GPA confirms hiring of two of counsel lawyers
Gouveia Pereira, Costa Freitas & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados, SP, RL (GPA Law Firm) has recently hired two new of counsel lawyers (pictured). Inês Gomes Ferreira is the new head of corporate & governance and Manuel Gouveia Pereira is the head of environment, climate change & ESG. Both lawyers join GPA from Vieira de Almeida.
Inês Gomes Ferreira has been advising, for more than 20 years, national and international clients from a wide range of business sectors, including financial, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, industry, energy and infrastructures, on corporate law, commercial, and corporate governance related issues (providing assistance to listed, large and medium-sized, as well as to family-owned and state-owned companies). She also focuses on mergers, spin-offs, acquisitions, sales and restructuring of corporate groups, structuring of partnerships and international investments, as well as venture capital and private equity investments.
Gomes Ferreira developed her professional career in prestigious law firms, moving from VdA where she was managing associate and where she worked in, during the last eighteen years, the corporate & governance and corporate & M&A practice areas. Inês Gomes Ferreira holds a LL.M. in International Business Law, a Post-graduation in Forensic Practice and Legal Corporate Advice both from Faculdade de Direito – Escola de Lisboa, Universidade Católica Portuguesa and graduated from the same Law Faculty.
For the founding partners, Sofia Gouveia Pereira (managing partner) and Margarida Lino Santos: “Throughout GPA Law Firm’s eighteen years of practice we have been witnessing the increasing demand of our clients in the specialisation of our services. Hiring an of counsel with the quality, acknowledged professional prestige and values such as those of Inês Gomes Ferreira is a cause of great satisfaction for the entire team. We recognise that our mission – Teaming with our Clients. Building Trust – is materialised, to a large extent, through the human capital that constitutes GPA Law Firm and we are very enthusiastic in having Inês Gomes Ferreira leading the Corporate & Governance team.”
Manuel Gouveia Pereira has developed his expertise over the last 20 years in the areas of environment, climate change, ESG, sustainability, carbon, energy transition, environmental litigation, compliance and environmental licensing. He is also moving from VdA, where he was managing associate of the environment practice area for15 years during which he was, for eight years, responsible for the green project (environmental sustainability) of this law firm. During his professional career, he was also legal advisor to the cabinet of two ministers of the environment.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Administrative Law from Faculdade de Direito, Universidade de Lisboa, and a postgraduate degree in Planning, Urbanism and Environmental Law, CEDOUA, from Faculdade de Direito, Universidade de Coimbra, which he completed after graduating in Law at Faculdade de Direito, Universidade Lusíada, Lisboa.
Regarding this hiring, the mentioned founding partners, emphasise that “The mission of GPA Law Firm led us to make a strong commitment in the way we approach sustainability issues, in the dual aspect of advising clients and managing the firm with a view to reducing our environmental and carbon footprint. The environment practice area and ESG services have been naturally assuming increasing importance since 2020, having deserved the across-the-board engagement of the team. We acknowledge with enthusiasm that the integration of Manuel Gouveia Pereira as head of environment, climate change and ESG represents a very relevant step in the densification of this commitment to sustainability, both by the solidity of his professional career and for his unequivocal alignment with the culture and values of GPA Law Firm, allowing him to face the challenges posed to our stakeholders by the legislative and regulatory evolution of these matters.”
