23 Jun 2026
Alexandre Miguel Mestre joins Jardim Gonçalves & Associados as of counsel
"Alexandre Miguel Mestre joins Jardim Gonçalves & Associados as of counsel to spearhead its newly launched Sports Law practice; he will work in sports law, EU law, competition law, constitutional law and wine law."
Mestre joins the Lisbon-based firm as of counsel in sports law, EU law, competition law, constitutional law and wine law. The appointment also marks the formal launch of a dedicated Sports Law practice at Jardim Gonçalves & Associados.
Mestre has practised law since 2003. He previously worked in individual practice and in collaboration with PLMJ and Abreu Advogados. He served as Secretary of State for Sport and Youth between 2011 and 2013 in Portugal’s XIX Constitutional Government and completed a PhD in European Sports Law at Edge Hill University, Liverpool, in 2015.
In addition to his legal practice, Mestre has held university teaching positions since 1998 at institutions in Portugal and abroad. He is president of the General Assembly of APOGESD (Portuguese Association of Sports Management), a member of the Aquatics Integrity Unit – Adjudicatory Body of World Aquatics, and has served since July 2020 as an independent member of UEFA’s Governance and Compliance Committee. He is also President of the General Assembly of APENO (Portuguese Association of Oenotourism), a member of the AIDV (International Association of Wine and Vine Law) and the author of several books and scientific articles principally on Sports Law, Olympism and Constitutional Law.
Managing partner Rodrigo Jardim Gonçalves said the creation of a dedicated Sports Law practice responds to a significant volume of client requests the firm had previously been unable to address, and reflects the sector’s need for specialised, multidisciplinary teams capable of providing both legal certainty and operational speed.