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David Silva Ramalho
Managing Associate
David Silva Ramalho joined Morais Leitão in 2016, where he is part of the firm’s criminal, regulatory offense and compliance team. He is the coordinator of the Digital Defence team since 2024.
His work as a lawyer focuses on criminal and regulatory offense litigation, particularly in the economic and financial areas, as well as in information technology, both in Portugal and in articulation with lawyers from other jurisdictions in international cases.
In criminal litigation he has considerable experience in the areas of cybercrime and digital evidence, representing clients in criminal proceedings related to strictly computer-based offences (including hacking, phishing, pharming, ransomware, DDoS or unlawful interceptions), computer-based economic offences (notably those involving cryptocurrencies and tokens), as well as crimes against persons such as cyberstalking and cyberbullying.
He combines this activity with regular advice to various entities on matters related to computer crime and cybersecurity, including coordinating legal, procedural and operational reaction to computer attacks and cyber incidents.
He regularly participates as a guest speaker in conferences, seminars and postgraduate courses, both nationally and internationally, on topics of cybercrime, digital evidence, metadata, virtual assets, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and criminal law and procedure, having also published several articles on these subjects.
He frequently acts as an international expert and consultant for various entities, including European judicial cooperation and magistrate training bodies, as well as for European Union agencies in the field of security and criminal investigation, regarding cyber-crime and digital evidence.
In academia, he is an Invited Assistant in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, and is also a researcher at the Centre for Research in Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences (CIPDCC) and an associate of the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences (IDPCC).
He was a Member of the Organising Committee of the 1st Postgraduate Course on Digital Evidence in Criminal Proceedings (2019) and a Member of the Scientific Coordination Committee of the 1st Postgraduate Course on Cybercrime and Digital Evidence (2025), both organised by the CIDPCC.
His work as a lawyer focuses on criminal and regulatory offense litigation, particularly in the economic and financial areas, as well as in information technology, both in Portugal and in articulation with lawyers from other jurisdictions in international cases.
In criminal litigation he has considerable experience in the areas of cybercrime and digital evidence, representing clients in criminal proceedings related to strictly computer-based offences (including hacking, phishing, pharming, ransomware, DDoS or unlawful interceptions), computer-based economic offences (notably those involving cryptocurrencies and tokens), as well as crimes against persons such as cyberstalking and cyberbullying.
He combines this activity with regular advice to various entities on matters related to computer crime and cybersecurity, including coordinating legal, procedural and operational reaction to computer attacks and cyber incidents.
He regularly participates as a guest speaker in conferences, seminars and postgraduate courses, both nationally and internationally, on topics of cybercrime, digital evidence, metadata, virtual assets, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and criminal law and procedure, having also published several articles on these subjects.
He frequently acts as an international expert and consultant for various entities, including European judicial cooperation and magistrate training bodies, as well as for European Union agencies in the field of security and criminal investigation, regarding cyber-crime and digital evidence.
In academia, he is an Invited Assistant in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, and is also a researcher at the Centre for Research in Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences (CIPDCC) and an associate of the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Sciences (IDPCC).
He was a Member of the Organising Committee of the 1st Postgraduate Course on Digital Evidence in Criminal Proceedings (2019) and a Member of the Scientific Coordination Committee of the 1st Postgraduate Course on Cybercrime and Digital Evidence (2025), both organised by the CIDPCC.
Education
Law Degree (University of Lisbon School of Law, 2010). Postgraduate Studies in Intellectual Property Law (University of Lisbon School of Law, 2010) and in Law and Cibersecurity (University of Lisbon School of Law, 2014). Master’s Degree in Criminal Law (University of Lisbon School of Law, 2016). Currently pursuing a PhD in Criminal Law (University of Lisbon School of Law). Advanced Training Course on Data Protection Compliance in the EU (European Institute of Public Administration – EIPA, 2016). Crystal Certified Crypto Researcher and Investigator (2025).
Languages
Portuguese and English.
Memberships
Portuguese Bar Association (admitted in 2013). Fellow at the Tech and Law Center in Milan (since 2012). Researcher at the University of Lisbon’s Center for Criminal Law and Criminal Studies “CIDPCC” (since 2014). Member of the editorial boards of the Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review (since 2016), of the Revista de Concorrência & Regulação (since 2017) and of the Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation (since 2019).
