Cruz Vilaça Advogados

Managing Partner: José Luís da Cruz Vilaça

Number of Partners: 4

Number of other lawyers and consultants: 7

Languages: Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, Italian

Firm Overview: Cruz Vilaça Advogados (CVA) is a highly specialised law firm in the areas of EU law, competition law and protection of fundamental rights. The firm offers specialised legal services in different sectors, such as, energy, environment, financial services, digital, among others.

CVA was founded by José Luís da Cruz Vilaça, who, after a six-year period as a judge at the CJEU, decided to resume his activity as a lawyer.

CVA is an independent law firm with a strong international profile. It works with demanding and sophisticated clients from around the globe, to whom it gives the guarantee of precision and professionalism, with legal services characterised by technical rigour and creative and innovative approaches that challenge conventional understandings.

Its team includes lawyers and consultants with a career of nearly 40 years in academia, government, the Courts of the European Union, and nearly 20 years in private practice, which contributes to an unrivalled specialisation and international experience.

Combining experience, maturity, youth and modernity, lawyers at CVA are used to dealing with complex legal problems and with transactions and operations of the greatest magnitude.

As a specialised boutique law firm, CVA hasestablished synergies with qualified consultants, lawyers, and eminent scholars in various fields of Law - constitutional, administrative, tax - as well as with experienced and long-standing practitioners, whether in the core areas of our activity or in related areas, such as contracts, business, and litigation, in order to provide its clients with the widest range of services.

Main Areas of Practice: EU law, Competition law, Fundamental Rights law, Energy & Environment, Transportation, Digital sector.

Aim:CVA’s aim is to offer legal services in its areas of practice that constitute an added value to its client’s needs. Is has established synergies with qualified consultants, lawyers, and eminent scholars in various fields of Law - constitutional, administrative, tax - as well as with experienced and long-standing practitioners, whether in the core areas of its activity or in related areas, such as contracts, business, and litigation.

International: CVA’s practice is not limited to Portugal but is also European and even world-wide. CVA is often called to be part of multinational teams, namely in context of competition law matters. CVA has also a strong EU law practice, both counselling and intervening in cases before the European Courts and the European Commission. Also, the managing partner of CVA was judge at both EU Courts and advocate-general, and three members of the team werereferendairesat the CJEU or a director at the European Parliament.