Miranda & Associados advises clients across a broad spread of industries, including oil and gas, energy, aviation, maritime, and logistics. The practice is jointly headed by Diogo Xavier Da Cunha, whose work covers corporate and commercial matters as well as M&A, and Paulo Pimenta, who advises on banking, finance and tax. Also noteworthy is Nuno Cabeçadas, who recently took over as firm managing partner, and focuses on mining, PPP, and project finance matters. Susana Pinto Coelho stands out for her advice on environmental, regulatory, energy, M&A and foreign investment issues.
Foreign law firms in Mozambique
Miranda & Associados
Responsables de la pratique:
Diogo Xavier da Cunha; Paulo Pimenta
Autres avocats clés:
Nuno Cabeçadas; Susana Pinto Coelho
Principaux clients
TotalEnergies EP Moçambique Area 1, Limitada
TotalEnergies Marketing Moçambique, SA
Azura Power
Patel Engineering
Louis Dreyfus Company MEA Trading DMCC
Maputo Port Development Company
Globeleq Africa Limited
M. Couto Alves, S.A.
Principaux dossiers
PLMJ
PLMJ advises on foreign investment, exchange control matters, arbitration and due diligence exercises. The team is jointly led by Gonçalo dos Reis Martins, whose practice centres on banking, finance and capital markets, and Nuno Morgado Pereira, who is dual-qualified in Mozambique and Portugal, and assists clients with energy transition projects, infrastructure matters and project finance.
Responsables de la pratique:
Gonçalo dos Reis Martins; Nuno Morgado Pereira
Les références
‘Their strength lies not only in the depth of their legal expertise but also in their responsiveness to client feedback and evolving market needs.’
‘In particular, Nuno Morgado Pereira has exemplified PLMJ’s “always available” policy—not just in terms of accessibility, but in his readiness to engage deeply with complex matters across jurisdictions. His openness, patience, and ability to explain the rationale behind legal positions and frameworks have been invaluable, especially when navigating multi-regional legal landscapes.’
‘Gonçalo dos Reis Martins’ oversight has been outstanding. His strategic insight, attention to detail, and professionalism have consistently elevated the quality of legal outputs. Gonçalo brings a level of clarity and assurance that reinforces trust and confidence in PLMJ’s capabilities.’
Principaux clients
Galp Energia
GIMTL
Bharat Petro Resources Limited
Blue Forest Technologies Ltd.
Indorama Minerals and Metals
Standard Bank South Africa
Vista Bank Moçambique, Nedbank, FNB Moçambique and Standard Bank
Standard Bank Mozambique
Revolut
African Import-Export Bank
Absa Group Limited
Nedbank
NRV Norvia
Principaux dossiers
- Advising Standard Bank of South Africa Limited as local counsel in coordination with AOS in respect of the proposed financing to be arranged by SBSA for the Engie Group.
- Advising Blue Forest Technologies as co-sponsor and project developer of the largest blue carbon initiative in Africa, located across the Zambezia and Sofala provinces.
- Advised Galp Energia on the sale of the group’s 10% non-operated stake in Area 4 of the Rovuma project to XRG PJSC, a wholly‑owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
Abreu Advogados
Abreu Advogados supports clients across a wide spectrum of sectors, including energy, aviation, environment, infrastructure, natural resources, and finance. The group is jointly headed by three practitioners: Ana Sofia Batista, who focuses on private equity transactions and M&A; José Maria Corrêa De Sampaio, who advises on banking, insurance and transport-related matters; and Zara Jamal, whose work is centred on finance, corporate and regulatory issues. Isabel Pinheiro Torres is recognised for her work on regulatory matters, including guiding regulated entities through authorisation procedures before supervisory bodies.
Responsables de la pratique:
Ana Sofia Batista; José Maria Corrêa de Sampaio; Zara Jamal
Autres avocats clés:
Isabel Pinheiro Torres
Principaux clients
Balama Operation – US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
HCB Mozambique
Limak Group
Open Spiral, SGPS, SA
Painhas
Portucel Mozambique
TotalEnergies
Principaux dossiers
- Assisting DFC in a USD 150 million financing for an open-pit graphite mining project in Mozambique with the largest graphite reserve globally, operated by Syrah.
- Advising TotalEnergies on the financing and development of the Area 1 LNG project in Mozambique.
- Advising Painhas Group on the execution of several FIDIC contracts with the national electric power company, EDM – Electricidade de Moçambique, for the rehabilitation of the Maputo/Matola electric transmission grid, including legal advice on corporate taxation matters related to Grupo Painhas’s branch in Mozambique.
A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman handles a comprehensive range of matters spanning banking and finance, project development, regulatory work, and dispute resolution. The team is jointly headed by London-based Tim Scales, who advises on sophisticated transactions in sectors such as petrochemicals, telecommunications and mining, and Filipa Serra in Madrid, who has notable experience in complex financing arrangements, including matters involving the International Finance Corporation. Ian Ingram–Johnson and Scott Neilson (based in Dubai and Tokyo, respectively) are also key contacts.
Responsables de la pratique:
Tim Scales; Filipa Serra
Autres avocats clés:
Ian Ingram-Johnson; Scott Neilson
Les références
‘Attention to details and ability to anticipate problems and client expectations. Innovative and creative legal solutions in managing the relationship with clients.’
‘Filipa Serra is relentless and demanding in her approach to transactions and matters, while at the same time being cooperative with counterparts from other jurisdictions and understanding the particularities of each jurisdiction. She efficiently coordinates work across various jurisdictions and with different legal teams.’
Principaux dossiers
- Acting as lenders’ counsel in connection with the Rovuma LNG Project (Area 4), located in the Rovuma Basin, Mozambique, on a mega project for the development of the onshore LNG facilities.
- Advising the export credit agencies and lenders on the development and financing of the approximately USD8bn Coral FLNG project located in the Area 4 Coral South Offshore Basin, Mozambique.
Linklaters
Linklaters advises on sophisticated matters across corporate, tax, employment, finance and IT, offering coordinated cross-border support. The practice is led by Francisco Ferraz de Carvalho, who frequently represents sponsors and borrowers, as well as commercial banks and multilateral or bilateral development finance institutions. Diogo Plantier Santos is highlighted for his work on a broad array of corporate and real estate transactions.
Responsables de la pratique:
Francisco Ferraz de Carvalho
Autres avocats clés:
Diogo Plantier Santos
Principaux clients
Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A. (MRV)
Eni, ExxonMobil and co-venturers
Principaux dossiers
- Continuing to advise Eni, ExxonMobil and co-venturers in relation to the development of the Coral South project in Mozambique.
Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados
Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados operates as a full-service firm with four partners at the helm. André de Sousa Vieira focuses on syndicated lending, sovereign debt matters and asset finance. Claudia Santos Cruz advises on the international and cross-border dimensions of investments into Portugal and Lusophone Africa. João Honorato and Rui de Oliveira Neves are closely engaged in a wide range of energy-sector transactions, with a particular emphasis on oil and gas work. João Tiago Silveira left the firm.
Responsables de la pratique:
André de Sousa Vieira; Claudia Santos Cruz; Rui de Oliveira Neves; João Honorato
Les références
‘The team has a deep bench and strong experience across the whole spectrum of Mozambican law issues in the energy space, and gives fast and pragmatic solutions to issues.’
‘André de Sousa Vieira is very responsive, pragmatic and generally great to work with.’
‘Depth and breadth of resources that can be called upon from the firm’s overall network.’
Principaux dossiers
Raposo Bernardo
Raposo Bernardo is frequently seen acting on project development, project finance and real estate matters. The practice is jointly headed by Joana Andrade Correia, who advises on joint ventures, partnerships and private investments across a variety of sectors, including aviation, consumer goods and retail, and Manuel Albuquerque, who supports numerous international business initiatives in areas such as oil and gas, infrastructure and real estate.
Responsables de la pratique:
Joana Andrade Correia; Manuel Albuquerque
Autres avocats clés:
Edson Santos
Les références
‘it has a level of service with top European standards, unparalleled in Mozambique, and a very sophisticated team, used to large international transactions, and which is always present in legal support for the largest businesses in the country.’
‘Their lawyers are all very well prepared for any type of legal matter, as we have seen.’
‘Manuel Albuquerque is a very confident and experienced lawyer who is also very accessible, giving us a significant level of comfort. He provides pragmatic advice on projects of high dimension and complexity. It is a pleasure to deal with him, as he has an ability to anticipate opposing lawyers’ moves in transactions.’
Principaux dossiers
- Advised on the financing of a logistics platform integrating logistics infrastructure, bonded warehouses, container storage and light industrial units covering approximately 400 hectares for an estimated investment value of USD 380 million.
- Advising on the project finance for the design, construction and operation of a municipal solid waste treatment and sanitary landfill centre structured under a 25-year concession agreement for the amount of USD 255 million.
- Advising on an upstream oil exploration (E&P) project, covering the full life cycle of the project from structuring the investment vehicle and negotiating finance documents to securing regulatory approvals and protecting investor interests, involving finding, assessing and securing potential underground oil and natural gas reserves, involving an investment of USD 325 million.
White & Case LLP
White & Case LLP advises international corporates and financial institutions on legal matters impacting their global operations, with a workload spanning projects and energy, M&A and private equity, dispute resolutions, and capital markets. The team is led by Deji Adegoke, the head of the firm’s Africa practice, whose practice centres on infrastructure, oil and gas, power, and metals and mining work in emerging markets. Rebecca Campbell, the global head of the mining and metals industry group, is also noted.
Responsables de la pratique:
Deji Adegoke
Autres avocats clés:
Mukund Dhar; Rebecca Campbell; Jason Kerr
Les références
‘Reactive and strong market knowledge.’
Principaux clients
Republic of Mozambique
Vale
Mauritius Commercial Bank
Central Térmica de Temane, SA
Syrah Resources
Principaux dossiers
CMS
CMS provides advice on privatisations, concessions, M&A, foreign investment and joint venture structuring. The practice is jointly led by three lawyers: Alberto Galhardo Simões, whose work concentrates on acquisitions and demergers; Nuno Alves Mansilha, who assists major international clients across the retail, telecommunications, and transport sectors; and Tiago Machado Graça, who advises on inbound and outbound structuring, tax compliance and related disputes.
Responsables de la pratique:
Alberto Galhardo Simões; Nuno Alves Mansilha; Tiago Machado Graça
Autres avocats clés:
Richad Majid
Les références
‘CMS has a highly qualified team for the local market. It combines innovation with legal and practical knowledge and that makes it an excellent firm for structuring projects and other matters.’
‘I would like to highlight the innovation, excellence and respect for the independence of local firms. I would also like to highlight their solid knowledge and experience of local law and practice. In personal terms, I would like to highlight Nuno Alves Mansilha for his leadership and experience in the Mozambican legal market.’
‘The team are very capable, have experience in disputes in Africa and have very good negotiation capabilities.’
Principaux clients
Ubuntway
Key Value
Andritz Hydro
Vantage Drilling
CPU Consultores International, S.A.
SPIE Oil & Gas Services
Enterprise Philippe Lassarat
Orey Group
Saipem SpA
Voith Hydro
Principaux dossiers
- Advising Vantage Drilling on the structuring of its drilling operations in Mozambique.
- Advising Entreprise Philippe Lassarat on two major pre-litigation and litigation cases against two subsidiaries of two Portuguese construction companies.
- Advising the Mozambican subsidiary of Keyplan Group on the foreign exchange rules applicable in both Mozambique and Angola regarding contract payments for engineering and construction-related inspections.