Portugal, an expanding market: moves and appointments in 2024
In 2024, Iberian Lawyer recorded 32 partners’ moves and the appointment of 30 new partners (along with 4 executive roles) within the Portuguese law firms
by glória paiva
The Portuguese legal market is in rapid expansion, becoming an increasingly competitive environment, and the rising annual number of lateral moves only confirms this trend. In Portuguese law firms, the year 2024 saw a 45.5% increase in movement compared to last year, driven largely by the entry of two new Spanish firms making their mark in Portugal. A total of 32 partner hires were made across firms, 10 more than last year’s 22 moves. These figures are derived from official statements by law firms or from the newsroom’s collection of data published on LinkedIn until October 25.
After announcing in September 2023 the opening of a new office in Portugal, Pérez-Llorca welcomed no fewer than 10 partners at its Portuguese office from December last year until October of this year, establishing itself as the firm with the most new partner hires in Portugal in 2024. In second place for lateral hires was Andersen Portugal, which hired three partners, followed by Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, Abreu Advogados, PLMJ, PRA – Raposo, and CCA Law Firm, with two new partners each, and Antas da Cunha – ECIJA, Melo Alves, Cuatrecasas, Garrigues, Dower Law Firm, SRS Legal, and SMFC, each with one partner hire.
In April, the Spanish law firm Broseta, led by Rosa Vidal and Manuel Broseta, has expanded its presence in Portugal with the addition of six professionals coming from Espanha e Associados. The new Broseta’s portuguese team is led by newly appointed partner João Espanha, ex managing partner at Espanha e Associados (here the news).
Of the new lateral hires, 44% were women. Among them is Leonor Pissarra, who left Novartis, where she was the country chief legal officer, to join SRS Legal as a partner and head of the life sciences department (here the news). Also included in this group is former parliament member Márcia Passos, who joined PRA – Raposo, Sá Miranda & Associados as a hired partner and coordinator of the Real Estate team in Porto (here the news).
SECTORS WITH THE MOST MOVEMENT
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