Guilherme Santos Silva

Practice Areas: Litigation and Arbitration; Corporate and M&A; Criminal, Sanctions and Compliance; Restructuring and Insolvency

Industry Sectors: Technology, Media & Telecommunications; Energy & Natural Resources; Maritime & Transportation

Desks: Angola Desk

Guilherme Santos Silva is a Partner and has been with Abreu Advogados since 2004 working primarily on matters related to commercial litigation and arbitration, commercial law, corporate, telecommunications, energy and maritime and transportation law.

He focuses particularly on issues related to international and multi-jurisdictional commercial litigation, working on national and international judicial and arbitration proceedings. Concurrently, he advises national and international companies on corporate and commercial law matters, providing assistance, on an ongoing basis, on the legal aspects of the companies’ day to day operations.

Additionally, he has led several cases related to construction, sales, mortgages, seizures and enforcement of debt on ships and airplanes and providing assistance throughout the respective litigation proceedings.

His work extends to Angola, where he works on investment operations and partnerships with Angolan firms, primarily in the areas of telecommunications and energy (Oil & Gas). He has been supporting the relationship with Abreu Advogado’s international lawyers in Angola, both in the area of commercial advisory and judicial and arbitration litigation.

He also has a special relationship with training, having been an assisting professor at Moderna University Faculty of Law, Lisbon for 15 years (1992 to 2008) and actively continues to provide training on matters related to his practice, specifically arbitration and maritime and transportation law.

Over the past year he has supported large international litigation proceedings linked to multiple jurisdictions, such as, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, China, Switzerland, Angola, Germany, France, Israel, Brazil, Italy and Holland in addition to Portugal.

Guilherme Santos Silva acts on maritime law cases as part of a wider practice which spans dispute resolution and financing issues.

Guilherme Santos Silva co-leads the team and offers advice to large international corporations on high-value, multi-jurisdictional litigation matters. His expertise encompasses civil and commercial disputes.

Band 4, Dispute Resolution "Guilherme Santos Silva comes recommended by sources, who state that his "advocacy and thinking on his feet are top-class." He represents clients in commercial and civil litigation as well as transportation litigation, frequently acting for clients in regulated sectors."

Band 4, Dispute Resolution “Peers note Guilherme Santos Silva's experience in ship registration and mortgage enforcement mandates. He also acts for insurers on commercial litigation relating to contracts of carriage.”

Best Lawyer of the year - Transportation Law (2016)

Arbitration and Mediation, 2020

Corporate Law, 2020

Litigation, 2020

Transportation Law, 2020

Experience

Advising a British bank in a national and international dispute (€370 million).

Advising a Chinese company (world leader in the production of certain solar energy industry components) in a national and international dispute and international arbitration (USD 800 million).

Advising a multinational company (Portugal/Brazil) in a multijurisdictional dispute and international arbitration, involving different parties and an Angolan company (USD 2.2 billion).

Advising a multinational company in the energy sector in arbitration proceedings in Portugal.

Advising Venture Capital Funds in domestic arbitrations with respect to their investments.

Advising a multinational company in respect of the shareholding in a leading Angolan company, including corporate matters, shareholders’ agreements and the relationship with the company and remaining shareholders.

Advising a US building company in the EPC for the construction of an industrial infrastructure and facility in Angola.

Advising an international consortium in the setting up in Angola of its natural gas operations.

Advising a multinational tourist company in its investments in Portugal, including legal assistance on commercial, corporate, restructuring and litigation matters.

Advising several clients in ship arrest proceedings in national ports, including the release of a ship (DWT: 41.639; length: 195 m) belonging to a Swiss company arrested due to a maritime claim and opposition to enforcement (€15 million).