Practice Areas

Dispute Resolution

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We support our clients in highly complex disputes critical to their businesses and reputations, and we work consistently on the most sophisticated and sensitive Portuguese and international disputes.

Our dispute resolution practice has a highly specialised team that handles a broad range of litigation cases, as well as arbitration cases and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. We represent clients from a wide range of sectors.

Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to have a team of specialists that combines knowledge in areas such as competition, banking, finance, and capital markets, with solid experience in litigation and arbitration.

We act in major banking disputes and in cases involving mis-selling of derivatives and other financial instruments, or responsibility for issuing prospectuses for public offers of securities. We provide support in the most significant corporate disputes, often implementing strategies for step-in and for reorganisation of shareholder structures.

Our team has represented clients in defending the most important class actions, including liability of directors of listed companies and manufacturers’ civil liability.

We also have extensive experience representing clients in competition and regulatory proceedings before the Portuguese Court of Regulation, Supervision and Competition.

We specialise in complex commercial disputes, acting in cross-border matters arising from breach of contract, professional malpractice, business torts, insurance and reinsurance matters, and distribution and agency agreements. We also deal with distribution and agency agreements, and maritime law matters. Our team represents automotive manufacturers in large scale domestic and cross-border conflicts. We also have experience in pharmaceutical sector litigation, at all stages of the economic process, and in disputes arising from contracts for public and private works.

In restructuring and insolvency, we act in preventive corporate rehabilitation proceedings (PER and SIREVE) and in insolvency and business reorganisations. Our experience includes preparing and negotiating recovery and liquidation plans, and then dealing with their implementation. Our team is called on to act in cross-border insolvency cases and to advise large companies or international financial institutions on defining and implementing business strategies in corporate recovery or insolvency scenarios.

We represent our clients in commercial, construction and investment arbitrations under the rules of arbitration of the leading international arbitration centres. Our team has great experience in dealing with arbitrations in Portugal and abroad, with a special focus on Portuguese-speaking countries, conducted in various languages and with diverse applicable laws. We often set up specific multidisciplinary teams, and even teams from multiple jurisdictions, depending on the nature of the litigation and the needs of our clients.

Our lawyers have worked on the most complex and high profile cases in Portugal, acting in all areas of criminal law and administrative offence law, and providing support to companies, and to their directors and staff. With a strong focus on prevention, we provide customised compliance services helping companies to detect potential contingencies and provide corrective advice.

Specialisations

They provide outstanding work, attitude, accuracy, confidence and they have great offices. We’re very pleased with PLMJ’s work. Whenever we give them an assignment we trust they will do their very best to defend us in strict legal terms, but above all with creativeness and out-of-the-box solutions. It’s difficult to improve when you are above average.
Chambers Europe
2023 Litigation Recommended Tier 1
2022 Litigation - Criminal law and compliance Recommended Tier 1
2022 Arbitration Recommended Tier 1
2022 Litigation Recommended Tier 1
2021 Litigation Recommended Tier 1

"Clients enthuse: "PLMJ's responsiveness is outstanding and the firm is able to adapt the team structure in a flexible manner."

2021 Restructuring & Insolvency Recommended Tier 1

"Clients highlight that "the lawyers are technically very competent and work in big teams, which allows for specialised knowledge in insolvency and corporate litigation, as well as fast response capabilities."

2021 Arbitration Recommended Tier 1

"PLMJ's responsiveness is outstanding and the firm is able to adapt the team structure in a flexible manner."

2020 Restructuring & Insolvency Recommended Tier 1

"Clients highlight that "the lawyers are technically very competent and work in big teams, which allows for specialised knowledge in insolvency and corporate litigation, as well as fast response capabilities."

2020 Arbitration Recommended Tier 1

"PLMJ's responsiveness is outstanding and the firm is able to adapt the team structure in a flexible manner."

2019 Litigation Recommended Tier 1

"Clients recommend the department for its full coverage of dispute resolution, reporting it to be a "multidisciplinary and dedicated team.""

2019 Arbitration Recommended Tier 1

"Clients praise the provision of clearly structured and well-founded advice, even at short notice"

2019 Restructuring & Insolvency Recommended Tier 1

"Top-tier department boasting valuable experience in multi-jurisdictional restructuring and insolvency cases."

2018 Litigation Recommended Tier 1

"Sources recommend the team for the high quality of service: a very reliable support, reactive and present when anticipating each situation."

2017 Litigation Recommended Tier 1

"Sources recommend the team for the high quality of service: a very reliable support, reactive and present when anticipating each situation."

Chambers Global
2023 Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2022 Arbitration Recommended Tier 1
2022 Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2021 Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2020 Litigation Recommended Tier 1
2020 Arbitration Recommended Tier 1
2019 Litigation Recommended Tier 1
2018 Litigation Recommended Tier 1
2017 Litigation Recommended Tier 1
The Legal 500
2023 Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2022 Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2021 Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2020 Arbitration Recommended Tier 1
2020 Litigation and Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2019 Litigation and Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2018 Litigation and Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
2017 Litigation and Dispute Resolution Recommended Tier 1
IFLR1000
2023 Insolvency & Restructuring Recommended Tier 1
2022 Insolvency & Restructuring Recommended Tier 1
2021 Insolvency & Restructuring Recommended Tier 1
Leaders League
2023 Civil and Commercial Litigation Leading
2023 Restructuring & Insolvency Leading
2022 Civil and Commercial Litigation Leading
2021 Restructuring & Insolvency Leading
2021 Civil and Commercial Litigation Leading
2020 Arbitration Leading
2020 Civil and Commercial Litigation Leading
2020 Compliance & White Collar Crime Excellent
Who's Who Legal
2022 Arbitration
2021 Restructuring & Insolvency
2021 Arbitration
2020 Arbitration Thought Leader

"WWL Thought Leaders - Arbitration 2019 brings together the insight, expertise and wisdom of some of the world’s foremost arbitrators, counsel and expert witnesses in a single book, featuring Q&As with practitioners with millennia of years of combined experience in arbitration between them. The featured individuals obtained the biggest number of nominations from peers, corporate counsel and other market sources in our most recent research cycle."

2020 Restructuring & Insolvency
2019 Arbitration
2019 Restructuring & Insolvency
2018 Arbitration
2017 Arbitration
Best Lawyers
2022 Arbitration and Mediation Best Portuguese Lawyer of the year
2022 Litigation Best Portuguese Lawyer of the year
2021 Insolvency and Reorganization Law Lawyer of the year
2019 Insolvency and Reorganization Law Law Firm of the Year
2018 Arbitration Lawyer of the year
2018 Recommended Lawyers
2018 Litigations Best Portuguese Lawyer of the year
2017 Recommended Lawyers
2016 Litigation Law Firm of the Year
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