An article published in Líder Legal, entitled “Which law firm model will prevail in Portugal”, brings together the views of several managing partners of law firms operating in Portugal on the evolution of the sector in 2026. Among them, our managing partner, Martim Krupenski, highlights that the main transformation in the legal market lies not only in practice areas or technology, but above all in the organisational model of law firms.
According to Martim, the legal market is evolving towards more strategic structures, oriented around clients’ businesses and capable of responding to an increasingly demanding economic and regulatory environment.
More demanding corporate clients are raising the standard of legal advice
Martim Krupenski emphasises that one of the key drivers of change is the evolving profile of clients. Many companies now have highly qualified in-house legal departments, which is changing the traditional dynamic between clients and law firms.
In this context, he explains that “clients now have highly qualified in-house legal teams”, which requires law firms to offer a higher level of specialisation and increasingly strategic legal analysis.
This new client profile seeks not only technical legal advice, but also a deeper understanding of the regulatory, economic and strategic context in which companies operate.
Artificial intelligence increases efficiency but does not replace legal judgement
The article also addresses the impact of technology on legal practice. For Martim, tools such as artificial intelligence are primarily transforming the operational efficiency of law firms.
These technologies make it possible to automate tasks such as document review or preliminary analysis of legal information, freeing up time for work of higher strategic value. However, the managing partner of Morais Leitão stresses that these tools do not replace the professional judgement of lawyers.
In his view, technology essentially acts as an efficiency accelerator within legal organisations, while legal expertise and decision-making remain central to the delivery of legal advice.
New regulated sectors create growth opportunities
Another point highlighted is the growth of highly regulated emerging sectors. Areas such as fintech, data protection and life sciences are generating new demand for specialised legal advice.
According to the managing partner of Morais Leitão, technological innovation has been creating entire sectors that did not exist a decade ago, increasing regulatory complexity and strengthening demand for specialised legal counsel.
Talent remains the key strategic asset of law firms
Despite technological and organisational changes, Martim believes that the decisive factor for the success of law firms continues to be talent.
“Law firms are, above all, organisations of people,” he says, noting that the quality of professionals remains the main strategic asset of legal organisations.
Organisational models will define the market’s leading law firms
In his analysis, the future of the Portuguese legal market will depend on the ability of law firms to integrate three key dimensions: operational efficiency, specialised knowledge and a strategic understanding of clients’ businesses.
For Martim Krupenski, the challenge lies in combining these dimensions within organisational structures capable of adapting to an increasingly sophisticated and demanding market. This capacity for integration — more than size or tradition — will determine which law firm models will prevail in the coming years.
Read the full article in Líder Legal.
