Melo Alves: born in the courtroom, rising to the world
From family office to international legal boutique: Tiago Melo Alves and Bruno Melo Alves talk about the journey of the firm’s expansion
by glória paiva
From a family business with a tradition in criminal litigation to a legal boutique with international expansion. The journey of Melo Alves, founded in 1995 as a family firm, took a significant turn in the past year, during which the firm saw its number of partners and associates double. At the same time, it launched two teams focused on international clients: the Asian desk, led by partner Jorge Chang, and the Angola desk, headed by partners Rui Andrade and Bruno Melo Alves. In a short time, the firm’s business volume doubled, with international clients accounting for about 40% of Melo Alves’ revenue in this first year. The firm relocated to larger offices and is now preparing to conquer new markets while staying true to its traditional roots.
Thirty years ago, Carlos Melo Alves, founding partner specialized in criminal litigation, administrative offense law, and economic criminal law, established the firm that still bears his name. Since then, the firm has cemented its position as a specialized boutique, having participated in high-profile cases in Portugal, such as Operation “Fora de Jogo”, which investigated corruption allegations in football, Operation “Marquês”, involving former Prime Minister José Sócrates, and the case of the theft of military equipment in Tancos. However, an increasing demand from clients for support in non-criminal areas, along with the arrival of new talent in the past year, has expanded the scope of Melo Alves’ operations.
“Criminal law is a very personalized field. Clients who already knew and trusted us started requesting support in other áreas”, explains Tiago Melo Alves, managing partner since 2000. In 2022, the arrival of Chang, a Luso-Chinese associate at the time, opened up the Asian market. Shortly thereafter, two experienced lawyers with over 20 years of experience, from Vieira de Almeida (VdA), consolidated the firm’s new international project in Angola, with partners Bruno Melo Alves and Rui Andrade, positioning the firm to assist multinational companies in the oil and gas, mining, banking, and other sectors. Angolan lawyer Ana Major, former legal director of Chevron for Sub-Saharan Africa and former president of TAAG, completed the team as a senior international consultant.
