Inside CS’Associados’ shared leadership model
The governance model behind CS’Associados’ 16 years of growth and its approach to high-value, complex transactions
by glória paiva
Among the 20 largest Portuguese law firms by revenue, according to estimates by Iberian Lawyer (click to read), CS’Associados stands out as the only one that does not adopt the role of managing partner. Founded in 2009, the firm is based on a fully shared management model, in which support functions and strategic decision-making are distributed across working groups assumed by the partners themselves, with responsibilities rotating among them every three years. For Maria Castelos and Mafalda Ferreira, partners and currently responsible for the general coordination group, who spoke to Iberian Lawyer, the model has proved effective. “The objective has always been to strengthen the sense of belonging among the partners: we are all owners of the business”, the partners emphasise.
The shared working groups among the partners cover internal areas including coordination, finance, communications, business development, professional organisation, training, systems, knowledge management and library, innovation, support staff, international relations, ESG, tax and compliance. Each team has autonomy to prepare and instruct decisions, but strategic options are always submitted to a joint vote of all equity partners.
In practice, the sharing of decisions also translates into a sharing of responsibilities. For Maria Castelos, this is the main efficiency gain: “At the moment a decision is taken, it is very much shared. Even when a decision is not the best one, everyone feels part of the process and assumes the consequences”.
Mafalda Ferreira adds that the model also gives the organisation flexibility. “There is a great openness for new topics to be discussed freely. Very often it is the associates themselves who raise issues and even constructive criticism, which are welcomed”, she explains. According to her, the outcome o decision-making processes tends to be more robust, does not block ideas from the outset and encourages internal debate.
As they progress to coordinating associate roles, all lawyers begin to participate directly in support and management areas. “We want to train the partners of tomorrow, instil a sense of ownership and give them a transversal view of the business”, underlines Maria Castelos.
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