Expertise
Led by Sofia Galvão, a recognised Lawyer on Territory, our team has several years of experience working together, characterised by closely shared values, principles and working procedures.
With our past professional experience as practising lawyers, as well as our record in the public sector and representation of business interests, we have a deep understanding of the points of view of various stakeholders in the economic activities connected to the Territory, from investors to decision-makers and from designers (i.e. architects, engineers) to consultants, financiers and intermediaries.
This understanding enables us to integrate and manage multidisciplinary teams and delineate customised action strategies according to the interlocutors who are present, employing the right language in each moment and place to build solutions and overcome conflicts and tensions.
We work to get results so that our clients can achieve success. Rather than managing problems, we find and suggest ways forward, identifying, at each step, what is (and what is not) possible, essential and productive, thus maximising time and resources.

Sofia Galvão
Sofia Galvão graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon, where she also received her Master’s in Legal Sciences. At the Faculty of Law, she later taught as an assistant and has maintained a close collaboration with the faculty as a lecturer in post-graduate studies and seminars. Sofia Galvão has been a visiting professor at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and a speaker at various conferences and courses on her area of speciality.
She has a vast experience in planning; advising on procedures for the preparation and approval of land management instruments, administrative procedures for licensing (urban, commercial, industrial, environmental), environmental impact assessment procedures, and advising on the conception, planning, licensing and management of tourist enterprises, particularly hotels and resorts, the structuring of urban regeneration and renewal operations, the execution of real estate transactions (national and international agents, real estate investment funds, banking and other financiers, private equity, etc.), the licensing and installation of infrastructure; and the licensing of sea-related activities (ports, recreational boating, the use of the public maritime domain and the implementation of industrial activities).
At PLMJ, she was the partner responsible for urbanism, while at Sérvulo Correia & Associados and later at Vieira de Almeida & Associados, she was the partner responsible for real estate, urbanism and the environment.
Sofia Galvão was also Secretary of State for Public Administration and Secretary of State of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the 16th Constitutional Government.
Currently, she is a member of the Advisory Committee of Specialists on the next Programme Cycle for European Funds (2014-2020) (Assistant Minister and Minister of Regional Development Miguel Poiares Maduro) and represents the Portuguese Tourism Confederation in the working group responsible for preparing a Programme for Urban Renewal (Economic and Social Council) and the working group responsible for Administrative Streamlining (Strategic Council for Internationalisation and Economic Growth).
Sofia Galvão is a renowned Lawyer on Territory, having earned the distinction of being named Portuguese Lawyer of the Year in Real Estate (2013) and Planning (2014 and 2016) by Best Lawyers, and Star Individual in Planning by Chambers Europe (2014 and 2015).

Luís Moitinho de Almeida
Luís Moitinho de Almeida is graduated from the School of Law at the Portuguese Catholic University, in Lisbon, and holds a Master’s degree in European and International Law (LL.M, Law in a Global and European Context) from that same institution.
From 2013 to 2015, he was a deputy to the Secretary of State for Administrative Modernization in 19th Constitutional Government. Luis was also a Guest Lecturer of International Private Law in the Portuguese Catholic University law degree.
Luís Moitinho de Almeida practices in all areas associated with the law of the Territory, in particular in spatial planning, construction, environment, energy and licensing. His work also covers litigation and public procurement proceedings in those as well as in other areas.
He has a wide experience in assessing, discussing and drafting legislation, as well as in preparing legal opinions in a extensive range of subjects in public and private law, especially in public finances, local administration and public sector companies, along with the areas associated with the law of the Territory.
Joana Sousa Martins
Graduated from the NOVA School of Law (2004-2008). In 2010 she received her Master’s degree in Administrative and Public Procurement Law at the School of Law of the Portuguese Catholic University, in Lisbon. She also attended the Extension course in Public Procurement and Competition Law, promoted by NOVA School of Law. In addition, she completed the Post-Graduation Courses on Public Sector Finance and Management – State and Local Authorities Partnerships, on Environmental Law and on Arbitration Law, promoted, respectively, by the Institute of Legal and Political Sciences and by the Private Law Research Centre, both of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon. She also attended the Post-Graduation in Public Procurement, organized by the Centre for Public Law and Regulation Studies of the Coimbra University Law School. She is currently attending the Post-Graduation Course in Real Estate Law, promoted by the Centro de Investigação de Direito Privado. She practiced law at LCA – Abalada Matos, Lorena de Sèves & Associados, Abalada Matos, Moraes Cardoso e Associados, Lorena de Sèves e Associados, and Pedro Pinto, Reis, Alexandre Jardim e Associados, specialising in public law, in particular, in procurement law, urban and land use planning.
Miguel Mesuras
Graduated from the University of Lisbon Law School (2014-2018), where he also attended the In-depth Course on the Administrative Procedure Code, coordinated by Professor Fausto de Quadros, taught by the Institute for Legal and Political Sciences. In 2018, he began his professional internship with the Bar Association at Alcides Martins, Bandeira, Simões & Associados, integrating the Administrative Law and Public Procurement team, until 2021. He is enrolled at the Bar Association, as a Lawyer, since January 2021, having started his collaboration with Sofia Galvão Advogados in May of the same year.
Joana Aragão Seia
Graduated from the Faculty of Law – School of Porto of the Portuguese Catholic University (2014-2018). In 2021, she received her Master’s degree in Administrative Law at the School of Law of the Portuguese Catholic University, in Lisbon, where she also attended the Postgraduate Course on Law and Practice of Administrative Procedure and Proceedings. Her academic training also includes the Advanced Course in Administrative Arbitration and the Specialization Course on Access to Administrative Information promoted by the Institute of Legal and Political Sciences of the Law School of the University of Lisbon. In 2019, she began her professional internship at Sérvulo & Associados, as part of the Administrative Law team. From 2021 to 2023 she worked as a trainee lawyer and a lawyer at Garrigues Portugal S.L.P. She joined Sofia Galvão Advogados in January 2023. She is enrolled at the Bar Association since March 2022.
Taís Villela
Graduated from the University of Coimbra Law School (2015-2019), and has done Erasmus at the Sapienza University Law School, in Rome. Taís is currently doing a Master in Legal-Environmental Sciences at University of Lisbon Law School, where she was also European Union Litigation Law tutor. In February 2020, Taís initiated her collaboration with Sofia Galvão Advogados, as a Trainee Lawyer. And has been, since September 2022, enrolled at the Bar Association as a Lawyer.
Sofia Távora
Graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon (2016-2020). Sofia completed a summer internship at Sociedade Rebelo de Sousa in August 2018, where she joined the Public Law department. Sofia did two additional internships during her degree, one at Frederico Soares Franco notary’s office, from December 2018 to February 2019, and another one at Pinto Ribeiro Advogados, from May 2019 to September 2019, in the Public and Regulatory Law department. She began her collaboration with Sofia Galvão Advogados in July 2020, as a Trainee Lawyer. She was admitted to the Bar as a lawyer in November 2022.
João Pedro Antunes
Graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon (2016-2021), where he also concluded the Post-Graduate Course on Real Estate Law (2020/2021). He has previously attended internships at LGVA & Associados (2018) – mainly dealing with Administrative and Public Law, Real Estate and Urban Planning –, at PLMJ Advogados (2019) – in the Litigation and Arbitration team –, and in the Legal Affairs and Governance department at GALP. In the summer of 2019 attended a course on Intellectual Property, at the Institut für Geistiges Eigentum, Technikrecht und Medienrecht (IGETeM), in Dresden, Germany. In June 2021 started his collaboration with Sofia Galvão Advogados, as a Trainee-Lawyer.