Alberto Galhardo Simões

Languages

Portuguese
English
Spanish

Social media

Alberto Galhardo Simões is a Partner and heads the Lusophone Africa team. He is also a member of the executive team of CMS Africa and a member of CMS Portugal's Board of Directors.

He has over 30 years of experience advising mergers & and acquisitions, infrastructure and energy projects. He has extensive experience advising sponsors, lenders, and the public sector in the development, structuring, and financing of projects in Portugal and Lusophone Africa.

His activity also focuses on advising clients on foreign investment operations and M&A in Portugal and Lusophone Africa.

Alberto is individually ranked Band 1 for General Business Law: International Firms in Angola, and as Foreign Expert in Angola for Corporate M&A in Chambers Global, 2025, and he is recommended for Angola and Mozambique Foreign Firms, as well as Projects and Project Finance for Portugal, by Legal 500, 2025. Alberto was named one of Portugal’s top 20 lawyers of 2022, by Iberian Lawyer. Moreover, he has been recognised for Project Finance and Development, by Best Lawyers for the past years.

Joined CMS Portugal in 2019.

Awards & Recognitions

01 –

Award

Alberto Galhardo Simões is knowledgeable, responsive and adept at distilling complex issues into simple, straightforward communications to his clients.

Chambers Global 2025
Quote

Lisbon-based lawyer Alberto Galhardo Simões enjoys a solid reputation for his extensive experience in Angola. He offers skills spanning public law, finance, corporate and construction matters, being particularly noted for his adept handling of complex project finance and corporate issues. "He is an excellent lawyer who is dedicated and committed to the client.“

Chambers Global (2024)
Quote

The CMS team is very creative and has unique knowledge of the Angolan and Portuguese tax environment, which allows clients to structure cross-border projects in a tax efficient way. CMS‘s Lusophone Africa team is active across key sectors of Mozambique's economy, including oil and gas, real estate and banking, where it advises large companies on corporate transactions, financing deals, investment matters and tax issues; Alberto Galhardo Simões and Nuno Alves Mansilha are key contacts.

Legal 500 (2023)
Quote

In particular, I highlight the work of Alberto Galhardo, who is extremely competent. As a result of the advice provided by Dr. Alberto Galhardo, we obtained excellent results in our demands. Alberto Galhardo Simões has much experience and excellent knowledge of Angolan law and legal practice. He is therefore an excellent advisor for clients with more complicated transactions.

Legal 500 (2022)
Quote

Lisbon-based Alberto Galhardo Simões is valued by one interviewee as "a very commercial and practically minded lawyer" who is "very approachable and easy to work with." His skills span public law, finance and construction, among other areas. An impressed source stated: "He can work on high-complexity matters with speed“.

Chambers Global (2022)
Quote

Alberto Galhardo Simões of CMS frequently assists clients with foreign investment matters in Angola. He also handles energy and infrastructure-related mandates.

Chambers Global (2022)

Publications

GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “The Lobito Corridor can be a hub of opportunities”, in African Business, 2025
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “The Transformative Role of Rural Mini-Grids in Driving IPP Development in Angola”, (co-authored with Joana Brito Paulo), in The Lightbulb Journal, 2025
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “África 2024: vontade de crescer e de investir”, in Jornal de Negócios Lusófona, 2024
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Biden em Angola: muito mais do que uma visita”, in Jornal Económico, 2024
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Investir em Angola: Oportunidades, Desafios e Recomendações”, in Forbes África Lusófona, 2023
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Angola’s privatisation programme forges ahead”, in African Business, 2023
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Perspetivas para a África Lusófona em 2022”, in Jornal de Negócios, 2022
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Os Regimes de Contratação na Nova Lei do Conteúdo Local”, in Jornal Expansão, 2021
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “O Sector Privado e o Programa de Privatizações em Angola”, in Jornal de Negócios and Jornal de Angola, 2021
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Angola and Mozambique: two reasons to think Africa”, in The Lawyer, 2016
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Project Finance – Angola”, in Getting the Deal Through, 2015
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “The New Timor-Leste PPP Law: A 'Giant Leap' Towards Development”, in Infrastructure Journal, 2013
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Developments on Lusophone PPPs Privatisation & Public Private Partnership Review”, Euromoney, 2012
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Some aspects of the Angolan PPP law”, in SOL, 2012
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “The new Angolan PPP law Magazine Angola”, in Portugal Negócios, 2012
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Infrastructures in Angola”, in SOL, 2011
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto - "Lusophone Africa: A new era for infrastructural Development Privatisation & Public Private Partnership Review", Euromoney, 2011
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto - "International Bank and Other Guarantees Handbook-Middle East and Africa Volume-Chapter 3 (Angola)", Kluwer Law International, 2011
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto - "Portugal: A Mature and Fast Growing PPP Market Privatization & Public Private Partnership Review", Euromoney, 2007
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “A new Supreme Court Case on Corporate Guarantees", International Law Office Company/Commercial, 2003
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto - "Undercapitalized Companies Face Death Sentence", International Law Office Company/Commercial, 2003
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto - "Public-Private Partnerships", in Semanário Económico, 2003
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto - "PPPs in the Health Sector - Services, Monitoring and Payments", in Semanário Económico, 2003
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto - "Barriers to the Entrance of Foreign Capital Lifted", in Semanário Económico, 2003
GALHARDO SIMÕES, Alberto – “Project Finance: The Application of Portuguese Law to Lender’s Guarantees”, in Special Supplement to International Financial Law Review, 1997

Memberships & Roles

Member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 1992

Education

Law Degree, Faculdade de Direito, Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Business Law, King's College London (United Kingdodm)

Practice Areas

Lusophone Africa Corporate / M&A

sectors

Energy & Climate Change Infrastructure & Projects

Insights

Global Reach