Chambers Global 2025
Chambers Global reflects the prestige of Chambers Europe, but it focuses, in Portugal, only on a few practice areas with global reach.
Chambers Global also gives a view of the legal markets on the African continent and of the international dimension of law firms, in which SÉRVULO's capabilities and the team's expertise have also been referenced.
Chambers Review:
Sérvulo & Associados is a highly respected practice noted for its outstanding regulatory advice. The firm often provides assistance to prominent financial institutions and investment funds, and is well placed to assist with transactional or operational issues. It has experience in the establishment and authorisation of payment services entities.
Strengths:
"The team offer fast and concrete responses, responding to customer needs."
"The team are very responsive, with sufficient and adequate expertise. The lawyers are solution-driven."
"They have technical competence and a pragmatic approach to complex regulatory issues. The team have a deep knowledge of the regulator's expectations."
"Sérvulo & Associados has a large and specialised team capable of responding to the most complex issues."
"Manuel Magalhães also earns praise for his broader finance practice, which includes advice on the negotiation of new corporate loans. His expertise also covers regulatory banking mandates."
"Paulo Câmara is an excellent and very experienced lawyer who reconciles a deep academic background with a practical approach to complex regulatory matters."
"Francisco Barona is a professional with high technical capacity and a vision of the business framework of the topics covered."
"Francisco Barona is responsive and provides creative solutions to achieve the purpose of the transaction, negotiating with a positive outcome."
Manuel Magalhães
“Manuel Magalhães has notable experience in financing matters arising within the context of insolvencies of Portuguese credit institutions.”
Paulo Câmara
“Paulo Câmara leads financial services regulatory matters both for major Portuguese banks and for new entrants to the market.”
Francisco Barona
“Francisco Barona demonstrates solid knowledge of corporate finance matters and debt restructurings.”
Chambers Review:
In addition to its strong reputation for financial services regulatory work, Sérvulo & Associados has experience on the issuer side of debt issuances and capital increases. The firm acts for banks, fund managers and public bodies.
Strengths:
"The team is very responsive to the demands of clients."
"Its team has a very solid knowledge, with great practical sense in solving complex issues."
"The firm's team is composed of professionals with different levels of experience and skills, who complement each other in the provision of the service."
"The team is knowledgeable and customer-focused."
" Paulo Câmara is very available and I appreciate the seriousness of his work and opinions."
"Paulo Câmara has a lot of experience, is very knowledgeable and able to see the whole of the issue."
Chambers Review:
Sérvulo & Associados is well placed to assist clients with business incorporations and corporate restructurings. The team also handles a variety of corporate transactions, including mergers and share acquisitions. Its client list comprises domestic and international players from the energy, aviation and real estate sectors.
Strengths:
"The team at Sérvulo is technically very good, flexible and always available."
"Sérvulo & Associados offers clients a 360-degree view of issues."
"The law firm distinguishes itself in the Portuguese legal landscape by its technical expertise, embodied by a remarkable team of lawyers with an extraordinary work capacity and dedication to clients."
"Sérvulo's team has deep knowledge in international transactions. They offer availability and excellent personal relationships with clients, as well as being business and solution-oriented."
"Sofia Carreiro is highly experienced in the corporate sector and properly manages client response times."
"Sofia Carreiro masters all aspects of mergers, acquisitions and divestments due to her extraordinary expertise and extensive experience in this field."
"Sofia Carreiro is a responsive, creative and client-oriented lawyer."
"João Saúde is very experienced in the area of litigation and easy to reach. He is very attentive to the particularities of each case and focused on the clients."
"João Saúde always shows a very high technical capacity and offers speed of response, effectiveness and efficiency."
"João Saúde is a very creative and diligent lawyer who is also very good at explaining how each step we take fits into the bigger strategic picture."
"João Saúde is a professional with great experience, a lot of knowledge and high commercial capacity."
"Mafalda Ferreira Santos is very dedicated, works really hard and she gives us a lot of trust."
"Mafalda brings effective solutions to issues."
"Mafalda Ferreira Santos is very available and possesses in-depth knowledge of matters."
João Saúde
“João Saúde has experience representing clients from the banking sector in insolvency-related disputes. He also handles commercial litigation, with further prowess in handling commercial and investment treaty arbitrations.”
Mafalda Ferreira Santos
“Mafalda Ferreira Santos regularly advises on banking and real estate disputes, with the proven ability to assist with international matters. She has further experience in disputes regarding insolvency, distribution agreements and product liability.”
Chambers Review:
Sérvulo & Associados is an elite firm that offers comprehensive service in litigation and arbitration. It has acted for the insolvency estates of several Portuguese banks on cases brought by creditors. It assists banks, funds and public bodies with high-value debt recovery actions. The firm has experience in the defence of civil liability claims, including within the context of environmental disasters or medical malpractice. It advises major domestic clients with activity in various industry sectors, including natural resources, life sciences, real estate and sport.
Strengths:
"The team has an extraordinary ability to settle disputes. It is clear in the exposition and explanation of the subject, available for meetings and responds to questions raised."
"The team offers a good balance between its theoretical knowledge and the practical effectiveness in resolving issues, conducting negotiations and litigation processes."
"Sérvulo's team maintains a proximity to the customer and brings its assertiveness and specialisation to matters."
Foreign Expertise in Capital Markets
"Paulo Câmara is very available and I appreciate the seriousness of his work and opinions."
"Paulo Câmara has a lot of experience, is very knowledgeable and able to see the whole of the issue."
Chambers Review:
Sérvulo & Associados draws on its vast experience in public law to advise public entities and state-owned companies on the regulatory and contractual elements of various domestic projects. The law firm benefits from a broad industry knowledge encompassing public infrastructure, construction and healthcare issues. The team is well placed to advise on concessions and PPPs, as well as projects in lusophone Africa.
Strengths:
"I appreciate the Sérvulo & Associados' quality, rigour and legal certainty."
"The law firm's strengths are its availability and competence."
"There is a high degree of commitment within Sérvulo & Associados' team."
"Sérvulo & Associados has an experienced and multidisciplinary team."
"Mark Kirkby works in a team, showing great leadership and response skills to all requests and challenges within the project."
"Mark provides a very good level of service which is adequate to the reality of the matter."
"Mark Kirkby produces good quality work."
"Francisca Mendes da Costa is an excellent professional. She is very attentive and efficient."
"Francisca Mendes da Costa has always shown a high sense of responsibility for the matters she undertakes."
"Francisca s pragmatic and caring for the customer. She is focused on fixing the problems."
"Francisca Mendes da Costa demonstrates a great capacity to work in projects of great scope and complexity, inspiring enormous confidence in the counterparty."