Defence and Security

Geopolitical shifts, heightened security concerns and the pursuit of strategic autonomy have brought the defence and security sectors back into sharp global focus. The growing complexity of this ecosystem — where globalised supply chains increasingly intersect with rising national protectionism — is shaping a constantly evolving landscape that creates significant opportunities while also giving rise to new legal and regulatory requirements. From export controls on dual-use goods to investment restrictions and sanctions regimes, stakeholders in this sector operate within an increasingly sophisticated regulatory environment.

SÉRVULO combines deep legal expertise with institutional awareness and is well positioned to address the unique challenges that characterise the defence and security sector.

A specialised team to support strategic decision-making in complex and sensitive regulatory environments

With decades of experience providing legal advice in the fields of Defence and Security, SÉRVULO combines recognised reputation and technical excellence with the responsiveness required by its clients — companies and public and private entities operating in highly regulated and demanding markets. In these contexts, confidentiality and legal certainty are essential to ensuring that our clients remain one step ahead.

We provide specialised legal advice in the following areas:

• Public procurement of military goods and services or dual-use items;
• Assessment of licensing requirements for the export, re-export or transfer of military goods and dual-use goods and technologies;
• Classification of items under the applicable control lists;
• Assistance in the preparation and submission of applications for export, re-export or transfer licences before the competent national authorities;
• Import, export, transfer and transport (transit) of military or dual-use goods (including licences and certificates issued by the Ministry of Defence, the EU or NATO);
• Assessment of legal and compliance risks in contracts involving the export, re-export or transport (transit) of goods subject to prior licensing requirements;
• Customer and business partner due diligence (Know Your Customer – KYC) and assessment of reputational and legal risks;
• Export compliance audits relating to products subject to licensing requirements or international restrictive measures;
• Development of compliance policies for industry participants and stakeholders involved in the export, re-export or transit of products subject to licensing requirements or international restrictive measures;
• Analysis of the impact of restrictive measures (sanctions/embargoes) imposed by the EU, UN or US on countries, sectors or entities potentially affected by such measures;
• Strategic analysis and assessment concerning the suspension, amendment or termination of contracts affected by dual-use export controls or international restrictive measures;
• Securing and implementing European defence funding (e.g. the European Defence Fund and PESCO);
• Development and management of military or dual-use infrastructure projects (e.g. maritime and air transport infrastructure);
• Structuring and implementation of partnerships and agreements between public and private entities;
• Strategic joint ventures subject to foreign investment screening (e.g. under the EU screening mechanism) and compliance with competition rules;
• Representation in administrative proceedings, litigation and arbitration;
• Assessment of compliance with state secrecy, national defence and internal security frameworks;
• External due diligence (e.g. verification of government contracts, confidentiality clauses and export controls) and internal due diligence (including the development of policies for suppliers and international partners).

SÉRVULO combines deep legal expertise with institutional awareness and is prepared to respond to the unique challenges that define the Defence & Security sector.