Catarina Teixeira
Catarina Teixeira
Associate
Academic Profile
Master in Forensic Law from the School of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal – School of Lisbon, with a thesis on “Right to repentance: a novelty in contractual termination?” (2019-2021)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal – Lisbon School (2015-2019)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 2022, where she works in the Litigation area
Lawyer at Valadas Coriel & Associados (2022)
Trainee Lawyer at Valadas Coriel & Associados (2020-2022)
Summer internship at Anselmo Vaz Afra & Associados (2018)
Short-term internship at Abreu Advogados in the area of Civil Litigation and Medical Liability (2018)
Languages: English
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2022
Rafaela Figueiredo Lima
Rafaela Figueiredo Lima
Trainee
Academic Profile
Attending the Master’s Degree in Civil Law at the School of Law of the University of Lisbon
Post-graduation in Family and Probate Law at the Lisbon School of Law (2022)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2020)
Professional Profile
Trainee Lawyer at SMFC since 2021
Summer Internship at the Legal Department of CNPDPCJ (National Commission for the Promotion of Rights and Protection of Children and Youths) (2021)
Languages: English and Spanish.
Graça Quintas
Graça Quintas
Associate
Academic Profile
Attended Executive Training Programmes promoted by the Catholic University of Portugal –School of Lisbon, within the scope of: Negotiation Strategies, Effective Management of Meetings, Managing Difficult Conversations, Networking & Building Client Relationship (2017)
Attended Intensive Courses on amendments to the Labour Code by the School of Law of the University of Lisbon and the Catholic University of Portugal – School of Lisbon (2016-2017)
Completed the curricular part of the Executive Master in Human Resources Management, INDEG/ISCTE – Institute for the Development of Business Management at ISCTE – obtained a postgraduate degree (2008-2009)
Attended the III Postgraduate Course in Business Law at the Institute of Business and Labour Law (IDET) of the School of Law of the University of Coimbra (2003)
Attended the III Postgraduate Course in labour Law at the Institute of Labour Law (IDET) of the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2001)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2001)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 2020, where she works in the area of Labour Law and Social Security
Coordinating Lawyer of the labour Law Department at CCR – Sociedade de Advogados SP, RL (2018 – 2019)
Associate Lawyer and Senior Associate Lawyer at the labour Law Department at Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, SP, RL (2004 – 2017)
Associate Lawyer at Uría & Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho (2004)
Trainee Lawyer at FSMM – Fraústo da Silva, Mendes Martins & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados (2002-2003)
Trainee Lawyer at João Correia, Armando Henriques, Ana Cristina Pimentel & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados (2001-2002)
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2003
Member of the European Employment Lawyer’s Association (EELA)
Member of the Association of Young Labour Lawyers (AJJ)
Languages: English and Spanish.
Sandra Amaral Gomes
Sandra Amaral Gomes
Associate
Academic Profile
Degree in Law from Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (1993)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 1993, where she coordinates the Civil Litigation area, and has vast experience in the areas of Insolvency and Debt Recovery.
Trainee Lawyer at Soares Machado, Athayde Tavares & Andrade Ramos – Sociedade de Advogados (1993)
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 1995
Languages: English, French and Spanish.
Rute Louro
Rute Louro
Associate
Academic Profile
Attended the Post-graduation in Family and Probate Law at the Lisbon School of Law (2019-2020)
Attended the Post-graduation “The New Administrative Litigation” at the Catholic University of Portugal (2003-2004)
Degree in Law from the Lisbon School of Law (2002)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in April 2016, where she works in the areas of Family and Probate Law.
Associate lawyer at Maricato, Lima & Associados (2015-2016)
Associate lawyer at Tenreiro Martins, Maricato & Associados (2013-2015)
Practice of law, in individual practice, until January 2013, in the areas of Civil Law, Contracts, Labour Law and Family and Probate Law
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2004
Languages: English.
Maria Luísa Lobo
Maria Luísa Lobo
Associate
Academic Profile
Attended the curricular part of the Master’s Degree in Forensic Law at the School of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal – School of Lisbon (2013-2014)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal – School of Lisbon (2013)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 2014, where she works in the areas of Civil Litigation and Corporate Law.
Summer internship at PBBR – Sociedade de Advogados, RL (2013)
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2017
Languages: English.
Lourenço Sousa Machado
Lourenço Sousa Machado
Associate
Academic Profile
Post-graduation in Real Estate Law from the School of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal – School of Lisbon (2018)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal – School of Lisbon (2008)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 2009, where he works in the areas of Litigation, Real Estate Law and Family and Probate Law.
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2013
Languages: English and Spanish.
Joana Pais
Joana Pais
Associate
Academic Profile
Post-graduation in Consumer Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2001)
Degree in Law from Universidade Lusíada (1997)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 1999, where she works in the area of Civil Litigation, insolvency and debt recovery.
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2000
Languages: English and French.
Isabel Marta
Isabel Marta
Associate
Academic Profile
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (1997)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 1999, where she works in the area of Civil Litigation, and has experience in the area of Insurance Law.
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 1999
Languages: English and French.
Inês Matoso
Inês Matoso
Associate
Academic Profile
Master in Financial and Tax Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon, with a thesis on “The anti-tax haven rules: Portuguese Scheme” (2018)
Advanced Post-graduation on the “Application of Anti-Abuse Rules” from the Institute of Economic, Financial and Tax Law (IDEFF) of the Lisbon School of Law (2016)
Advanced Post-graduation in Tax Law at the Institute of Economic, Financial and Tax Law (IDEFF) of the Lisbon School of Law (2013)
Post-graduation in Tax Law at the Institute of Economic, Financial and Tax Law (IDEFF) of the Lisbon School of Law (2009-2010)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2009)
International Taxation Summer Course at the University of Münster – Germany (2008)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 2016, where she works in the areas of Tax Law, Tax Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions.
Lawyer in the tax department of the Legal Department of Banco Internacional do Funchal, S.A. (2015-2016)
Associate Lawyer at Raul Soares da Veiga & Associados (2012-2014)
Trainee Lawyer at Raul Soares da Veiga & Associados (2009-2012)
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2012
Member of the Portuguese Fiscal Association (AFP) and International Fiscal Association (IFA)
Rankings
Recognized by the Best Lawyers directory, 2024 edition, in Tax area
Languages: English, French and Spanish.
Margarida Telo Rasquilha
Margarida Telo Rasquilha
Associate
Academic Profile
Master in Forensic Law at the School of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal – School of Lisbon, with a thesis on “(Law prohibiting) discrimination on grounds of disability and the existence of an aggravated health risk in the insurance activity” (2015)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of Universidade Nova de Lisboa (2014)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 2019, where she works in the areas of Civil Litigation, Family and Probate Law and Real Estate
Lawyer at Caiado Guerreiro, Sociedade de Advogados SP, RL (2017-2019)
Trainee Lawyer at Caiado Guerreiro, Sociedade de Advogados SP, RL (2015-2017)
Summer internship at CCA Law Firm (2014)
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2017
Languages: English and Spanish.
Luísa Pestana Bastos
Luísa Pestana Bastos
Associate
Academic Profile
I Intensive Course on Social Security at the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2022)
Post-graduation in Labour Law and Social Security from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2020)
Training Action on Collective Labour Regulation Instruments, Centre for Judicial Studies (2019)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2016)
Professional Profile
Joined SMFC in 2019, where she works in the area of Labour Law and Social Security
Lawyer at PRA – Raposo, Sá Miranda & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados, RL (2019)
Trainee Lawyer at Nobre Guedes, Mota Soares & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados, RL (2016-2018)
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2018
Member of the Portuguese Association of Labour Law (APODIT)
Languages: English
Martim Pita Negrão
Martim Pita Negrão
Partner
Academic Profile
Completed the General Data Protection Regulation Programme, at Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics (2020)
Advanced Data Protection Course: General Data Protection Regulation, EU Directives and National Legislation, from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2017)
Postgraduate Degree in Public Procurement Law and Practice, from the School of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal (2011)
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2006)
Professional Profile
He has been a partner of SMFC since 2020
Joined SMFC in September 2006, where he works mainly in the areas of TMT – Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Contracts, Litigation, Public Procurement and Family and Probate Law
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2009
Languages: English and French
Mafalda Vaz Pinto
Mafalda Vaz Pinto
Partner
Academic Profile
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Lisbon (2000)
Professional Profile
She has been a partner at SMFC since 2020.
Joined SMFC in 2007, working in the area of Litigation, focusing on Civil and Corporate Litigation, Family and Probate Law, Criminal Law and Misdemeanour Law, and is experienced in the field of Intellectual Property.
She also exercises her professional activity in national and international arbitrations, and has performed as an arbitrator in national arbitral proceedings.
Lawyer at Vieira de Almeida & Associados, RL from 2000 to 2006, where she developed her activity mainly in the area of Litigation.
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 2002
Languages: English
Jaime Dória Cortesão
Jaime Dória Cortesão
Partner
Academic Profile
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Coimbra
Professional Profile
In 1968, he joined the Judiciary at the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in the District of Lobito, and went on to join the then Ministry of Corporations and Social Security.
In August 1974 he joined the Confederation of Portuguese Industry (CIP) as a founding technician, focusing his activity in the field of collective labour relations and the intermediation of labour conflicts in a wide range of industries.
He is a founding partner of SMFC where, in addition to managing several companies, he has been developing forensic activity with special emphasis on Labour and Administrative Law and in the field of mediation and arbitration.
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 1977.
Languages: English, French and Spanish.
Alexandre Sousa Machado
Alexandre Sousa Machado
Partner
Academic Profile
Master in Civil Law from the Catholic University, Faculty of Law
Post-graduation in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Coimbra
Professional Profile
Connected to the Catholic University of Portugal, where he has taught since the first law course, he was the author of several essays, articles and publications, responsible for the chapter about Portugal in the compendium on “Family Law in Europe” (Hamilton and Perry, Butterworths, 1995 and 2002). He is a founding partner of SMFC and since 2011 he has been a Member of the Superior Council for the Judiciary, appointed by the President of the Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva; he remained in office after the inauguration of the new President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who appointed him to a second term in the Superior Council for the Judiciary,
and left office in 2020.
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 1982
Languages: English, French and Spanish.
Manuel Ferreira da Costa
Manuel Ferreira da Costa
Partner
Academic Profile
Degree in Law from the School of Law of the University of Coimbra
Professional Profile
From 1983 to 1986, he devoted himself to forensic practice in the areas of litigation and company law, directing the litigation service at COSEC – Companhia de Seguros de Créditos, S.A.
In addition to practicing law, he was a university lecturer in Law and, in 1982 and 1983, was President of the Portuguese Institute of Cinema.
He is a founding partner of SMFC and responsible for SMFC’s international relations, regularly participating in congresses of international alliances that the Firm is part of.
Professional Associations
Member of the Bar Association since 1979
Languages: English and French
