Sofia Galvão

Practice Areas

Senior counsel in the Town and Country Planning practice

Career

Sofia is a senior counsel in the Town and Country Planning practice, with over 30 years' experience.

She holds a law degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, where she also completed her Master's in Legal Sciences and where she was an assistant lecturer and a regular contributor to postgraduate courses and seminars. She has also been a guest lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Nova de Lisboa.

Sofia has extensive experience in providing legal and strategic advice on the development of urban development, real estate and tourism projects. She frequently deals with territorial planning procedures (drafting, modification and revision of territorial management instruments) and administrative control procedures (licensing, prior communication, authorisations) for urban, real estate, tourism, commercial, industrial, agricultural and environmental projects.

Her practice also includes advising on environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment procedures as part of the development of various types of projects, as well as ongoing assistance in the design, planning, licensing and management of tourism developments, including hotels and resorts, and the structuring of urban regeneration and redevelopment operations. She also works on the licensing and construction of infrastructure and the licensing of activities related to the sea.

Sofia's regular clients include property developers, investment funds, banks and private equity firms.

Prior to rejoining PLMJ, where she was partner in charge of the town and country planning department until 2005, Sofia was in charge of the real estate, town planning and environment departments at Sérvulo Correia & Associados and Vieira de Almeida & Associados. She then founded her own law firm, Sofia Galvão Advogados, dedicated exclusively to planning (2014-2024). As part of her public career, she held the positions of Secretary of State for Public Administration and Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the 16th Constitutional Government.

Professional Memberships

Portuguese Bar Association

AD URBEM – Association for the Development of Urban and Construction Law

APDI – Portuguese Association for Intelectual Law

Publications

Books, articles, international and national press releases.

Personal

Graduated from the School of Law at University of Lisbon, where she received her Master's in Legal Sciences. Taught as assistant professor, maintaining collaboration as lecturer in post-graduate studies. Renowned Lawyer, being named by Best Lawyers, 2013-2014, 2016-2017 (Real Estate and Planning-Portuguese Lawyer of the Year), Chambers Europe, 2014-2021 (Planning-Star Individual- and Real Estate), The Legal 500, 2015-2021 (Planning -Leading Individual - and Real Estate) and recognized as one of Top 50 Iberian lawyers in Business Law by Iberian Lawyer, 2020 (Urban Planning). Speaks English and French.