Answers to your most frequently asked questions

PLMJ has a diverse client base, including both Portuguese and international clients, and we have strong relationships with leading law firms around the world. We provide legal advice to small and medium-sized Portuguese and multinational businesses, investment funds, private equity firms, pension funds, Series A and B start-ups, and growth/scale-up companies.

PLMJ is one of the largest law firms in Portugal. It is independent and a leader in the main areas of law and sectors of the economy, working with large and medium-sized companies on demanding projects of particular technical and legal complexity.

We have one of the largest teams of lawyers in the country, with a history spanning almost 60 years. During this time, we have advised on major national projects and served as a training ground for some of the country’s best lawyers.

We have been leaders for over 50 years and take pride in the culture we have built. We treat our clients’ challenges as our own and place our people at the heart of our strategy to continually excel in delivering value to those who place their trust in us.

Outside of Portugal, we have local offices in Angola and Mozambique, and we work closely with firms in Cape Verde through our network of partner firms, PLMJ Colab. In these regions, we combine in-depth local knowledge with international experience to ensure bespoke solutions for each client.

Our firm is consistently recognised as one of the best in Portugal by leading international legal directories. We are recognised for our expertise, our client-centred approach, and our track record of achieving successful outcomes in complex legal cases.

Find out more about PLMJ here About us - PLMJ Advogados

Our teams comprise the best lawyers in the country. We are a full-service firm and operate on a multidisciplinary basis. The agility of our teams combined with in-depth knowledge of the sectors where our clients operate is a defining feature of the way we position ourselves: as true legal partners. We believe in building long-lasting, transparent and committed relationships.

Our teams are organised into practice areas based on specific areas of law and, at a second level, into sectors. This approach enables us to offer highly specialised legal expertise combined with in-depth knowledge of each key sector.

Find out more about our practice areas, sectors and desks here Practice Areas – PLMJ Advogados.

PLMJ works with large and medium-sized companies on complex matters and significant projects. Its lawyers specialise in specific areas of the law and combine this expertise with sector-specific experience, gained through involvement in major projects in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries. They also have significant exposure to international matters through foreign investment in Portugal and the internationalisation of Portuguese companies.

Our lawyers are recognised leaders in their fields, with decades of experience handling complex cases in Portugal and internationally. We pride ourselves on our strategic thinking and our ability to achieve favourable outcomes for our clients.

We prioritise our clients and position ourselves as their true strategic partners. We devise a bespoke strategy for every new client or matter, geared towards achieving the best results. We combine legal expertise with an assessment of the risks associated with each decision. We are passionate about clear, transparent communication and the unquestionable quality of our work.

We recognise that the best legal advice must be supported by the best technological tools, combining quality and efficiency. PLMJ is constantly seeking to innovate and adopts the best available solutions to deliver the best results.

Over the years, PLMJ has been widely recognised by leading international legal directories – independent and prestigious rankings that assess the merit, reputation and performance of professionals and firms – reflecting our commitment to legal excellence, team integrity and positive impact on clients and the community.

PLMJ is a top-tier firm in all practice areas, achieving the highest Tier 1 ranking in 14 areas of the prestigious Chambers and Partners directory.

Read more about PLMJ’s awards and rankings here Awards & Rankings - PLMJ Advogados

PLMJ maintains close and ongoing relationships with its clients. You can search for lawyers by area of law or sector on the PLMJ website, where we provide contact details for each area and sector.

Alternatively, you can call our offices or send an email to our central reception service, which will forward your enquiry. You can find our contact details here Contacts - PLMJ Advogados

PLMJ provides legal advice in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, Italian and German. This ensures clear and transparent support for international clients.

PLMJ uses tools that employ AI. We take a number of steps to ensure the accuracy of the results generated by AI.

Firstly, we use an AI system that is specifically designed for legal work and is therefore less prone to errors. This system also cites the sources underpinning the responses provided.

Secondly, and most importantly, all AI-generated results are validated by our lawyers. Nothing is sent to clients or third parties without human review. Any AI-generated content is treated as a first draft. This review enables us to identify and correct any errors, ensuring that the information we share with clients and other parties is accurate and reliable.
AI is used as a tool to support our lawyers’ work and does not provide legal services or advice in itself. Our lawyers are always responsible for the outcome.
We manage the risks associated with AI through a combination of internal policies, appropriate technology, and human oversight. For instance, to mitigate errors or ‘hallucinations’ all AI-generated results undergo thorough verification.

We also protect data confidentiality by using only secure, pre-assessed AI platforms.
We never use public AI applications for client matters. We only use secure solutions with data stored on EU-based servers provided by entities with which we have data processing agreements (DPAs). We anonymise the information where necessary.
Furthermore, we adhere to a strict policy of human oversight. We do not share any AI-generated output with clients or third parties until it has been reviewed and approved by a lawyer. To ensure compliance with these rules, we organise regular training sessions on the responsible and effective use of AI tools.

PLMJ is committed to being transparent about its use of AI. We use AI systems and models that are fully compliant with information security rules and applicable regulations. Through our general terms and conditions of service or via direct communications, we inform our clients that we may use AI to assist with their cases, and that our lawyers will always review the work.
If a client prefers not to use AI, they may request that PLMJ refrain from using it in their case, in whole or in part. We will comply with any such request by implementing the appropriate measures. The Compliance team is responsible for ensuring that these measures are correctly implemented.
All requests (internal or from clients) should be sent to compliance@plmj.pt.
In summary, PLMJ informs its clients that we may use AI to assist with their matters, and that they have the option to refuse such use in whole or in part.

At PLMJ, we use AI applications exclusively under contracts that ensure data confidentiality. The use of AI is therefore comparable to that of any other secure internal software we use, ensuring the protection of information and compliance with professional secrecy. Should a client request additional restrictions or express specific concerns, we will implement the necessary measures.

We have a robust information security policy that we share with our clients.