Rising Stars

Foreign firms in Angola

Clifford Chance LLP

Clifford Chance LLP is adept at handling both inbound and outbound transactions across the oil and gas, construction, and transport sectors, with a clientele spanning financial institutions, telecom, and mining companies. Leonard Cleland excels at commodities, while Kayode Oladipo’s expertise lies in cross-border loan financing for infrastructure project development. The pair lead the Angola practice from London, ‘providing high-quality legal services’.

Responsables de la pratique:

Leonard Cleland; Kayode Oladipo


Autres avocats clés:

Filippo Tassoni


Les références

‘A very strong team, especially in anything that relates to sovereign credit and project financing.’

‘Leonard Clealand is in a league of his own with respect to Angola and sovereign financing. His knowledge is unmatched, which allows clients (especially lenders) to make commercial decisions based on sound legal backing.’

‘Leonard Cleland and Kayode Oladipo have been advising clients on cross-border transactions in Angola on a regular basis, they are familiar with local laws and practices and have been providing high-quality legal services.’

Principaux clients

GE Capital EFS Financing Inc.


Credit Suisse AG, London Branch


HSBC


Africell Holding Ltd


Deutsche Bank


SACE


Investec


V3cuango Hidroenergia, (Su), Lda.


Çalik Enerji


Standard Chartered Bank


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Deutsche Bank S.p.A. and SACE S.p.A in connection with an ECA-covered USD 62 million individual loan agreement for financing the largest food production plant in Sub-Saharan Africa, in Angola.
  • Advised UniCredit and Investec in relation to the financing of three key regional hospitals for the Republic of Angola.
  • Assisted Standard Chartered Bank in relation to four commercial contracts for the construction of four new Provincial Hospitals in Angola.

Eversheds Sutherland

Eversheds Sutherland boasts a ‘deeply knowledgeable’ team that excels in the oil and gas, banking and finance, real estate, and infrastructure sectors. João Robles leads the Angola desk from Porto, and specialises in commercial, M&A, real estate, as well as oil and gas matters. Rodrigo Barbosa Souto is based in Luanda and focuses on corporate matters and litigation, while Ricardo Couto provides the group with expertise in banking and finance. João Rocha de Almeida often handles public law, regulatory issues, and energy transactions.

Responsables de la pratique:

João Robles


Autres avocats clés:

Rodrigo Barbosa Souto; Ricardo Couto; João Rocha de Almeida


Les références

‘The team is well-qualified and deeply knowledgeable about the market where we operate. They are also knowledgeable of Portuguese and Angolan laws, and their team members are available and very proactive.’

‘The 2 partners who assisted us were very distinguished, competent, available and close to our daily business.’

Principaux clients

Chevron


DHL


Modec


SNC Lavalin


Teixeira Duarte


Vodafone


Elecnor


BNP Paribas


HP


IATA


Unisaúde


MSC – Mediterranean Shipping Company


Globaltec


TotalEnergies Renewable


Rina


Boeing


BNI


AP Foods


Banco BAI


Somoil


Bantubet


Principaux dossiers


Miranda & Associados

Miranda & Associados is home to both Angolan and Portuguese-qualified lawyers, who are well-equipped to advise both domestic and international clients. Rita Correia leads the Angola team and focuses on the oil and gas sectors, often handling upstream regulatory, foreign exchange, and tax advisory coordination matters. Mafalda Oliveira Monteiro is at the forefront of the firm’s banking and finance practice, and often advises financial institutions, borrowers, and insurers on transactions. Ricardo Alves Silva’s expertise lies in advising oil and gas upstream entities, oilfield service providers, and EPC contractors on corporate work.

Responsables de la pratique:

Rita Correia


Autres avocats clés:

Mafalda Oliveira Monteiro; Ricardo Alves Silva


Les références

‘The banking team is well-versed in the law in practice. ’

‘Mafalda Oliveira Monteiro is responsive, pleasant to work with, and very experienced in financings in Angola.’

Principaux clients

Total Energies Renewables


Principaux dossiers


PLMJ

PLMJ is experienced in advising clients across a variety of sectors, including banking, energy, oil and gas, and sports. Inês Pinto da Costa and Gonçalo dos Reis Martins oversee the practice, and Pinto da Costa boasts deep-rooted experience in infrastructure, energy, and project development. dos Reis Martins often advises both international and local banks, financial entities and asset managers, on debt capital markets. Additionally, Ruben Brigolas is knowledgeable of foreign investment, corporate, and natural resources matters.

Responsables de la pratique:

Inês Pinto da Costa; Gonçalo dos Reis Martins


Autres avocats clés:

Rúben Brigolas; Renata Valenti; Nádia da Costa Ribeiro


Les références

‘The PLMJ team has been working with our company for almost 4 years and the most important thing to me was their availability to attend our cases anytime. They have a very communicative team that will avail itself to guide us in our various business transactions.’

‘Our main collaborator Rúben Brigolas is a very experienced lawyer who understands Angolan business codes, laws, and regulations. He was very clear and precise in his responses.’

‘Excellent service over 2 years involving a number of partners and senior associates, there isn’t a weak link in the team. They supported us on two quite different investments in Angola and were responsive, detailed and efficient.’

Principaux clients

Huawei


BayQi


Unitransfer


Afentra PLC


SUEZ Group


Galp Energia


Jean Boulle Group


Recherche Exploitation Produits (REP)


Refriango Group


Sociedade Mineira do Kaixepa


Hipermáquinas


Be Water


Banco de Fomento Angola


Standard Bank Group


BAI Europa


Banco Atlântico Europa


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising Galp Energia on the sale of the group’s (i) 9% non-operated stake in Block 14, (ii) 4.5% non-operated stake in Block 14K and (iii) 5% non-operated stake in Block 32. The transaction has an overall value of USD 1 billion.
  • Advising BayQi on an investment round with Integrated Solutions Angola, Lda. to acquire a 15% stake in BayQi.
  • Assisting Recherche Exploitation Produits ON the implementation of its investment project in Angola.

VdA

VdA offers expertise across a spectrum of sectors, notably in oil and gas, mining, banking, and finance, as well as telecoms and agriculture. The firm’s experience in Angola further extends to competition and anti-trust, public law, insurance, and construction. João Afonso Fialho, José Miguel Oliveira, and Paulo Trindade Costa lead the practice, while Fialho heads the firm’s oil and gas practice group, with knowledge of the mining and shipping sectors. Oliveira specialises in corporate M&A, oil and gas, and transport, while Costa focuses on corporate restructuring, and finance transactions.

Responsables de la pratique:

João Afonso Fialho; José Miguel Oliveira; Paulo Trindade Costa


Les références

‘They give expert and insightful sector advice – framed within an understanding of commercial realities.’

‘João Afonso Fialho is excellent and is more than a legal advisor due to his experience in commercial matters.’

Principaux clients

KT – Kinetics Technology, SPA


Trafigura Group Pte Ltd. and Puma Energy (Angola)


BIOCOM


Odebrecht Angola


ANGOFLEX Industrial Lda.


Halliburton Overseas Limited


OPS Angola


Unitel – Angola


De Beers Exploration Holding Limited


Principaux dossiers


Abreu Advogados

The Angola practice of Abreu Advogados often handles M&A, finance, and tax matters across the oil and gas as well as infrastructures sectors. Guilherme Santos Silva, Manuel Santos Vítor, and João Bravo da Costa lead the practice, Santos Silva advises oil and gas and aviation clients on corporate matters and dispute resolution, while Santos Vítor stands out in the energy and mining sectors. Bravo da Costa brings expertise in energy M&A, international trade, and financial matters.

Responsables de la pratique:

Guilherme Santos Silva; Manuel Santos Vítor; João Bravo da Costa


Les références

‘The team provided helpful advice .’

‘They are versatile and have an in-depth knowledge of the country.’

‘Strengths include collaboration, availability, and commitment.’

Principaux clients

Clínica Sagrada Esperança, Lda (Health sector)


Fukur Group


Mediman


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Sagrada Esperança Clinic in Luanda with financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
  • Advised Mediman on the potential agreement to be the official distributor of Siemens Medical Equipment in Angola after a long-term compliance process by Siemens.
  • Advised Fukur on the development and operation of a supermarket chain in Luanda.

CMS

With ‘an impressive range of skills’, CMS‘ diverse expertise spans the energy, infrastructure, mining, transportation, and healthcare sectors. The firm’s Angola practice is housed within its Lusophone Africa team, and is spearheaded by Alberto Galhardo Simões, Nuno Alves Mansilha, and Tiago Machado Graça. Galhardo Simões is well-regarded for his infrastructures, project finance, and M&A expertise, while Alves Mansilha is knowledgeable of cross-border undertakings. Machado Graça primarily counsels on international tax, corporate restructuring, and financing strategies.

Responsables de la pratique:

Alberto Galhardo Simõe; Nuno Alves Mansilha; Tiago Machado Graça


Autres avocats clés:

Maria Figueiredo; Joana Brito Paulo


Les références

‘Tiago Machado Graça is the best lawyer I have worked with in any country. He negotiated an excellent deal for us and was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was efficient, dedicated, friendly, very smart strategically and was quick to respond or be available whenever needed.’

‘The Luanda (Angola) office of CMS works together with the Lisbon (Portugal) Office of CMS to ensure the robustness of the legal advice provided on Angolan issues.’

‘Maria Figueiredo is a tax expert and a well-rounded lawyer, Tiago Machado Graça has good knowledge of Angolan Law, and Alberto Galhardo Simõe has good legal thought leadership.’

Principaux clients

Bosch


BAI (Banco Angolano de Investimentos)


Engevia:


Geoangol Geologia e Sondagens, Lda


Vantage Drilling


Carmon Angola


Unicargas SU, LDA


United Nations – UNCTAD


SPIE Oil & Gas Services


Endiama E.P.


Orey Group


Secil


Noble Drilling


Entreprise Philippe Lassarat


Bumi Armada


Sun Africa LLC


Azule Energy (JV between BP Oil & Gas and ENI)


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising Sun Africa on a Rural Electrification Project (“REP”) for the development, construction, and financing of renewable energy, grid infrastructure, agriculture and water purification projects, all to be implemented on a D&EPC basis in 7 provinces in Angola.
  • Advising Azule Energy on the Angolan law aspects following the merger of bp and ENI respective Angolan oil & gas businesses.
  • Advised Secil Group on the privatization process launched by the Angolan Government.

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados

Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados is vastly experienced in handling both inbound and outbound cross-border investments into Angola, and counts public entities, multinational companies, international banks, and private equity funds on its client roster. The practice is also often engaged in project finance and arbitration across the energy, natural resources, and infrastructure sectors. Claudia Santos Cruz advises on the international and cross-border aspects of investments between Portugal and Lusophone Africa, and leads the firm’s Lusophone Africa practice with André de Sousa Vieira. de Sousa Vieira excels in international energy and infrastructure project finance matters, Irina Neves Ferreira brings experience in private investment, insurance law, and real estate, while Bruno Xavier de Pina assists clients in the oil and gas, aviation, and banking sectors.

Responsables de la pratique:

André de Sousa Vieira; Claudia Santos Cruz


Autres avocats clés:

Irina Neves Ferreira; Bruno Xavier de Pina


Les références

‘I consider them to be the leading firm in Portugal and Lusophone Africa. They have a very strong project finance practice supported by well-developed contacts and experience working across from Government which means they know how things work in practice.’

‘Irina Neves Ferreira is amazing, she is very sharp and savvy. André de Sousa Vieira is also fantastic – amazing with clients and extremely pleasant to deal with.’

‘An impressive combination of legal skills and commercial awareness. Broad experience in key Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.’

Principaux dossiers


Raposo Bernardo

Raposo Bernardo stands out for its banking and finance capabilities, and is a key contact for financial establishments and multinational companies across the oil and gas, energy, infrastructure, and aviation sectors. Ana Cláudia Rangel is particularly active on corporate, commercial, licensing, and transactional matters, while Nelson Raposo Bernardo’s expertise encompasses M&A, capital markets, and project financing. Júlio Martins Júnior brings experience in corporate law, with a strong emphasis on M&A, share and asset transactions, and regulatory work.

Responsables de la pratique:

Ana Cláudia Rangel; Nelson Raposo Bernardo; Júlio Martins Júnior


Les références

‘They are very experienced lawyers who manage to transform very complicated situations into uncomplicated processes and sometimes into opportunities to improve our efficiency. This law firm has lawyers of the highest calibre, with a wealth of experience and technical knowledge, because of their involvement in multiple large-scale international transactions.’

‘Nelson Raposo Bernardo does an excellent job, always gives prompt responses, and pays attention to detail, which is fantastic. He is also very cooperative with our concerns and very professional. Ana Cláudia Rangel is very competent in her work for two reasons: she prepares very well for any matter, and she can easily extrapolate from her experience and technical knowledge the best solution at each moment.’

‘Raposo Bernardo is a unique international law firm that stands out for the high performance in the responses to each request from our teams. There is no other that compares to it in what is the most important in a law firm.’

White & Case LLP

With a ‘client-oriented approach’, White & Case LLP advises both domestic and foreign companies in Angola, especially in the oil and gas, telecoms, and infrastructure sectors. Mukund Dhar leads the firm’s Africa practice group from London, and guides clients through joint ventures, acquisitions, project development, financings, and intricate commercial contracts. Based in New York, Jorge Mattamouros handles cross-border disputes, with a focus on Lusophone countries.

Responsables de la pratique:

Mukund Dhar


Autres avocats clés:

Jorge Mattamouros; Jason Kerr; Melissa Butler; Nicholas Mascheras; David Murray


Les références

‘White & Case works in Angola through its office in the UK and is focused on international transactions.’

‘Mukund Dhar is a fierce and highly competent negotiator. He is the go-to lawyer for complex transactions.’

‘Nicholas Mascheras is outstanding when it comes to negotiating a multijurisdictional facility. David Murray works in Mukund Dhar’s team and is also deeply knowledgeable of the Oil & Gas market.’

Principaux clients

PT Ventures SGPS, S.A.


Citigroup and Deutsche Bank


Somoil – Sociedade Petrolífera Angolana, S.A.


Liquidity and Sustainability Facility Designated Activity Company (the “LSF”)


Hungarian Export-Import Bank Plc


Principaux dossiers


  • Acted for Citigroup and Deutsche Bank as arrangers and dealers on the Republic of Angola’s update of its global medium term note programme.

Cuatrecasas

Cuatrecasas is experienced in advising Iberian and international firms on overseas investments, and is led by André Duarte Figueira who is focused on international oil and gas agreements. Lourenço Vilhena De Freitas, specialises in administrative law and offers deep insights into Angolan infrastructure and energy regulation, while Pedro Marques Bom assists clients on competition and regulatory matters.

Responsables de la pratique:

André Duarte Figueira


Autres avocats clés:

Lourenço Vilhena de Freitas; Pedro Marques Bom


Les références

‘They have strong expertise regarding the regulation of vehicle distributors, and their advice was helpful and practical. They seem to have enough experience and deep knowledge about this practice area.’

Principaux clients

DP World (Dubai Ports World)


Damac Properties


DP World FZE


Azule Energy


Zhejiang Hengye Electronics


Suzuki Motor Corporation


Amazon


Elecnor


Vinci


Inavic


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising DP World with the Limited Tender by Prior Qualification No. 2/2021 on entering a concession contract to conceive, construct, operate and manage the Luvo Logistics Platform.
  • Advising DP World MPL on a regular basis on all its matters related to the Angolan multipurpose terminal administration.
  • Advising Damac Properties on a concession agreement between Damac and the Angolan State.

Linklaters LLP

Seamlessly integrating with the firm’s Lisbon, London, Paris, and Tokyo offices, Linklaters LLP ‘s Africa group is led by London-based Andrew Jones who is proficient in energy and infrastructure projects. Lisbon’s Francisco Ferraz De Carvalho is at the helm of the Lusophone Africa practice, and specialises in banking and projects across Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde.

Responsables de la pratique:

Andrew Jones; Francisco Ferraz de Carvalho


Principaux clients

Banco de Fomento Angola, S.A.


PROPARCO and The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF)


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised PROPARCO and The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) as lenders on portfolio financing, by means of sustainability-linked debt facilities.

Mayer Brown

Mayer Brown focuses its Angola practice on the Oil and Gas sector, notably infrastructure, project development, and construction matters. Gonçalo Falcão is well-versed in oil and gas, foreign investment, labour, immigration, and foreign exchange issues, while Alexandre Chequer advises energy companies across Brazil, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Together, Chequer and Falcão lead the Angola practice from Rio de Janeiro and Houston.

Responsables de la pratique:

Alexandre Chequer; Gonçalo Falcão


Autres avocats clés:

Paulo Rage


Les références

‘Gonçalo Falcão provides value-adding, holistic advice and does not merely respond to questions. Gonçalo Falcão has an excellent commercial understanding and is solution-oriented.’

‘Good knowledge of the Oil & Gas sector worldwide.’

‘Gonçalo Falcão and his team are very pragmatic regarding advice requested by the client. He seeks to find local solutions that address the challenge while striving to maintain the highest international standards.’

Principaux dossiers