CMS and Portuguese law firm Rui Pena, Arnaut & Associados sign co-operation agreement

CMS has entered into a Co-operation Agreement with leading Portuguese law firm, Rui Pena, Arnaut & Associados (RPA).

As part of the agreement, CMS and RPA are working together on cross-border deals, as well as providing mutual client referrals, particularly in the areas of corporate, employment, energy, intellectual property and tax. CMS clients now have access to quality advice in Portugal, while clients of RPA have access to CMS’ deep, local expertise in 29 countries.

“With its strong presence in Portugal, RPA provides CMS and our clients with an important element in our distinctively European offering,” explains Cornelius Brandi, Chairman of the CMS Executive Committee. “Already the cooperation is bearing fruit for the clients of both parties, and we look forward to building our relationship further.”

“Our clients increasingly require expertise in multiple European jurisdictions and no organisation provides a better combination of local depth and geographic breadth than CMS,” said José Luís Arnaut, Partner of RPA.

The agreement also promotes professional exchanges between lawyers and tax advisors in terms of training and development, and joint marketing initiatives. The association is particularly important in developing a wider Iberian strategy, which is being driven by CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo, the Spanish member of CMS, and RPA.

Contact:

Tom Dempsey | CMS Head of Communications
+44 (0)7980 544 078

NOTES TO EDITORS

Rui Pena, Arnaut & Associados (RPA) is a full service Portuguese law firm headquartered in Lisbon, with associated offices in Brazil and Angola. With more than 45 years of experience, RPA today employs 13 partners and 45 lawyers.

CMS aims to be the best European provider of legal and tax services. Clients benefit from the expertise of 770 partners and 2800 lawyers based in 54 offices in 30 jurisdictions. CMS firms posted a combined turnover of EUR 766m in 2010.

The CMS nine member firms are: CMS Adonnino Ascoli & Cavasola Scamoni (Italy); CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo (Spain); CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre (France); CMS Cameron McKenna LLP (UK); CMS DeBacker (Belgium); CMS Derks Star Busmann (Netherlands); CMS von Erlach Henrici Ltd. (Switzerland); CMS Hasche Sigle (Germany); and CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz (Austria).

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For further information, please contact :

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre

Florence Jouffroy / Tel: +33 1 47 38 40 32 
Laetitia Mostowski / Tel: +33 1 47 38 40 74