Pratice Areas
Public Law
Our public law practice covers administrative, zoning, and environmental procedures, focusing on regulatory compliance, legality, transparency, and the protection of our clients' rights.
The public law department provides comprehensive advisory services in Administrative Law matters, supporting clients in complex administrative procedures, in processes related to administrative acts, and the non-contractual civil liability of the State.
In the area of Zoning, we assist in zoning licensing processes, including housing licenses, subdivisions, urban rehabilitation, expropriations, and other zoning operations, ensuring compliance with territorial plans and legal stability in each phase of the zoning procedure.
In Environmental Law, we provide support in environmental licensing processes, environmental impact assessment and mitigation, defense in environmental administrative offenses, and liability analysis, guaranteeing compliance with applicable environmental standards and the protection of our clients' interests before regulatory authorities.
Our integrated approach to public law coordinates Administrative, Zoning, and Environmental Law, offering a clear, preventive, and technically consistent performance, so as to protect our clients' rights and legal certainty in decisions involving the Public Administration and the corresponding regulatory framework.
What distinguishes us
Over 30 years of continuity
A firm in continuous activity for over three decades, a rare stability in the Portuguese market.
Proximity lawyering
A full-service firm with a size that allows for direct and frequent contact with the responsible lawyers, including in sensitive public law matters.
Cohesive and multidisciplinary team
We coordinate multiple practice areas to respond to complex issues with stable and integrated teams, reinforcing the effectiveness of intervention in public law.
Ethical commitment and independence
Decisions guided by rigor, responsibility, and independence, even in sensitive or high-profile contexts.
Pragmatism and focus on solutions
We prioritize feasible, clear, and value-added solutions for our clients.
Areas of Focus
FAQs
Whenever a relevant project arises - whether of a zoning, environmental, or prudential nature, among others - or upon notification of an administrative decision likely to affect legally protected rights or interests. Support in public law allows for the anticipation of significant legal or economic risks.
Because many rights of reaction expire within a few days or months. If the deadline passes, the opportunity to challenge unfavorable administrative decisions for individuals or organizations may be lost.
We analyze the legality of the act, the applicable legal and constitutional framework, the economic impact, the probability of success, and the associated predictable costs. We only recommend litigation when it is rational from a risk/benefit perspective.
Many Public Law disputes involve issues of constitutionality, statutory reservation (reserva de lei), or the allocation of powers. We use these parameters to test the validity of the rules and acts applicable to the case.
Notification acts, orders (despachos), blueprints and projects, communications with the municipality or regulatory entity, inspection reports, housing license terms, decisions regarding land subdivisions, urban rehabilitation, expropriation, or other relevant licenses.
We work on zoning licensing and environmental licensing in an integrated manner, evaluating whether there is a need for an environmental impact assessment, mitigation measures, and potential environmental liability constraints, to avoid subsequent blocks.
One can submit written defenses, request evidentiary measures, negotiate regularization plans, and challenge decisions before the courts. We evaluate the severity of the infraction, the existing evidence, and the operator's history before defining a strategy.
We analyze whether there was an unlawful act or service failure, the specific damage, and the causal nexus. Based on this, we structure the claim for damages or the defense, including, when necessary, technical expert assessments and coordination with other practice areas (Tax, Corporate, Wealth Management).
Resource protection conditions, special protection zones, or environmental impact requirements can limit construction indexes, admissible uses, or project phases. Prior framing reduces the risk of unexpected rejections or constraints.
It allows for the anticipation of regulatory risks, adjusting project designs to Zoning and Environmental Law requirements, reacting in time to administrative acts, and avoiding unnecessary or poorly positioned disputes.