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Portrait ofSusana Afonso

Susana Afonso

Partner
Lawyer

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

Susana Afonso is a Partner and heads the Employment & Pensions team.

With over 25 years’ experience, she develops her skills in the field of labour law, coordinating and supervising day-to-day legal and employment advice to national and international companies, through the preparation of opinions and memoranda, monitoring of negotiations for the termination of employment contracts, conducting collective dismissal and termination processes, monitoring and representing clients in the negotiation and review of collective regulation instruments, conducting processes related to the transfer of workplaces, transfer of establishment, definition of compensation plans and organization of working time.

In recent years she has participated and coordinated some of the most important restructuring processes in the country, namely in the financial, insurance, industrial, construction, aviation, retail, pharmaceutical and services sectors. She has gained extensive experience in negotiating with trade unions and workers’ committees within the context of restructuring processes.

Susana is individually ranked Band 1 for Employment, by Chambers Europe, 2023 and has been ranked for the past 14 years. In addition, she is acknowledged as Leading Individual in the Hall of Fame by Legal 500, 2023. She is also recognised for Labour and Employment Law, by Best Lawyers since 2013, as well as ranked Excellent by Leaders League, 2023. Moreover, she was awarded Lawyer of the Year for Restructuring and Reorganisations since 2020 and Lawyer of the Year for Employment, Forty under 40 in 2009, both promoted by Iberian Lawyer.

Joined CMS Portugal in 2010.

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Susana Afonso Costa 's"know-how, experience, pragmatism and solution-orientation are overwhelming," states one satisfied client. She is adept at advising on business model restructuring processes, dismissals and transfers of businesses.

Chambers Europe (2021)

Hall of Fame

Legal 500 (2021)

Band 2

Chambers & Partners Europe (2021)

Lawyer of the year for Employment. 40 under Forty

Iberian Lawyer (2009)

Lawyer of the year for restructuring and reorganizations

Iberian Lawyer (2020)

Susana Afonso advances in the rankings after receiving great client feedback and market recognition, with one source enthusing: "Susana Afonso Costa is very focused on results, orienting each step of the process and focusing on a better strategy to achieve the client's objectives." She advises clients on restructuring processes, collective dismissals, transfers of businesses and negotiations with trade unions. She also offers assistance with disciplinary proceedings and contractual matters.

Chambers Europe (2022)

Memberships & Roles

  • Member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 1995
  • Member of EELA: European Employment Lawyers Association since 2004
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Education

  • Law degree, Faculdade de Direito, Universidade Lusíada
  • Specialized Lawyer in Labour Law, recognized by the Portuguese Bar Association
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Feed

25/09/2024
Whistleblower protection and reporting channels in Portugal
1. Is there a law on whistleblowing in your country? Yes. Law no. 93/2021, from 20 December which will enter into force on June 18th, 2022. 2. Does local law require private entities to establish a whis­tleblow­ing...
Comparable
19/07/2024
The 12-month period for implementing the Pay Gap Assessment Plan is coming...
The 12-month period for implementing the Pay Gap Assessment Plan (‘Plan’) is coming to an end, and at the end of this period you must notify the Labour Conditions Authority (‘ACT’) of the results...
02/04/2024
Employment conditions for administrative employees not covered by specific...
The Ordinance that regulates the working conditions of administrative employees not covered by specific collective agreements has been amended, as published today in Diário da República, increasing...
08/02/2024
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02/02/2024
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Since February 2nd, 2024, the system of access to support companies in the context of hiring employees through permanent employment contracts, created and regulated by Ordinance no. 38/2022, has changed...
19/01/2024
Amendments to the system of certification of temporary incapacity to work...
On January 18th 2024, Ordinance 11/2024 was published, amending the system of certification of temporary incapacity to work, in order to make the process less bureaucratic. The certification of temporary...
08/01/2024
Amendments to the Portuguese Citizenship Law
On January 5th 2024 the Portuguese Parliament has approved amendments to the Portuguese Citizenship Law. The groundbreaking amendment is the one according to which the time that has passed since the application...
15/12/2023
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On December 15th 2023, it was published the decree-law amending the legal regimes of the Labour Compensation Fund (LCF) and the Labour Compensation Guarantee Fund (LCGF). As already announced when the...
11/12/2023
Meet The Law – Employment & Pensions
It was published, December 11, 2023, the Ministerial Order no. 421/2023 that updates the amount of the Social Support Index (IAS) for the year 2024. The amount, which is currently EUR 480,43 (four hundred...
07/12/2023
Meet the Law - Employment & Pensions
It was published, on the 7th of December 2023, the Ordinance no. 414/2023, changing the normal age of access to the old-age pension from 66 years and 4 months to 66 years and 7 months, to come into force...
30/11/2023
Meet The Law - Employment & Pensions Law
We would like to highlight one of the measures published in Decree-Law no. 113/2023, of November 30, which establishes an incentive to return to work for long-term unemployed people (who have been receiving...
17/11/2023
Meet the Law - Employment & Pensions Law
The Decree-Law no. 107/2023 was published on November 17th 2023, in which it was decided to increase the national minimum wage from EUR 760.00 (seven hundred and sixty euros) to EUR 820.00 (eight hundred...