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 Maria Figueiredo
Counsel

Lawyer

Maria Figueiredo

Consultora / Of Counsel

Languages
  • Portuguese
  • English
  • Spanish
Social media

Maria Figueiredo is a Counsel in the Lusophone Africa and Tax teams and is part of the ESG Task Force.

She has over 20 years of experience and develops her activity mainly on investment tax structuring and tax advice regarding Lusophone African countries.

She has been a tax consultant to several oil & and gas companies in Portuguese-speaking African countries and has also been a tax consultant on renewable energy projects in Lusophone Africa.

She has a law degree, several postgraduate studies, and executive courses in tax matters (tax law, tax litigation, taxation of natural resources) and has recently invested in executive training in Responsible Business and Business Sustainability Management.

Maria has acted as lead tax counsel for both the Timor-Leste State in respect of the negotiation for Transitional Arrangements for the Maritime Boundaries Treaty, drafting and implementation of the necessary laws, and the private investors in the first photovoltaic projects in Angola.

Maria’s focus for the past couple of years has been on sustainability in business. She is a member of the CMS ESG Task Force.

She is also invited Lecturer on the Postgraduation Course in Energy Law at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, teaching the Sustainability module.

Maria is recommended for Angola Foreign Firms and for Tax  by Legal 500, 2025, and is acknowledged as a Highly Regarded Practitioner and Women Leader in Tax by ITR World Tax, 2023. Moreover, she has been recognised for Tax by Best Lawyers for the past years.

Joined CMS Portugal in 2021.

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Award
    Maria Figueiredo and Tiago Graca are both excellent lawyers who go above and beyond to make sure our matters are dealt with appropriately.
    Legal 500
  • Quote
    Maria Figueiredo is a tax expert and a well-rounded lawyer, Tiago Machado Graça has good knowledge of Angolan Law, and Alberto Galhardo Simões has good legal thought leadership.
    Legal 500 (2024)
  • Quote
    Maria Figueiredo is always available. Her creativity and broad network in Angola and Portugal are impressive. She really partners with her clients and lets them know if there are any opportunities to optimise their operations. She also provides very good tax trainings.
    Legal 500 (2023)

Publications

  • Figueiredo, Maria – “Do or do not: there is no try”, in ECO, 2023
  • Figueiredo, Maria – “Remunerar de (e com) propósito”, in Green Savers, 2023
  • Figueiredo, Maria – “Sustentabilidade e ESG em Angola: um caminho obrigatório”, in Jornal Expansão, 2023
  • Figueiredo, Maria – “To ESG or not to ESG, that is the question?”, in Green Savers, 2022
  • Figueiredo, Maria – “A new tax paradigm”, in Iberian Lawyer, 2022
  • Figueiredo, Maria – “Movimento de pinça ou com pinças?”, in Green Savers, 2021
  • Figueiredo, Maria – “O Lado B do disco fiscal”, in Jornal Económico, 2021

Memberships & Roles

  • Member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 2002
  • Member of the Associação Fiscal Portuguesa
  • Member of the Internacional Fiscal Association
  • Registered at Conselho de Gestão e Disciplina da Profissão Jurídica de Timor-Leste

Awards & Rankings

Maria Figueiredo is a tax expert and a well-rounded lawyer, Tiago Machado Graça has good knowledge of Angolan Law, and Alberto Galhardo Simões has good legal thought leadership.

Legal 500 (2024)

Maria Figueiredo is always available. Her creativity and broad network in Angola and Portugal are impressive. She really partners with her clients and lets them know if there are any opportunities to optimise their operations. She also provides very good tax trainings.

Legal 500 (2023)

Education

  • Law degree, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
  • Postgraduate degree in Taxation, ISG
  • VAT Summer School, Prof. Ben Terra, Faculdade de Direito, Universidade de Lisboa
  • Taxation Module of the Master in Environment, Faculdade de Direito, Universidade Católica Portuguesa
  • International Taxation of Oil and Gas and Other Mining Activities, International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation, Amsterdam
  • World Fiscal Systems for Oil&Gas" Course by Dr. Pedro Van Meurs, London Petro Academy, London
  • Responsible Business" Course: Next source of competitive advantage", Escola Superior de Negócios e Economia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa
  • Summer Course on International Tax Law, International Tax Center, Leiden University
  • Business Sustainability Management, Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Cambridge University