The transport practice at Cuatrecasas offers deep expertise across key sectors such as aviation, road transport, and shipping, with a strong focus on corporate, commercial, competition, and regulatory matters. The team, jointly led by Luís Soares De Sousa and Lourenço Vilhena De Freitas, is actively involved in arbitration and litigation proceedings, and is well equipped to advise on concession agreements, regulatory compliance, and the acquisition of shares in multinational transport companies. Sousa heads the aviation division, specialising in the establishment and licensing of charter air transport companies, cross-border leasing, aviation finance, and M&A transactions. Freitas leads the rail and road transport practices, bringing significant expertise in public law and dispute resolution. Porto-based Vasco Moura Ramos is experienced in public service concessions in the transport segment.

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Key clients

  • White Airways
  • The Milestone Aviation Group (GE Capital Aviation Services)
  • Apollo Aviation Management
  • Rolls-Royce & Partners Finance
  • Group Transdev
  • CP – Comboios de Portugal
  • Metropolitano de Lisboa
  • Metro do Porto
  • Aercap Ireland
  • Iridium
  • CINTRA
  • Auto-Estradas do Atlântico
  • Fergrupo (Comsa Group)
  • Beacon Rail Finance
  • Textron Financial Corporation
  • Westpac Banking Corporation
  • Willis Lease Finance Corporation
  • L3HARRIS Technologies
  • Flight Training Europe
  • Euroscut Açores

Work highlights

  • Advised Banca March, together with Serena Industrial partners, an infrastructure fund manager, on the acquisition of 40% of Lineas-Concessões de Transportes from Novo Banco.  
  • Advised Grupo Ibaizábal on the acquisition of a majority stake in Portugs from Pioneiro do Rio.
  • Advising AEA – Autoestradas do Atlântico, as the claimant, on two ad hoc arbitrations against the Portuguese State

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Luís Soares de Sousa, Lourenço Vilhena de Freitas

Other key lawyers

Vasco Moura Ramos, Margarida Leal Oliveira