09 Jan 2026
Vieira de Almeida promotes four lawyers to partner
"Vieira de Almeida promotes four lawyers to partner in banking & finance, white-collar crime & criminal law, public law, and real estate & urban planning."
Carlos Filipe Gonçalves Couto has been promoted to partner. He has focused his practice primarily on the securities, banking and insurance sectors, providing ongoing advice to asset management companies on regulatory and legal matters and on transactions involving the purchase and sale of assets and shareholdings. In recent years he has been particularly involved in the insurance sector, advising on regulatory, contractual and insurance mediation matters, and assisting bondholder representatives and trustees on regulatory and contractual issues.
Joana Bernardo has been promoted to partner. She has been involved in criminal and administrative offence litigation, with a particular focus on economic and financial crime across various regulated sectors. She has experience in corporate risk management and compliance, including anti-corruption, anti-money laundering and whistleblower protection, and advises on international sanctions, internal investigations and proceedings before the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
João Soares Franco has been promoted to partner. He practises in administrative law with a particular focus on public procurement, litigation and arbitration, administrative concessions and regulatory law. From a public corporate law perspective, he has advised public entities and private companies, in Portugal and abroad, in sectors such as construction, transport and infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and healthcare.
Lisa Ventura Lopes has been promoted to partner. She practises in real estate and urban planning, advising national and international developers on residential, commercial and tourism real estate projects from the acquisition phase through to sale or operation, and has been involved in some of the most significant real estate transactions carried out in Portugal in recent years.