MFA Legal bets on digital transformation
After consolidating tax and litigation, the Portuguese law firm adds technology as a core area and prepares for a new phase of development
by glória paiva
Experts: Samuel Fernandes de Almeida, managing partner at MFA Legal; Jorge Silva Martins, partner and head of the technology, digital & regulatory practice at MFA Legal
In November 2023, Samuel Fernandes de Almeida, João Medeiros, and Joana Lobato Heitor, both partners and associate coordinator, respectively, at Vieira de Almeida, combined their expertise in tax and criminal law to found MFA Legal with five members of their former teams. The boutique was born with a clear focus on risk management and, in just over a year, grew from eight to 20 lawyers, in a total of 24 professionals. It is now planning a rebranding and preparing to move to a new headquarter in the heart of Lisbon. Last month, with the arrival of Jorge Silva Martins, João Carminho, and Inês Coré — coming from CS’Associados — the firm enters what Almeida calls the “MFA 2.0” phase. Technology becomes one of the core areas, with an emphasis on data protection, digital regulation, and cybersecurity.
The tax and criminal litigation practices remains a pillar of the firm. Samuel Fernandes de Almeida, managing partner and tax arbitrator at CAAD, is a specialist in tax litigation and international tax. João Medeiros has 30 years of experience in litigation and is a prominent lawyer in economic criminal law. Joana Heitor represents major national and international clients in over 200 tax cases, including before the European Court of Justice. “The complementarity between the tax expertise and João Medeiros’ team — as one of the leading criminal lawyers and experts in economic criminal law — was already a distinguishing factor in the market”, says Almeida, who welcomed Iberian Lawyer in Lisbon.
Now, Jorge Silva Martins, who joined as partner and head of the technology, digital & regulatory practice, will lead a new expansion, that aims to position MFA as one of the first technological legal boutiques in the Portuguese market. With over 20 years of experience in technology law, Martins has been advising national and international clients on complex regulatory issues. In the area he leads, topics such as data protection, cybersecurity, e-commerce, intellectual property, and crypto-assets will be the daily bread. “Organizations, in one way or another, are all technological today. This digital evolution brings inherent and regulatory risks, in addition to incidental aspects. MFA wants to help address these risks and the regulatory layer of this reality”, reflects Martins. According to the new partner, the increasing regulation linked to technological development has had a significant impact on companies.
On the picture: Inês Coré, João Carminho, and Jorge Silva Martins
