Lisbon, Portugal – Francisco Proença de Carvalho, a former partner at Uría Menéndez, has inaugurated his own legal practice in Lisbon’s Amoreiras building, just four months after his departure was highlighted by Iberian Lawyer with the headline “Proença de Carvalho goes solo.” Far from embarking on this new journey alone, Francisco has assembled a robust team including six partners and seven associates, many of whom have been his colleagues since the early 2000s.
This new team is not just sticking to old practices but pioneering in incorporating modern strategies in the realm of law. Their expertise spans multiple sectors including commercial, M&A, private equity, labor law, real estate, litigation, private clients, and family law. Francisco continues his legal representation of Ricardo Salgado, the former leader of Banco Espírito Santo, in what remains one of Portugal’s most intricate legal cases.
After a successful 14-year stint at Uría Menéndez where he contributed to the firm’s consolidation in Portugal, Francisco felt an invigorating pull toward entrepreneurship. “It was time to renew my motivation and take a path where I could nurture a project that felt distinctly my own,” Francisco shared, reflecting on his ambitions to foster a practice characterized by innovation and independence.
The operational ethos of Proença de Carvalho’s firm is notably progressive. Eschewing traditional office hierarchies, the firm boasts an open-plan office without assigned seating to encourage fluid communication and idea-sharing among all levels of staff. This symbolizes a break from conventional legal office setups and underscores the firm’s commitment to a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Moreover, the firm has embraced a hybrid work model which balances remote work with office presence, aiming to optimize productivity and work-life balance. Such adaptability comes paired with advanced IT solutions and a communication strategy designed to make their services appealing and accessible to a diverse client base.
Francisco credits his father, from whom he initially started his law career over two decades ago, as a significant, albeit indirect, influence on his professional values and vision. Though his father retired five years ago and maintained a hands-off approach, his legacy subtly guides the younger Proença de Carvalho. “He asked me if I had thoroughly thought it through, affirming that whatever decision I made, it would be the right one,” Francisco recounted.
The name Proença de Carvalho, after thorough market analysis, was retained not only for its historic recognition within the Portuguese legal sector but also as a tribute to his father’s illustrious career.
This reinvention and relaunch signify more than just a physical move to a new location but a profound commitment to integrating respect for tradition with forward-thinking approaches to legal practice.
Proença de Carvalho’s strategy appears to be paying off, forging paths in both traditional legal battlegrounds and innovative business practices, all while fostering a supportive and conducive work environment for its burgeoning team.
Together with his partner, André Matias de Almeida, and the rest of his skilled team, Francisco Proença de Carvalho is set to redefine legal services in Portugal with an eye to both the past and the future.
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