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Margarida Vila Franca
Partner

Lawyer

Margarida Vila Franca

Languages
  • Portuguese
  • English
  • Spanish
  • German
Social media

Margarida Vila Franca is a Partner in the Corporate M&A team and is part of the ESG Task Force and a member of CMS Portugal's Board of Directors.

With over 20 years of experience, she advises a roster of national and international clients on M&A processes, public offerings, and corporate reorganizations, both domestic and cross-border, with a special focus on the energy sector.

She has also been active in M&A insurance, where she advises international insurance entities on the scope of their activity in Portugal. She regularly provides legal advice on corporate compliance, Corporate Governance, and financial regulation issues, mostly to foreign groups active in Portugal.

Margarida is individually ranked for Private Equity by Chambers Europe, 2015 and she is recommended for Commercial, Corporate, and M&A by Legal 500, 2025. She is ranked Highly Recommended for Private Equity and Venture Capital, and Excellent for Corporate M&A by Leaders League, 2026. She is also recognized as a Rising Star for Capital Markets and M&A by IFLR 1000, 2023. She was also awarded Lawyer of the Year, 2017 for Corporate M&A, Forty under 40, promoted by Iberian Lawyer.

Joined CMS Portugal in 2001.

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Quote
    Solid team with strong knowledge and experience in the sector.
    Legal 500 (2025)
  • Quote
    It is an international team able to advise on transactions involving different jurisdictions. They are fast and very efficient. CMS team stands out from other competitors in the industry in knowledge and involvement.
    Legal 500 (2023)
  • Quote
    Margarida Vila Franca – a partner who has great professionalism and enormous perfectionism in presenting her work to the client. She is also versatile and clear.
    Legal 500 (2022)
  • Quote
    Margarida Vila Franca and team head João Caldeira are recommended.
    Legal 500 (2015)
  • Quote
    Margarida Vila Franca is highlighted as an "organised, efficient and technically very complete" associate.
    Chambers & Partners (2015)

Publications

  • VILA FRANCA, Margarida – “A integridade como pilar estratégico da sua empresa”, in BCSD, 2025

Memberships & Roles

  • Member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 2002

Education

  • Law degree, Faculdade de Direito, Universidade de Lisboa
  • Postgraduate degree in Securities, Faculdade de Direito, Universidade de Lisboa
  • Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Legal and Commercial Sciences, Faculdade de Direito, Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Insights by Margarida

Margarida Vila Franca reflects on ethical corporate governance and codes of conduct in an opinion piece on the BCSD website

17 Dec 2025 1 min read

Amendment to Instruction No. 23/2018 of the Bank of Portugal regarding the authorisation to exercise functions of members of the management and supervisory bodies of institutions subject to supervision by the Bank of Portugal

22 Oct 2025 4 min read

CMS Portugal appoints three new Equity Partners

06 Jan 2025 2 min read

News on Mergers, Demergers and Conversions

18 Jan 2024 2 min read
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