Professional notice
Portugal
Rivals say PEREIRA SÁRAGGA LEAL OLIVEIRA MARTINS JÚDICE & ASSOCIADOS (PLMJ) took a hit when it lost competition head José da Cruz Vilaça to the bench of the General Court in 2012. But the skills of competition head Ricardo Oliveira are widely respected by his peers and competitors, and the loss of da Cruz Vilaça hasn’t stopped Oliveira’s team from carrying out impressive work. The firm promoted Sara Estima Martins to partner in January 2016.
Oliveira, supported by senior associates Luís Pinto Monteiro and Miguel Marques de Carvalho, assisted Ford Portugal as the PCA investigated the general conditions of the company’s warranties; the PCA closed its case after the car manufacturer agreed to alter its contracts. Oliveira and Monteiro also represent Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas as a third-party submitter of observations to the PCA as it reviews the SUMA consortium’s proposed acquisition of Empresa Geral de Foment, which would give SUMA the rights to manage the waste of 60% of Portugal’s population. PLMJ has also assisted clients including Eurest, Farminveste, Lactogal and Formato in Portugal’s competition court.
On the merger control side, PLMJ assisted Fidelidade – Companhia de Seguros in PCA merger control proceedings as it acquired Espírito Santo Saúde, a company that operated a series of hospitals and clinics throughout Portugal (the target is now known as Luz Saúde). The firm also advised clients involved in Portugal’s recent major privatisation projects – including in the energy, banking, airports, postal services and railway services sectors. The team has also retained a series of household names, including Nestlé, Unilever, Barclays, Ford and Tabaqueira – a subsidiary of Philip Morris International. Major Portuguese clients include the Espírito Santo Financial Group, Fidelidade, Refrige – Coca-Cola’s Portuguese bottler – and the ANF, Portugal’s national pharmacies association.
PLMJ is one of Portugal’s leading law firms and has established itself as a point of reference in the practice of law in this country through its dynamism, capacity for innovation and the quality of its services. It is a full-service and multidisciplinary office with more than 40 years of experience and an unparalleled team that places great emphasis on specialization and practices in all areas of the law.
With a team of more than 200 lawyers, including 40 partners, PLMJ is the largest Portuguese law firm. Based in Lisbon, the firm has offices in Oporto and Faro, as well as a network of joint ventures covering Coimbra, the Azores, Guimarães and Viseu. PLMJ has built up a strong network of joint ventures across the Portuguese-speaking countries where synergies are generated by a common language and culture, especially in Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Macau and Cape Verde. The firm’s network spreads across the markets which are the main target for Portuguese foreign investment: the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and also in China. This structure enables the provision of cross-border legal services with cost-effectiveness and deep knowledge of local markets and legal systems. PLMJ has the largest EU and competition law practice of any law firm in Portugal. PLMJ’s EU and competition law practice is highly regarded and recognized in the market as a beacon of excellence.