Martim Krupenski: “This is a people business”
Morais Leitão’s managing partner talks about firm management, legal innovation, and why mental health must be part of the legal profession’s future
by glória paiva
In addition to corporate and M&A, capital markets, and finance law—his areas of specialization that have established him as one of the leading figures at Morais Leitão—managing partner Martim Krupenski has a wide range of interests. Besides law, he studied philosophy, earned a master’s degree in management, and is now studying to become a psychotherapist. It’s no coincidence that he is one of the co-founders of Direito Mental, an association focused on mental health within the legal community. He is also interested in physics and mathematics, which are part of his ongoing studies and personal reading.
Krupenski has been leading the firm’s major decisions since June 2024 and only regrets not having more time to devote to his other studies and legal practice, given the intensity of his daily management responsibilities. Yet, with soft skills that allow him to move fluidly between the humanities and the hard sciences, Krupenski—who had already served as general manager since 2020, working closely with former managing partner Nuno Galvão Teles—has embraced this new phase with great ease. He welcomed Iberian Lawyer at Morais Leitão’s headquarters and shared his perspectives on the firm’s role in the major transformations shaping the current economic landscape.
What has changed for you since becoming managing partner? Do you still practice M&A?
Unfortunately, I no longer have time to practice, as the firm requires a full-time managing partner. I’m also studying to become a psychotherapist, because, in the end, this is a people business. This is not a factory: here, the machines are the lawyers’ minds. Law firms have a unique feature: the capital comes entirely from within, which means the management approach requires to be more careful and collaborative, and ultimately more demanding.
You’re also a board member of Direito Mental. What are the association’s main areas of focus?
Direito Mental began informally, among friends, when we realized there was no association in Portugal dedicated to mental health in the legal profession. Together with Rita Rendeiro, Raquel Sampaio and Nuno Castelão we founded the association to fill that gap. We started with awareness-raising initiatives and have since grown to include nearly all the major law firms in Portugal, as well as many smaller ones. Now, we are ready to move forward with structured measurement and targeted intervention, guided by more robust and traceable KPIs.
How has the issue of mental health and well-being been applied at Morais Leitão?
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