Portuguese firm PLMJ has elected a new managing partner, Luís Pais Antunes (pictured), with a remit to focus on further international expansion and developing partnerships with other law firms over his three year term.
Regulatory partner Pais Antunes, who has also held positions in government as secretary of state for employment, is now set to take over the law firm that has 49 partners and 320 lawyers spread across 10 countries.
He said: ‘this challenge is one with enormous responsibility. The coming years will be particularly challenging, with the legal services market seeing a significant upturn and with ever more dynamic competition. I trust in the excellent skills and qualities of the PLMJ team and in the enormous amount of work they have been doing in Portugal and abroad to achieve consolidation at home and solidity internationally.’
The firm’s new board of directors, elected at the same time by a general partner meeting and also serving for three years, comprises Ricardo Oliveira, Paulo Farinha Alves, Tomás Pessanha, Nuno da Cunha Barnabé, Rita Alarcão Júdice and Eduardo Nogueira Pinto. In a statement the firm said the board’s plan was to ‘focus on internationalisation and international partners, business development and attracting and retaining talent.’
Incumbent managing partner Manuel Santos Vitor, who held the post from 2008 and saw the firm through Portugal’s economic troubles, will remain a partner at the firm as head of the corporate, energy and natural resources team.
michael.west@legalease.co.uk
