Abreu Advogados strengthens position in the North of Portugal with the integration of ACRLEX Advogados

Abreu reinforces its leadership position in Oporto with the integration of a renowned law firm, especially in the northern region of the country, with more than 30 years of activity.

Abreu Advogados reinforces once again its investment in the Northern market with the integration of ACRLEX Advogados, a reference law firm in the Portuguese legal market with a consolidated presence in the North of the country. This firm is also the only Portuguese member of “The Interlex Group”, a world association of top law firms and offices that brings together firms such as Canada’s “Bennett Jones”, Chile’s “Carey”, Brazil’s “Demarest” and British “Taylor Wessing”.

With more than 30 years of activity, ACRLEX Advogados, also known as “Pessanha, Costa Leite”, succeeds and continued the firm founded in 1989 by Ricardo Sá Carneiro, Vasco Airão, João Vieira de Castro and José Manuel da Silva Lopes, four renowned Oporto lawyers, which over the decades has established itself as an important firm in the legal scene in Portugal.

The ACRLEX Advogados team that will integrate Abreu Advogados comprises Pedro Pessanha, who will join the firm as a partner, Francisco Costa Leite, a Of Counsel, Diogo Pessanha, a professional partner and Benedita Pessanha, a senior associate lawyer.

For Inês Sequeira Mendes, Managing Partner of Abreu Advogados, “It is with great satisfaction that in 2022 we continue on our path towards becoming one of the leading independent law firms in Portugal, a path for which the integration of ACRLEX Advogados is a significant part. Pedro Pessanha is a highly recognised lawyer in our legal practice who shares with us a modern and innovative vision of the legal profession. These values are reflected in the quality of his team, in his experience and history, and are in line with our positioning and national and international presence. We have a strong team in Oporto, focused on clients and with an extensive knowledge of their needs and we believe that with this integration we can consolidate its position and growth path”.

“This is an important day for the legal practice and for our clients. Our integration in Abreu Advogados is a natural step with great impact on the scope of the services we will now offer, integrated in a firm that shares with us the vision and mission of sustained growth and independence. I closely follow Abreu Advogados’ work and there is no other firm with the same focus on the quality of services and on the issues that are or will be impacting the economy”, adds Pedro Pessanha, founder of ACRLEX and the most recent partner of Abreu Advogados.

Pedro Pessanha, with almost 40 years dedicated to the law practice, will become partner at Abreu Advogados in the Corporate and M&A practice area. Since 1983 he has been practicing with special focus on Commercial Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, foreign investment and international contracts. Over the years he has advised several important national and foreign clients in numerous relevant operations.

Francisco Costa Leite has nearly 30 years of experience in the law practice and will join Abreu Advogados as a consultant in the Public & Environment practice area. He has been very active in the areas of administrative and corporate law, employment law and judicial and administrative litigation, having participated in several important cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Diogo Pessanha will be a professional partner at Abreu Advogados, also working in the Corporate and M&A area. His career has been dedicated, on the one hand, to M&A and financial restructuring operations and, on the other hand, to corporate and employment law.

Benedita Pessanha will join Abreu Advogados’ Real Estate practice area as a senior associate.

ACRLEX has some of the largest companies in the North of the country and important foreign organisations as clients, with a strong presence in the wine sector, agriculture, distribution, textiles, renewable energies, transport and logistics or real estate and construction.

Abreu Advogados is one of the largest law firms in Portugal, with more than 200 lawyers and a total of 320 professionals. In 2020 it recorded a revenue of 33.6M€, which represents a record figure and a 12% growth compared to 2019, having, throughout its 28-year history, gained national and international recognition.