Grow with us. This is where you will have the opportunity to learn with the best and work on the most challenging issues while making friends for life.
Being a lawyer at PLMJ means working with some of the best professionals in the legal sector, in a leading, independent Portuguese law firm that advises the most important Portuguese companies and international companies with a presence in Portugal. It means working on highly complex transactions and disputes and developing specialised knowledge of the sectors that drive the country's economy.
The highly demanding and intellectually challenging environment coexists with very cohesive teams, with strong relationships between people, where values such as freedom, critical spirit, empathy and informality are highly encouraged.
It is also means being part of a firm that is focused on the impact it has on the world. And this is a world that includes PLMJ’s own people – its lawyers and management team –, the community it interacts with – clients, suppliers and other stakeholders –, its environmental footprint, and the way it advises its clients on their projects.
During their training period, PLMJ trainee lawyers work in multidisciplinary teams with different levels of seniority. This gives them a very complete experience both in developing their technical skills and in team dynamics.
Due to its size (more than 400 people), the quality of its legal work and its focus on providing legal advice to large companies, PLMJ offers its lawyers a highly challenging type of work right from the start of their careers.
Our network of partnerships, PLMJ Colab, gives all lawyers the opportunity to work on matters involving other countries. Through PLMJ Colab, lawyers work on matters that may involve different jurisdictions, sometimes through PLMJ's local offices and sometimes even on secondment. This is the case with PLMJ Colab Angola - RVA Advogados, TTA in Mozambique and the other countries identified in the PLMJ Colab section.
At the same time, PLMJ has a strong component of work with some of the largest law firms in the world, including Magic Circle firms in the United Kingdom. This enables our lawyers to work regularly on large international projects.
Welcoming new trainee lawyers is an especially important occasion for PLMJ because, when we select each person, we have much more than just the traineeship to offer. When we choose the group of trainee lawyers each year, we are potentially looking at the firm's future partners. That was the case with many of the current partners in this firm.
Career progression, the length of time each position is held, performance evaluation criteria, the expected contribution to the firm, all these issues are clearly defined and are communicated upon joining the firm.
We know the life of a lawyer is extremely demanding from a professional and personal point of view. We also believe that a culture of closeness and strong relationships make a very important difference to the well-being of those who work at PLMJ. Mental health and the balance between personal and professional life are recurrent themes of internal reflection for all. This is because we believe that the long-term sustainability of any activity depends on how we look after the people who make this activity possible.
Collaborative working environments, with teams that combine a multidisciplinary approach and a diversity of backgrounds, and close relationships with managers and colleagues, are the pillars of the healthy working environment that characterises PLMJ.
We are looking for people who, besides having solid theoretical knowledge, also have the ability to create empathy, relate well with others and work as a team.
At PLMJ, lawyers and management teams are made of the same stuff. We are meticulous with what is and non-conformist with what might be. We have the will to make tomorrow happen today and to do it with our eyes on the world that needs to be built. What are you made of? This is our matrix. Do you fit into it?
PLMJ is one of the most merit-based organisations I know. The career path is absolutely clear and predictable for all lawyers. This is the one aspect of how PLMJ works that I’m most excited about, because it provides motivation and structure that bring success to the firm. This is a true democracy based on the principle of 'one person, one vote', and the way the firm is managed is perfectly transparent. I think this makes us unique.
Vasco de Ataíde Marques
I know this firm very well. I joined it as a trainee lawyer and now it’s an honour to be a partner here. Like a fine wine, over time PLMJ has improved on what was already good, but without losing the vigour of youth. Like a good book, PLMJ has stories and characters that make it unique.
Tiago Duarte
PLMJ is the firm where any valid project can be born, grow and thrive. This applies not only in the different areas of law, but also in the social and cultural work that plays a central role in the life of the firm. There is room for diversity, initiative and innovation here, and we never forget the importance of our social impact. These were the values that attracted me when I first joined PLMJ.
Serena Cabrita Neto
I remember the first day I walked through the doors of PLMJ. The interview. And walking out feeling “this is the one!”, the place I want to work. They say what you never forget about people is the way they make you feel. Ten years have passed since that interview and I have had other experiences, in an area different to the one I thought I would work at PLMJ. Now, my colleagues and our clients make me feel like this is where I belong.
Rute Alves
Besides being one of the top firms in Portugal and in the other countries where it’s present, it is simply the place where I grow and learn every day, as a professional and as a person. PLMJ has great lawyers and great support staff. This makes it both a friendly and a productive place to come and work every day. It’s really rewarding from a professional and a personal point of view.
Alexander Ehlert
PLMJ has changed a lot since I joined the firm in 1996. But we have always known how to keep our pioneering spirit and ability to adapt while preserving our most distinctive characteristic: our diversity and the quality of our personal relationships. New generations at PLMJ will find a deep-rooted culture in which they can flourish in their careers with great personal and intellectual satisfaction.
Ricardo Oliveira
Our training programmes have long been one of PLMJ’s distinguishing marks.
Besides the career plan, PLMJ's lawyers and staff benefit from a training plan which runs throughout their career and is adapted to each stage of that career. In addition to the technical and legal training that enables knowledge to be constantly updated, PLMJ invests heavily in training in relational skills and personal development.
The training plans are tailored to each position, in the case of the legal team, and to the position held in the case of the management team. Each year, the training plan is enriched with new initiatives based on the needs identified and this modular approach means that each employee can address their more specific needs in line with the feedback received throughout the year.
Our commitment to expanding knowledge is applied to all our people from day one. For this reason, in addition to the induction training, we offer a comprehensive annual programme that includes language training, and legal, technical and behavioural training.
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