IFLR 1000

The banking team at Abreu has a solid reputation in the market and has a good string of mandates from both the bank and company sides.

In an example of the former, the team acted for Banco Espirito Santo Angola on the structuring of a number of mortgage backed loans. Coming in at a combined value of $500 million, the deal saw the team act with local law firm FBL Advogados.

On the capital markets side, the wider Banco Espirito Santo Group (BES Group) also called in the team to advise on various derivatives transactions and finance linked swaps for the likes of Galp and RAVE TGV.

Private placements were also on the team's agenda and Miguel de Avillez Pereira acted for various US institutional investors on the private placement of shares in Cimpor.

An on-going mandate at Abreu Advogados last year saw a team led by partners Miguel Castro Pereira and Duarte de Athayde advise Patriram, the asset manager of the Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, on the incorporation of real estate funds for the asset management and on funding matters connected with the optimisation of the Madeira real estate assets.

The team also acted for the municipality of Alcácer do Sal on the preparation of a land management plan in regard to the establishment of a studio for painter Anselm Kiefer. This was valued at €100 million.

Last year, Abreu Advogados advised Marriott International on the joint venture between Marriott and AC Hotels Group regarding the AC Hotels chain. The team's legal service included reviewing/drafting of the management agreement, international agreement, and license and royalty agreement and closing.