Marques Mendes & Associados

Marques Mendes & Associados may have the second-smallest practice in the GCR 100, with just five lawyers, but it is well-known both at home and abroad. The practice is led by name partner and Who's Who nominee Mário Marques Mendes, and includes partner Pedro Vilarinho Pires and three associates. According to our recent Portugal survey, the firm frequently works with two academic of counsel.

Marques Mendes & Associados

Unlike larger practices, Marques Mendes rarely has conflicts of interest – meaning it receives many referrals both from rivals and from its extensive list of international contacts. This year it has been involved in some of Portugal's most significant cases. For example, it advised Anacom, Portugal's telecoms regulator, on Portuguese conglomerate Sonaecom's proposed takeover of the country's incumbent telephone company, Portugal Telecom. This deal, which would have been the year's largest had it had succeeded, had the potential to overhaul Portugal's lacklustre telecoms market.

Marques Mendes also advised Altri in its acquisition of Celbi, the local pulp mill subsidiary of Stora Enso – Portugal's second-largest deal of 2006. And it advised Gate Gourmet, the world's largest airline caterer, on the proposed merger of Portuguese airline TAP and its smaller rival Portugália.

In addition, Marques Mendes advised General Motors on several state aid issues, one of which involved an arbitration with the Portuguese government. Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, Siemens, Gaz de France and Google are also competition clients.