NLP, women at the helm
Led by three experienced lawyers, this Lisbon-based firm specializes in patent litigation and strategic IP consulting, aiming to set new standards in the European market
Experts: Sara Nazaré, Beatriz Lima, and Joana Piriquito Santos, founding partners of NLP Legal
by glória paiva
A boutique law firm led by three women, specializing in an increasingly valued niche within the business world. One of the newest and boldest ventures in the Portuguese legal market is formed by Sara Nazaré, Beatriz Lima, and Joana Piriquito Santos, three lawyers under the age of 40 who work in the field of Intellectual Property. With the initials of their last names, NLP Legal was born from the founding partners’ desire to create their own innovative project, based on the growing importance of the subject and the strength of their expertise.
Lima, Santos and Nazaré met at Vieira de Almeida, where they built part of their 15 years of experience each in the sector. “We were often competing for the same positions, but instead of driving us apart, it brought us closer. There was a mutual admiration that remains at the core of NLP’s foundation”, says Santos, who, in addition to being a lawyer, is a pharmacist, which explains her specialization in pharmaceutical patents. The other founding partners, in turn, have complementary profiles: Lima has handled patent litigation cases in areas such as pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, utility models, and designs. Nazaré, on her side, coordinated the intellectual property area at VdA for five years and also managed patent litigation in various fields, as well as trademark and design cases.
INAUGURATING THE UPC IN LISBON
NLP Legal opened its doors a year ago and has already started making a name for itself in the market, earning recognition from clients and peers both within and outside Portugal. In its first year of operation, it became the first law firm to represent a client before the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in the Lisbon local division—ASUS, in a preliminary injunction case. In handling this case, NLP partnered with the international law firm Powell Gilbert. In just its first year, NLP has already built a robust client portfolio, including Bayer, Novartis, Biogen, Edwards, and Bristol Myers Squibb.
The founding partners state that their initial expectations have already been surpassed, both in terms of growth and client acquisition, with most of their clients being international companies in need of patent litigation and arbitration services, something the founders were already familiar with. “For large clients, especially in the pharmaceutical sector, the Portuguese market is just one among many. That’s why there is a significant need for coordination with foreign firms. We have been working with international legal frameworks for a long time”, explains Lima.
