Top 20 lawyers in Portugal for 2025
Iberian Lawyer highlights the minds shaping strategy, driving innovation, and setting the standard for leadership and growth in the Portuguese legal market
by glória paiva
If the Portuguese legal market in 2025 could be summed up in keywords, they could be multidisciplinarity, integration, internationalisation, expansion, compliance, and the green and digital transitions. Local and international transformations, such as geopolitical shifts, globalisation, fast-changing regulations, and technological acceleration, are shaping the work of Portuguese lawyers, affecting everything from client demands and legal research to the most strategic decisions within law firms.
Despite a moderate growth pace, the Portuguese economy continued to expand over the past year, entering a consolidation phase after the post-pandemic recovery and the tourism boom. Transactional activity fell by about 6% (according to TTR Data up to October), yet both national and international investors remain interested in the market. Major deals took place, as the sale of Novo Banco for €6.4 billion and the €2.3 billion high-speed rail concession connecting Porto and Oiã.
Historical firms consolidated, combining tradition with growing investments in innovation, technology, and talent—Morais Leitão, Vieira de Almeida, and PLMJ are notable examples—while mid-sized offices expanded through new locations and alliances. The Portuguese market has also shown its growth potential, with new international entrants choosing Lisbon as a destination.
To differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market, leading firms launched new services and products: specialised desks, compliance and management tools, and departments covering high-demand areas such as intellectual property, longevity, criminal and regulatory offences, and data centre advisory. Corporate and M&A, finance, energy, real estate, and dispute resolution remained the most active practice areas, while technology, competition, and regulatory law gained strategic weight.
The lawyers who best navigated this challenging environment were those who demonstrated resilience, strategic vision, and adaptability, combining strong technical expertise with leadership in initiatives related to the spirit of this timme. It is precisely these qualities that the following ranking of 20 professionals highlights, showcasing those who stood out in the Portuguese legal market in 2025.
This ranking, curated by Iberian Lawyer, is not solely a league table based on transactions, but a comprehensive assessment combining news coverage, public data, and four criteria: track record, leadership, popularity, and career trajectory.
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