Justice to publish a Sustainability Report in accordance with the directions of the GR,I and the first Portuguese Law Firm to publish its accounts.




2010

LDK, one of the largest Chinese manufactures of components for solar energy, asks us to be part of a multinational team of lawyers (USA, Switzerland, China and Portugal) in arbitration proceedings connected with the breach of an 800 million USD supply agreement with a Portuguese company.



We team up with Fralaw (today JLA ADVOGADOS) and start our operations in Mozambique.



The Portuguese/French Chamber of Commerce awards us the Prize for Sustainable Development Company of the year.



We implement the program "APPLY JUSTICE", a project that puts high school students to debating topics of Justice in the School and at the Courts.



Launch of a Children's Book on Legal Literacy in parttnership with a daily newspaper.
2011

After having been shortlisted for 3 years, we win the BRITISH LEGAL AWARDS for EUROPEAN LEGAL TEAM OF THE YEAR, as a result of the innovative characteristics of the Fund created to requalify the Bairro do Aleixo in Oporto.



We create an innovative SPECIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT FUND for the requalification of one of Porto's most problematic areas - the Bairro do Aleixo - in an operation involving no costs for the PORTO MUNICIPALITY.
2012

We team up with FIDAL in order to extend our services to the French speaking Countries in Africa.



For the second consecutive year, the Financial Times shortlists Abreu Advogados for the Innovative Lawyers Awards.



Responding to our growth challenges and internalionalization we start our AB HUB project, supporting our business trough the SAP ERP.



We introduce the AB FLEXI program allowing our people a better management of their schedules with a positive impact on the balance between their personal and professional lives.



We successfully assist AMIL PARTICIPA??ES, Brazil's largest health plan provider, in the acquisition of HPP Health Group (9 hospitals and health care units) following its privatization by the Portuguese State. Our assitance extended to all phases of the privatization process, including the due diligence, biding, negotiation, anti-trust filling and closing of the transaction.



We establish the Abreu Advogados Knowledge Institute.


2013

We team up with C&C ADVOGADOS in order to extend our services to Macau and China.



Within with C&C Advogados (China/Macau), we open a law office in East Timor.



OI, one of the largest telecom operators in Brazil, asks us to be part of a multinational team of lawyers (UK, France, BVI, Portugal and Angola) in arbitration proceedings at the ICC in Paris connected with the breach of UNITEL's Shareholders' Agreement. UNITEL is the largest telecom operator in Angola.
2014

We are distinguished with the European Busniess Awards (EBA) in recognition of the innovation, success and good practices of our internation project.



We are retained as part of the multinational team of lawyers assisting WHIRLPOOL in the acquisition of a majority stake in INDESIT.
2015

Together with JLA ADVOGADOS, we are hired to assist the lenders in (export credit agencies and commercial banks) in the financing of the LNG project being developed by ANADARKO in MOZAMBIQUE.



We are considered a "Certified Corporation" (BCORP) by bcorporation.net, attesting to the highest standards of environmental and social responisbility adopted by us.



We join the program "CONNECT TO SUCCESS" aimed at supporting the growth of SMEs owned and managed by Women.



We are considered by UNIVERSUM the best employer in the legal sector, ahead of the BANK OF PORTUGAL, GOOGLE, and TAP AIR PORTUGAL.
2016

The Court claim filed by us in representation of several international INVESTMENT FUNDS in the BES BANK Resolution process, was selected as the leading case amongst many others filed with the same purpose.



We launch the GC CODEX, a litigation focused software system allowing an innovative form of managing documents and information related to credit recovery processes and fully accessible to Clients in real time.



MIGUEL OLIVEIRA, the first Portuguese rider to ever compete full time in the Moto GP World Championship, hires us to assist him in his integration into the official KTM MOTO 2 team.
2017

We reinforce our IP, corporate and litigation practice areas with the hiring of the entire legal team of PMBGR Advogados.



Our GCC CODEX software is awarded with one of the most prestigious awards in this category, the OUTSYSTEMS INNOVATION AWARD, as best LITIGATION APPLICATION.



We exceed 300 lawyers and staff and move our Lisbon offices to a new corporate building, conceived, designed and equipped specifically for us and in accordance with our specifications and demands.



Our Lisbon office wins the SIL Real Estate Prize for the Best Rehabilitation Project and becomes a benchmark building in the market.



We are retained as part of the legal team assisting ABANCA in the acquisition of the retail business of DEUTSCHE BANK PORTUGAL.
2018

We celebrate our 25th birthday and we launch our Law and Tecnology Award.



Having been Vice-World Campion in the category MOTO 2, MIGUEL OLIVEIRA hires us to assist his integration into the MOTO GP category, as a rider for the KTM TECH 3 team.



IMMOCHAN retains us to assist in the bidding and acquisition process of three shopping malls in Portugal, FORUM MONTIJO, FORUM SINTRA and SINTRA RETAIL PARK, in what was one of the largest real estate deals of the year.



Together with JLA ADVOGADOS we assist in the construction of the real estate and hotel complex BAIA MALL in MAPUTO.
2019

We are retained as part of the multinational team of lawyers assisting MITSUBISHI UFJ TRUST AND BANKING CORPORATION in the acquisition of Colonial First State Global Asset Management from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.



After a survey with some of our Clients, we reposition ourselves in the legal market and inaugurate our new Digital Office

Practice Areas	No. of Attorneys
Bankruptcy	11
Corporate - M&A	66
Entertainment and New Media	11
Finance	18
Labor & Employment	15
Litigation - General (consumer)	56
Other	1
Real Estate	26
Tax	17