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António Payan Martins heads the Banking & Finance practice of CMS in Portugal and is one of the most regarded specialists in distressed assets and special situations in Portugal.
With over 25 years of experience, he focuses mainly in banking and finance law, in particular in corporate & acquisition finance, equity capital markets, project and infrastructure finance, real estate finance and structured products.
He is one of the Portugal leading experts in special situations, restructurings, turnarounds, and transactions involving distressed assets and non-performing loans, including corporate and financial restructuring, distressed M&A, NPLs and portfolio transactions .
He has also extensive experience advising on complex transactions involving Portuguese-speaking countries, in particular project and infrastructure finance and planning and structuring of foreign investments.
António has been individually ranked for Banking & Finance, by Chambers Global and Chambers Europe, for the past 16 years and he is recommended for Banking & Finance, Insolvency and Restructuring, Projects and Project Finance, and Capital Markets by Legal 500, 2024. Moreover, he is recognised for Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Capital Markets Law, Structured Finance Law, Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Corporate Governance and Compliance, Financial Institutions and Mergers and Acquisitions Law by Best Lawyers for the past years. He is also recognized as Highly Regarded for Banking and Project Finance by IFLR 1000, 2023. In addition, he is ranked Highly Recommended for Banking & Finance and Excellent for Restructuring & Insolvency by Leaders League, 2025.
Joined CMS Portugal in 2007.