Mariana Norton dos Reis, partner at Cuatrecasas and founder of the Women in Business program, gave an interview to Advocatus in which she stated that the recovery of the Iberian mergers and acquisitions market is already underway, although marked by greater investor selectivity, more demanding due diligence processes, and more conservative financing structures. The lawyer also analyzed the evolution of private equity fund strategies, the increasing complexity of cross-border operations, and the impact of artificial intelligence, digitalization, and ESG criteria on asset valuation and transaction negotiation.
Arbitration reached its highest number of cases ever in Portugal in 2025, with 16,524 filings. Lawyers consider this growth structural and reinforce arbitration as an alternative to courts, especially in consumer disputes. However, new challenges are emerging for arbitration centers related to response capacity and the concentration of commercial arbitration in Lisbon.
The edition also features a special dedicated to business in the legal sector, highlighting that energy, defense, infrastructure, and technology are expected to be among the sectors generating the most demand for legal services in Portugal by 2030. The transformation of the economy, driven by the energy and digital transition, is creating new challenges and opportunities for law firms.
Among the highlighted operations, the French company Sonepar reinforced its commitment to the Portuguese market with the acquisition of 100% of Grupo LCI, an electrical material distributor owned by the Carapeta family, advised by CMS Portugal. Ana Paula Reis, legal director and data protection officer at Cimpor, was elected lawyer of the month. Pbbr and Vasconcelos Advogados joined forces on July 1st, in an integration that added eight lawyers to the pbbr team, including three new partners and new practice areas.
