EU and competition

PLMJ

Hailed as ‘one of the best – if not the best’ competition practice in Portugal, PLMJ offers extensive expertise across antitrust matters, from merger control and State Aid to investigations, serving clients across a range of sectors. Engaged by top Portuguese and international companies, the team excels in navigating both contentious and non-contentious matters, earning further praise for its ’approachable, hardworking, and flexible’ approach. Practice head Ricardo Oliveira specialises in defending domestic and multinational clients in cartel cases, abuse of dominance, competition litigation, merger control, and antitrust compliance. Rita Aleixo Gregório is frequently engaged by clients hailing from the aviation, banking, energy, health and waste management sectors, while Martim Valente is noted for his international work, with clients praising him as ‘head-and-shoulders above anyone else.’ Alexandra Dias Henriques advises on the full gamut of antitrust matters, with a particular focus on restrictive practices cases.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘The team is approachable, hardworking and flexible - always a pleasure to deal with. I am co-counsel effectively on certain matters and they have an excellent team ethic.’
‘PLMJ's competition team is one of the best - if not the best - nationally. They cover practically all competition topics and has acquired significant experience in private enforcement, a rapidly growing area in Portugal and the rest of Europe.'
‘I have worked mainly with Ricardo Oliveira, Alexandra Dias Henriques and João Prata Rodrigues. They are lawyers of excellence in the area of competition, with a strong command of the economic component that characterises this area so much.'
‘Of the PLMJ team involved in providing services, Rita Aleixo Gregório, who was able to lead the entire PLMJ team involved in the work carried out, demonstrated extensive technical knowledge in topics related to the provision of services and was able to clarify and complement all the questions raised.'
‘The firm offers genuinely excellent legal advice with a real commercial focus. I've been consistently impressed by how sharp their work product is, but also how quickly they turn work around.'
'They know the Portuguese enforcement environment (including both the regulator and the plaintiff bar) extremely well, so bring a lot of insight and experience to more strategic discussions.'
‘Martim Valente is head and shoulders above anyone else I've worked with in the Portuguese market. His international experience helps bridge the gap between the domestic and international markets, using his unique insights and experience to demystify the local regime to international clients.’
‘PLMJ stands out for the quality and experience of its members, but also its ability to work in international contexts. They are able to explain legal arguments and strategy without resorting to unnecessary jargon.'

Key clients

Mastercard
PrimeDrinks
Volvo/Renault Trucks
NBC Universal
Grupo Bimbo
Tabaqueira (Philip Morris International Group)
Start Campus
Affidea
Dreammedia
Eleven Sports Network
Cabelte (Oxy Capital Group)
Live Nation
Farmodietica
Oxy Capital
Ascendi
Danone
Generali
Securitas
Grupo Impresa
IKEA

Work highlights

Advising the Mastercard group on the consumer class action brought by Ius Omnibus, a consumer protection association, that is asking for compensation for all Portuguese consumers who were allegedly impacted by Mastercard’s anticompetitive practices, as identified by the European Commission.
Advising PrimeDrinks on a investigation launched by the Portuguese Competition Authority (PCA) into the food and drinks sector, in particular, possible hub-and-spoke arrangements involving several suppliers and retailers.
Advising Volvo / Renault Trucks on preparing their defence against dozens of damages claims stemming from an infringement decision issued by the European Commission relating to an alleged antitrust arrangement in the truck sector that led to the application of record-breaking fines totalling €2.93bn.