Overview
João leads the Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group in the Lisbon office.
João began working in Competition Law in 2004. Before joining Linklaters in 2014, he worked as senior legal officer of the Portuguese Competition Authority for 7 years.
His work covers the full spectrum of Antitrust/Competition Law matters, including high-profile cartel and abuse of dominance investigations, multijurisdictional mergers and State Aid cases, as well as regulatory and compliance advisory. He is also well versed in the European regulatory framework for payment services.
João has significant experience in advising domestic and international corporates on antitrust issues in Portugal and the EU, as well as in Lusophone African countries, in particular Angola and Mozambique. His expertise spans the different sectors, from the financial to retailing, fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceutical, energy, infrastructure, heavy-industry and automotive industries.
João holds a PhD degree in Competition Law (summa cum laude) from the Lisbon University Law School (2018), where he graduated (2002) and completed his Master of Laws degree (2007). He also obtained a Diplôme d’Études Superiors Universitaire Professionnalisé en Études juridiques et économiques de l’Union européenne (2006) from the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne).
Alongside his professional practice, João is editor of the Journal “Competition & Regulation” (published by the Portuguese Competition Authority), a visiting professor in renowned Portuguese law schools, and Executive Director of Lisbon University Law School’s Post-Graduate Course in Competition Law (since 2016).
In 2019 João represented the Association of Portuguese Competition Lawyers in the ad-hoc advisory group of the Portuguese Competition Authority set up to discuss the implementation of the “ECN+” Directive.
Work Highlights
- Advising Perfetti Van Melle on the merger control notification before the Portuguese Competition Authority and phase 1-clearance with commitments for the acquisition of exclusive control over the asset brands in Portugal, in the context of the $1.35bn acquisition of Mondelez' developed-market gum business in Europe, US and Canada.
- Successfully represented Lusitania Companhia de Seguros and two former directors in the first cartel investigation by the Portuguese Competition Authority (PCA) in the financial sector and obtained an unprecedented decision from the Competition, Regulation and Supervision Court. This was the first time that a leniency case was fully annulled in Portugal.
- Advising Novo Banco, the “good bank” resulting from the resolution of Banco Espirito Santo, S.A. in the first-ever bank resolution adopted in the EU, in setting up and managing a highly successful asset divestment programme compliant with State Aid rules;
- Advising BP in an investigation by the Portuguese Competition Authority concerning the company’s distribution network, successfully securing the closing of the case without any charges or commitments being brought against the company;
- Advising Rubis Energie in the merger filing related to the acquisition of Repsol’s LPG assets in the Azores and Madeira, where it led to a “3-to-2” reduction in number of players and a 50/50 market share split. The deal was approved by the Portuguese Competition Authority following behavioural and structural remedies offered by Rubis Energie;
- Advising China Three Gorges on the EUR 9 billion public takeovers launched over EDP - Energias de Portugal, S.A. and EDP Renováveis, S.A., respectively the leading energy operator in Portugal (which is among the major European operators) and its subsidiary for renewable energy (the world's fourth largest renewable energy producer);
- Advising the Turkish conglomerate OYAK on the acquisition of Cimpor Portugal, the largest cement group in Portugal and one of the largest in Europe.
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