Pares Advogados launches in Lisbon

The latest law firm to launch in Lisbon is Pares Advogados, born largely out of the departure of three partners and six associates from one of Portugal’s largest firms, Abreu Advogados.

Corporate Partners Luís de Gouveia Fernandes, João de Freitas e Costa and Rita Maltez announced that they were to leave in May to establish their own practice.
De Gouveia Fernandes and de Freitas e Costa joined Abreu Advogados in 2007 when their own firm Lusojurist was absorbed alongside two other smaller Lisbon practices PACSA and Chastre & Associados. Rita Maltez had been with Abreu since 2003, becoming a Partner in 2007.
The new firm has however launched with five partners in total, adding former Abreu planning and administrative Consultant Sofia Plácido de Abreu along with dispute specialist João Malhadas Teixeira.
Abreu also lost two competition Partners Miguel Mendes Pereira and Rui Pereira de Melo in May. Mendes Pereira has since joined Vieira de Almeida as of Counsel, one of three new EU and Competition hires the firm has made.