Antas da Cunha Ecija expands into defence sector
Antas da Cunha Ecija has expanded its activity to the security and defence sector. The new practice will be coordinated by partner Paulo Sande, with support from colonel Luís Manuel Brás Bernardino, who joins the project as International Security Consultant.
The practice brings together several areas of law. The team combines expertise in national and international public law, European Union law, public procurement, industrial property, cybersecurity and mergers and acquisitions, says the law firm.
Its services target manufacturers and systems integrators, technology and military equipment suppliers, critical infrastructure operators and security service providers, across the full range of their legal needs.
Rationale for the launch
According to Fernando Antas da Cunha, managing partner of Antas da Cunha Ecija, the decision reflects changes in the sector’s environment. “In a context marked by the strengthening of European strategic autonomy, growing investment in defence and security, the increasing relevance of dual-use technologies and the rise in regulatory requirements that are profoundly transforming the sector, we felt it made complete sense to invest in this project,” he said.
He added that colonel Bernardino “has a highly specialised profile. His military experience adds a particularly distinctive dimension to the project.”
The managing partner also described the challenges facing clients. “Companies linked to the defence industry, critical technologies, cybersecurity and strategic infrastructure face major challenges today, namely in public procurement, import/export controls, compliance, protection of classified information and intellectual property, risk management, M&A and investment, among others,” he said. He added that, given the growing complexity of this ecosystem, the in-depth knowledge each of the firm’s lawyers has in their area of specialisation will help deliver integrated solutions suited to clients’ needs.
The International Security Consultant
Luís Manuel Brás Bernardino is a colonel in the Portuguese Army (reserve) with more than 37 years of service and international experience in missions with the UN, the EU and NATO. He completed the General Staff Course and the National Defence Course, and is a guest professor at the Military University Institute (IUM). He holds a master’s degree in Strategy and a PhD in International Relations, both from the University of Lisbon.
He is specialist in security and defence in Africa, also in geopolitics and geostrategy, and he regularly takes part in conferences, evaluation panels and juries on the CPLP, the EU, NATO and international security and defence topics. He is currently assistant professor in the International Relations Department at Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (UAL) and, since June 2024, Chair of the Observatory of Digital Ecosystems and Infrastructures (OEID) in Portugal.
Launch event in Lisbon
After registration, the programme opens at 6:00pm with a presentation by Fernando Antas da Cunha on the firm and the sector. At 6:10pm, colonel Luís Bernardino will speak on the centrality of security in the life of societies, people and companies. At 6:20pm, Ricardo Mendes, CEO of Tekever, will give a keynote speech on the security and defence world, using Tekever as an example. A debate on law, companies and security and defence, covering regulation, liability and compliance, follows at 7:00pm, and the session closes at 7:30pm.
