Sofia Galvão

About Sofia

Sofia is a senior counsel in the Planning and Land Use practice and has more than 30 years' experience.

She holds a law degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, where she also completed a master's degree in legal sciences. She was an assistant lecturer at the same faculty and remains a regular contributor to postgraduate programmes and seminars. She has also been a guest lecturer at NOVA School of Law.

Sofia has extensive experience advising on the development of urban planning, real estate and tourism projects. She frequently deals with territorial planning procedures, including the drafting, amendment and revision of land management instruments, as well as administrative control procedures such as licensing, prior notification and authorisation procedures for urban, real estate, tourism, commercial, industrial, agricultural and environmental projects.

Her practice also includes advising on environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment procedures in connection with a wide variety of projects. She provides ongoing support in the design, planning, licensing and management of tourism developments, including hotels and resorts, and in the structuring of urban regeneration and redevelopment operations. She also advises on infrastructure licensing and construction, as well as on the licensing of activities related to the sea.

Sofia's clients regularly include property developers, investment funds, banks and private equity firms.

Before rejoining PLMJ, where she was the partner responsible for the Planning and Land Use practice until 2005, Sofia headed the real estate, town planning and environment departments at Sérvulo Correia & Associados and Vieira de Almeida & Associados. She subsequently founded Sofia Galvão Advogados, a law firm dedicated exclusively to planning and land use matters (2014-2024). In public office, she served as Secretary of State for Public Administration and Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the 16th Constitutional Government.