Martim Krupenski, managing partner at Morais Leitão, argues that internationalisation is now an essential condition for the sustainable growth of Portuguese law firms, at a time when the domestic market is increasingly limited in scale, in an analysis published in the Jornal Económico.
Limitations of the Portuguese legal market and the need for internationalisation
“Firms operating in relatively small markets, such as ours, need to develop an international culture,” he states, stressing that cross-border expansion results both from the need to accompany clients and from the growing complexity of cross-border transactions.
According to Martim Krupenski, the evolution of foreign investment in Portugal requires increasingly demanding standards of practice. “The country attracts foreign investment that requires international standards of practice, by participating in multi-jurisdictional processes and transactions,” he notes.
Competitive advantage of Portuguese-speaking countries in legal services
Within this internationalisation process, Portuguese-speaking countries play a central role due to the competitive advantage created by cultural and legal proximity. “Portugal, in particular, shares legal and cultural similarities with several other jurisdictions, enabling a continuous and coherent service,” he highlights.
Growth of Morais Leitão’s international activity
At Morais Leitão, international activity has been growing steadily. “It also reflects the external exposure of the Portuguese economy – and we have made it a priority to maintain this growth rate across the various areas of activity,” he says.
Morais Leitão’s international network and integration into global legal platforms
The firm’s international strategy is based on its own network of offices. “Morais Leitão has its own network, with offices in Portugal, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique and Singapore,” Martim Krupenski explains.
At the same time, integration into international networks is seen as a decisive factor in ensuring global coverage and consistency in service delivery. “We belong to Lex Mundi, the world’s largest association of independent law firms, which allows us to extend our activity to 150 jurisdictions,” he adds, also referring to the development of “privileged relationships with global firms, which enable a very interesting system of internal and external referrals for the development of our business.”
Economic outlook for Portugal and impact on the legal sector in 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, Martim Krupenski anticipates a growth scenario marked by caution. “When we look at the national outlook, there are always a number of forecasts that become facts, given their consistency over the years,” he says, referring to “the anaemia of the Portuguese economy, characterised by low growth rates – which nevertheless have exceeded the euro area average, reflecting international interest in our market.”
Despite this context, he identifies opportunities in specific sectors. “There is some optimism regarding specific sectors, such as infrastructure and transport and the data technology sector,” he notes, also pointing to significant multinational investment and a reindustrialisation driven by innovation and national knowledge.
Legislative uncertainty, legal certainty and compliance challenges for companies
The managing partner of Morais Leitão nevertheless warns of structural risks. “Legislative instability, particularly in tax and labour matters, creates uncertainty on the one hand and requires constant legal updating and responsiveness on the other,” he stresses, noting that for many clients the firm’s work now involves “monitoring the evolution of public policies and the legislative framework and anticipating European and global regulatory trends.”
In this context, he concludes: “Legal certainty is today a particularly complex priority, and compliance is a real challenge for companies.”
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