Manuel Castelo Branco
Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations Counsel, Lisbon
“I consider myself a multi-task lawyer in the sense that in tackling all angles, covering different areas of law, I enjoy working closely in multi-practice teams in the application of the Law to the case, to help clients, that come to us when involved in complex and high-profile disputes, to overcome their difficulties.”
Overview
Professional experience
Education and qualifications
Published works
Overview
Manuel de Abreu Castelo Branco is Counsel in the Lisbon office Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations department. He advises both domestic and international clients, including banks, private equity funds, auditors and insurance companies on national and cross-border litigation and arbitration matters, involving Portugal and Lusophone Africa.
His practice has focused on civil and commercial litigation, in particular advising companies on a wide range of commercial disputes including shareholding, M&A and banking disputes. He has also been involved in multi-jurisdictional asset tracing cases.
Manuel furthermore advises clients in criminal and regulatory litigation matters, including business crime matters and antitrust investigations. He also assists clients with compliance work, such as anti-corruption and anti-money laundering issues.
His practice has focused on civil and commercial litigation, in particular advising companies on a wide range of commercial disputes including shareholding, M&A and banking disputes. He has also been involved in multi-jurisdictional asset tracing cases.
Manuel furthermore advises clients in criminal and regulatory litigation matters, including business crime matters and antitrust investigations. He also assists clients with compliance work, such as anti-corruption and anti-money laundering issues.
Additionally, Manual has gained experience in contentious and non-contentious restructuring and insolvency issues, having been involved in several domestic and cross-jurisdiction insolvency and pre-insolvency proceedings.
Work highlights
- Advising in the financial restructuring resolution of a major Portuguese bank involving the incorporation of the first “bridge” bank under Portuguese law and the first resolution measure adopted in the EU
- Advising a financial institution in the restructuring of a relevant player in the Portuguese petrochemical industry
- Advising financial institutions in cross-border asset-tracing litigation against relevant clients
- Advising an international hedge-fund in relation to a market abuse investigation conducted in Portugal and the United Kingdom
- Advising a financial institution and an insurance company in anti-trust investigations conducted by the Portuguese Competition Authority.
- Advising a professional services firm in a cross-border internal investigation in the context of a SEC investigation.
Professional experience
Manuel started his legal career in 2005 by doing a traineeship at the law firm Pinsent Masons in London, followed by a traineeship at local law firm Sérvulo Correia & Associados (2006-2007) in Lisbon.
In 2007 Manuel joined Linklaters as Trainee in the Lisbon office, where was promoted to Associate in 2008, to Managing Associate in 2015, and to Counsel in 2021 at the Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations department.
He furthermore gained experience during a secondment at Webber Wentzel in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2017 in the Commercial Litigation department, dealing with cross-border restructuring cases.
Manuel acted as speaker at conferences on arbitration, litigation and corporate law matters.
In 2007 Manuel joined Linklaters as Trainee in the Lisbon office, where was promoted to Associate in 2008, to Managing Associate in 2015, and to Counsel in 2021 at the Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations department.
He furthermore gained experience during a secondment at Webber Wentzel in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2017 in the Commercial Litigation department, dealing with cross-border restructuring cases.
Manuel acted as speaker at conferences on arbitration, litigation and corporate law matters.
Education and qualifications
Manuel holds a Law Degree of the Lisbon Law School of the Catholic University (2000-2005). He then obtained a Post-Graduate Degree in Arbitration at the Law School of the Nova University in Lisbon (2013) and furthermore, completed Post Graduate Studies in Economical Criminal Law at the University of Coimbra Law School (2014).
He is Vice-President of the ICC Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-corruption of ICC Portugal. Furthermore, Manuel is a Member of APA - the Portuguese Arbitration Association, and of Forum Penal - the Portuguese Association for Criminal Law Lawyers.
He is Vice-President of the ICC Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-corruption of ICC Portugal. Furthermore, Manuel is a Member of APA - the Portuguese Arbitration Association, and of Forum Penal - the Portuguese Association for Criminal Law Lawyers.
He speaks Portuguese, English and Spanish.
Published works
Manuel is a published author and a selection of his publications is shown here:
- Legal Privilege and Professional secrecy, publication date: May 2018 publication description: Getting the Deal Through (co-Author: Raquel Galvão Silva)
- Banking Litigation (Portugal) publication date: Sep 2017 and Sep 2018; publication description: The Banking Litigation Law Review - Edition 1 and 2 (co-Author Nuno Ferreira Lousa)
- Providências cautelares decretadas pelo tribunal arbitral publication date: Mar 2014 publication description: Laboratório de Resolução Alternativa de Litígios - Universidade Nova de Lisboa