Award Categories
INTERNATIONAL TEAM FOCUS AFRICA
Winner
Casais Group
Led by Luís Manuel Gonçalves, Head of Legal
The group is activite in 16 countries through approximately 60 companies. The challenges it faces include identifying and
creating a disclosure mechanism for all the organisation’s employees to enable them to easily identify the different steps
and procedures required for good contract management. The legal department wrote and published a guidebook
entitled “Direito a Falar” (Right to Speak) about contractual management and legal risk. In order to facilitate activity in
several African countries, it was crucial to set up local partnerships with companies from each country. The legal team also
handled the execution of an infrastructure project in Mozambique involving a FIDIC model contract financed by the World
Bank. The legal department dealt with the procedures for setting up the consortium and negotiating the financing model
with a banking syndicate.
Finalist
Thyssenkrupp Elevadores Finalist
Grupo Visabeira SGPS Finalist
Alten Renewable Energy
Led by Carlos Menor Gómez
Head of Legal Led by Isabel Fernandes
Head of Legal & Secretary of the
Board Led by Javier Prados Mateos
General Counsel & Company
Secretary
INTERNATIONAL TEAM FOCUS LATIN AMERICA
Winner
Banco Sabadell
Led by Luis Alberto Cárdenas, Head of corporate and commercial legal affairs
As consequence of the rapid growth of Banco Sabadell in Latin America, and Mexico in particular, the legal team has
focused on multisector credit transactions. Credit operation is centered on energy, real estate, infrastructure, tourism and
trade. Since 2017, the team assisted Banco Sabadell and SabCapital in granting more than $2.6 billion in loans. Some of the
most challenging transactions have involved participation in the syndication of the “Fermaca La Laguna” and “Ferma-
ca Occidente” gas pipelines credit facility (the combined loan amount was more than $800 million); the syndication of
the credit facility for the construction of the new Mexico City airport (more than $3 billion). Sabadell’s legal team is small
compared to other banks in Mexico, but we have been instrumental in making Sabadell one of the top ten lenders in the
country during recent years.
Finalist
Alten Renewable Energy Finalist
Aena
Led by Javier Prados Mateos
General counsel & company
secretary Led by Juan Carlos Alfonso Rubio
General Counsel and Secretary of
the Board
LEGAL TEAM OF THE YEAR PORTUGAL
Winner
Volkswagen Financial Services
Led by Patricia Mendes, Head of Legal & CWompliance
The team took part in the establishment of the bank branch of the business advising on legal, compliance and regulatory
requirements, business processes, workflows, the identification of risks and their mitigation, and the IT application parametri-
zation. In 2017, Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) decided to separate the Volkswagen Bank from Volkswagen Financial
Services. The project is conducted internationally and Mendes was appointed to lead it locally. In nine months the team
finalised the reorganisation. This project is seen as the most difficult and important project VWFS ever conducted.
Finalist
PME Investimentos Finalist
The Navigator Company Finalist
ANA- Aeroportos de Portugal
Led by André Fernandes Nobre
Head of Legal & Compliance Led by António Neto Alves
Legal Counsel and Company
Secretary Led by Francisco Sebastian
Head of Legal