Morais Leitão strengthens leadership in Chambers Europe 2026: 13 Band 1 practice areas

Morais Leitão once again reinforces its position as one of Portugal’s leading law firms, with 13 practice areas ranked in Band 1 — reflecting the consistency, depth and quality of its work across the most strategic areas.

The recognised practice areas are: Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Competition/European Law, Corporate/M&A, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Energy & Natural Resources, Planning, Private Equity, Public Law, Transportation Shipping, General Business Law – Porto and White-Collar Crime.

This performance highlights the firm’s ability to support both domestic and international clients on highly complex matters, maintaining a leading position in the legal market.

Further recognition goes to the following lawyers, who have moved up in the rankings: Bruno Santiago, Claudia Santos Cruz, Elmano Sousa Costa, Filipe Vaz Pinto, José Amorim Magalhães, Luís Roquette Geraldes, Margarida Torres Gama, Nuno Gundar da Cruz, Nuno Peres Alves, Rui Ribeiro Lima, Sofia Vaz Sampaio and Tiago Félix da Costa — a clear sign of the market’s growing recognition of their work.

The ranked lawyers are as follows:

Banking and Finance

1. Filipe Lowndes Marques (Band 1)
2. Luís Branco (Senior Statespeople)
3. Elmano Sousa Costa (Up and Coming)

Capital Markets

1. Carlos Osório de Castro (Senior Statespeople)
2. Eduardo Paulino (Band 2)

Corporate M&A

1. Carlos Osório de Castro (Senior Statespeople)
2. Catarina Brito Ferreira (Band 6)
3. Eduardo Paulino (Band 2)
4. Magda Viçoso (Band 6)
5. Nuno Galvão Teles (Senior Statespeople)
6. Ricardo Andrade Amaro (Band 6)
7. Tomás Vaz Pinto (Band 3)
8. Vítor Pereira das Neves (Band 5)

Competition & EU

1. Eduardo Maia Cadete (Band 3)
2. Joaquim Vieira Peres (Band 1)
3. Luís do Nascimento Ferreira (Band 3)
4. Pedro de Gouveia e Melo (Band 4)

Dispute Resolution

1. António Pinto Leite (Senior Statespeople)
2. Filipe Vaz Pinto (Band 1)
3. Francisco Cortez (Band 1)
4. Sofia Vaz Sampaio (Band 5)

White-Collar Crime

1. Rui Patrício (Star Individuals)
2. Tiago Félix da Costa (Band 2) 
3. David Silva Ramalho (Associates to Watch)

Most in Demand Arbitrators

1. António Pinto Leite (Senior Statespeople)
2. Filipe Vaz Pinto (Band 3)

Employment

1. Luís Miguel Monteiro (Band 1)
2. Helena Tapp Barroso (Band 3)
3. Pedro Pardal Goulão (Band 2)

Energy & Natural Resources

1. Catarina Brito Ferreira (Band 3)
2. Nuno Galvão Teles (Senior Statespeople)
3. Ricardo Andrade Amaro (Band 4)
4. Vítor Pereira das Neves (Band 4)

Insurance

1. Margarida Torres Gama (Band 3)

Intellectual Property

1. Vasco Stilwell d’Andrade (Band 1)

Planning

1. João Pereira Reis (Band 1)
2. Rui Ribeiro Lima (Band 3)

Private Equity

1. Diana Ribeiro Duarte (Band 4)
2. Isabel Carneiro Kahlen (Associates to Watch)
3. Luís Roquette Geraldes (Band 2)
4. Pedro Capitão Barbosa (Associates to Watch)

Projects

1. Filipe Lowndes Marques (Band 2)
2. Luís Branco (Senior Statespeople)

Public Law

1. Margarida Olazabal Cabral (Band 1)
2. Miguel Nogueira de Brito (Band 4)
3. Nuno Peres Alves (Band 4)
4. Pedro Costa Gonçalves (Band 4)

Real Estate

1. João Torroaes Valente (Band 1)
2. Rita Ferreira Vicente (Band 4)
3. João Fitas (Associates to Watch)

Restructuring and Insolvency

1. Nuno Gundar da Cruz (Band 3)

Tax

1. Bruno Santiago (Band 2)
2. Francisco de Sousa da Câmara (Senior Statespeople)

TMT

1. Nuno Peres Alves (Band 2)
2. Tiago Félix da Costa (Band 3)

Transportation: Shipping

1. Claudia Santos Cruz

Porto – General Law Business

1. Bernardo Maria Lobo Xavier (Band 2)
2. Carlos Osório de Castro (Senior Statespeople)
3. Eduardo Verde Pinho (Band 2)
4. Joana Duro (Associates to Watch)
5. João Anacoreta Correia (Band 2)
6. Joaquim Vieira Peres (Band 4)
7. José Amorim Magalhães (Band 2)
8. Paula Ponces Camanho (Band 2)

View the full results here.