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Alberto Galhardo Simões

Partner
Lawyer

Contact
CMS Portugal
Rua Castilho 50
1250-071 Lisbon
Portugal
Languages Portuguese, English, Spanish

Alberto Galhardo Simões is a Partner and heads the Lusophone Africa practice team. He is the coordinator of the partnership relationship between CMS and the Angolan law firm, LBR Advogados, Sociedade de Advogados, RL. Alberto 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’ experience advising mergers & acquisitions, infrastructure and energy projects. He has extensive experience of 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 for General Business Law: International Firms in Angola, and as Foreign Expert in Angola for Corporate M&A in Chambers Global, 2023 and he is recommended for Angola Foreign Firms, Mozambique Foreign Firms and Projects and Project Finance, by Legal 500, 2023. Alberto was named one of Portugal’s top 20 lawyers of 2022, by Iberian Lawyer. Moreover, he is recognised for Project Finance and Development, by Best Lawyers for the past years.

Joined CMS Portugal in 2019.

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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 (2023)

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)

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)

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)

Alberto Galhardo Simões and his team are very approachable and easy to deal with. They help find practical solutions and are client orientated.

Legal 500 (2021)

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 (2021)

Respected practitioner Alberto Galhardo Simões is experienced working on high-level matters involving governmental institutions and representing clients in energy projects. Interviewees frequently mention his presence in Angolan corporate matters. His expertise also includes M&A, finance and mining issues, including sophisticated cross-border mandates. He moved to CMS in September 2019 after leaving Miranda & Associados.

Angola General Business Law: International Firms - Experts Based Abroad (2020)

Memberships & Roles

  • Member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 1992
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Publications

  • 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
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Education

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

07/03/2024
Renewable energy in Angola
1. Introduction  Like many nations worldwide, Angola is focused on achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). Among these goals, Angola has a particular focus on SDG No...
15/02/2024
CMS Portugal highlighted by Chambers & Partners Global 2024
CMS Portugal has been recognised in the prestigious Chambers & Partners Global directory in seven categories and has received 11 individual nominations from eight lawyers.   Check out all the nominations:...
31/01/2024
CMS Portugal and LBR debate the new Angolan General Labour Law
CMS Portugal and its associated law firm in Angola, LBR Advogados, held an event yesterday, in Luanda, on the theme: "What to expect from the new Angolan General Labour Law?". Alberto Galhardo Simões...
19/12/2023
Lusophone Africa Snapshot
With the end of 2023 approaching, the December edition of Snapshot, prepared by CMS Portugal's Lusophone Africa team, features a special Christmas and New Year message from CMS Counsel, Maria Figueiredo...
17/11/2023
Lusophone Africa Snapshot
The November Edition of Snapshot, crafted by the Lusophone Africa team of CMS Portugal, features the testimony of the two interns, Carla de Oliveira and Letícia Melo, who recently joined LBR. This edition...
06/11/2023
Meet The Law - Lusophone Africa
The new Legal Framework for Freight Forwarding was recently enacted by means of Presidential Legislative Decree no. 9/2023 of 23 October. The statute aims to define the new rules for accessing, exercising...
19/10/2023
Lusophone Africa Snapshot
The October edition of the Lusophone Snapshot, prepared by CMS Portugal's Lusophone Africa team, features an introduction by our Partner, Nuno Alves Mansilha, highlighting the integration of CGA - Couto...
17/10/2023
CMS/LBR signs protocol in Angola to promote professional internships
CMS and its partner in Angola, LBR, signed a protocol yesterday aimed at providing professional internships to the best students in the area of Commercial Law at the Faculty of Law of the Agostinho Neto...
21/09/2023
Alberto Galhardo Simões signs article in African Business
Alberto Galhardo Simões, Lusophone Africa partner at CMS Portugal, has written an opinion article in African Business entitled: "Angola's privatisation programme forges ahead". Reflecting on the Privatisation...
15/09/2023
Lusophone Africa Snapshot
The September edition of the snapshot prepared by CMS Portugal's Lusophone Africa team highlights the integration of the team's two newest trainees, Inês Machado da Silva and Lourenço Quintão. You'll...
20/06/2023
Africa Energy Forum 2023
Meet CMS Energy & Climate Change experts
15/06/2023
Lusophone Africa Snapshot | June 2023
15/06/2023CMS Africa will be present once again at Africa's largest renewables energy sector event - the Africa Energy Forum - which this year takes place in Nairobi and will unite governments, utilities and regulators with development finance institutions, commercial banks, power developers, technology providers, EPCs and professional services. Over the last 24 years, the Forum has earnt a reputation as the most meaningful gathering of decision-makers in the African renewable energy sector. After CMS' first participation last year in Brussels, we became aware that it is the kind of event we need to attend, and we committed to strengthening our investment in it. To this end, this year CMS Africa will have a stand at the conference venue, will host a cocktail party at one of the official hotels, to welcome our clients and will have a delegation of 9 partners at the event from the offices in South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Kenya, Lisbon and London. The South Africa partner, Bridgett Majola, will also participate in a debate on procurement strategies and renewable energy projects. Among the topics under discussion this year are: Increasing Pace and Scale of Africa’s Renewable Energy Projects; The Growing Role of Africa’s Gas within Today’s Geo-Political Context; Africa’s Path to Becoming a Global Hydrogen Power House; Building Regional Power Markets.