VdA appoints new managing partner

VdA has appointed Paula Gomes Freire as the firm’s new managing partner, with João Vieira de Almeida becoming senior partner

These new appointments are the result of a recently approved amendment to the firm’s governance model and both will take office in February 2022.

Paula Gomes Freire (pictured right) was already a member of VdA’s board of directors and will succeed João Vieira de Almeida as managing partner. Her new role includes chairing the executive commission and leading the firm’s operational management, focusing on the business, the team, and results. João Vieira de Almeida’s new position as senior partner includes chairing the board of directors, being responsible for strategic development, partnership management, and especially focusing on protecting and promoting culture and sustainability.

Paula Gomes Freire said: “I am extremely honoured and proud to have been appointed VdA’s future managing partner, a role I will perform with a great sense of mission and responsibility for the trust placed in me by my partners. We have a clear vision of the challenges faced by our clients and of the market’s demands, but we are also keenly aware of how important our people are and how the team should be empowered. We want to follow our vision and even enhance it, and that will be my main role.”

João Vieira de Almeida (pictured left) adds: “This is a natural succession process, in line with our vision regarding the project’s sustainability and continuity. My successor has all the right qualities to take on this enormously demanding role. I couldn’t be more confident and prouder of Paula Gomes Freire’s choice considering the esteem and appreciation I have for her personal qualities, but also because she embodies the empowerment of a new generation and the institutional vision we have of VdA. We want to further assert our relevant role in the community and promote aspects of our culture that we consider important, in line with the path that has already been taken, particularly in terms of sustainability, and this will be my mission as senior partner.”

Paula Gomes Freire is a current member of the board of directors and a Banking & Finance partner. Paula has been closely involved in the evolution of both sectors over the last 25 years and participated in some of the most emblematic operations carried out in the Portuguese market. Recognised for her ample experience and extensive knowledge of the Banking and Financial sectors, Paula has been distinguished by the main international legal directories and ranked in the Top 50 of Inspiring Women Lawyers in the Iberian Peninsula by Iberian Lawyer. Paula has a Post-Graduation in English Commercial Law by the College of Law, University of London, and a Master’s degree in Law Firm Management by the George Washington University, Washington, USA.