Global annual report
an opportunity to win business
on the “private client side”,
according to Pena.
Excess of liquidity
There are significant opportunities
for Portuguese law firms to
advise international investors
on inbound investment,
particularly in the real estate
and finance sectors, says ABBC
partner Nuno Azevedo Neves.
“There is an excess of liquidity
in the international market,
investors are looking for good
opportunities and there will be
transactions – there are also a lot of
opportunities in other Portuguesespeaking countries,” he adds.
Miranda managing partner
Diogo Xavier da Cunha says that,
aside from consolidating growth
in Lusophone Africa, the firm
has been developing business in
Francophone Africa, specifically in
countries such as Cameroon, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Congo Brazzaville and Gabon.
However, he says that it is not easy
to win business in such markets
where there is “competition from
French firms”. Xavier da Cunha
have opened a UK representative
adds that, despite the fact that
office, we also have a Swiss desk
the natural resources sector is
and a Nordic desk – we want to be
“suffering” and some international
more visible in a global sense,” he
investors have decided to stop
says. “We have also expanded our
investing in Africa, he believes it is
reach to Brazil, we have a partner
a continent with a lot of potential
in the future.
High-networth individuals,
Cheap debt is the driver
particularly based
of activity – the Asian
in France and
Brazil, are making a
economy is struggling, but
significant number of
there are opportunities in
small investments in
Latin America and Central
Spain and Portugal,
says SRS Advogados
America.
partner Gonçalo
Pedro Siza Vieira
Anastácio. He adds
Linklaters
that, due to recent
EU regulation, there
there twice a month, there is a
are also significant opportunities
lot of inbound work from there.”
to advise foreign investors on
Meanwhile, Pena highlights the
issues relating to data protection
opening of CMS’s office in the
and private enforcement of
Iranian capital of Tehran earlier this
competition law.
year: “There is a lot of demand from
Portuguese clients [for advice in
Iranian demand
Iran], which was unexpected.”
PLMJ partner Hugo Rosa Ferreira
Portuguese-speaking countries
says that his firm has adopted a
in Africa provide the most feasible
strategy of expanding its reach to
international opportunities for
other jurisdictions in order to raise
Portuguese law fir