Vera Ferreira de Lima

Vera Ferreira de Lima is Partner in the Finance department of the Lisbon office, that handles the full scope of capital markets transactions, often on high-profile mandates. 

She has experience in Finance Law, Banking Law and Corporate Law, and her practice focuses in particular on securities law, having participated in structuring various public and private securities offerings, both equity securities and debt securities, and further financial instruments (including issuance of convertible and exchangeable bonds, structured financial operations, takeovers, listed companies capital increases and IPOs).

Likewise, as Head of the Financial Regulatory Group in Lisbon, she provides legal advice on corporate governance and compliance and financial regulation of credit institutions, financial companies, collective investment undertakings and listed companies.

Her experience further includes operations in debt assistance to managers in the issuance of bonds and exchangeable bonds. Vera also has relevant experience in advising entities resulting from banking resolution within the context of the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD).

Her work is recognised by the international directories Chambers and Legal 500, and in 2019 she was elected by Iberian Lawyer as Lawyer of the Year in Capital Markets in the Forty under 40 awards, that distinguishes the 40 best lawyers in the Iberian Peninsula under 40 years of age. 

Ranked by Chambers for Capital Markets in Portugal, clients commend "her ability to understand the client's objectives and expectations."

Work highlights 

• Semapa buyback of its own shares using as consideration shares the company owned in Portucel, the Portuguese paper and pulp company; 
• The Chinese company Fosun on its investment in the Portuguese Banco Comercial Português, S.A. (BCP);  
• Luz Saúde (formerly Espírito Santo Saúde) on its IPO and subsequent takeover by Fidelidade;   
• Novo Banco, S.A. and Oitante, S.A. the entities created in the context of the resolution of Banco Espírito Santo, S.A. and Banif – Banco Internacional do Funchal, S.A., respectively, in setting up their activity and complying with the rules governing their activities. 

Vera started her legal career in 2005 as Trainee lawyer in the Linklaters Lisbon office. She further developed her career with us, becoming an Associate in 2007, getting promoted to Managing Associate in 2015, and in 2020 she got promoted to Counsel, before being promoted to Partner in 2024.

Vera did three secondments, one at the Linklaters Madrid office in the Mainstream Corporate department in 2006, a client secondment in Portugal at Oitante, the company that resulted from the resolution of a Portuguese bank, and another in London at first-tier investment bank, Barclays Capital London, DCM as a member of the Iberian Legal Team in 2011.

During her studies she did a traineeship at the Legal Services Department of the Football Club Sporting SAD (2004).

Vera Ferreira de Lima is very involved in promoting initiatives related to gender diversity, and was a speaker at the international conference on Corporate Governance and Gender Equality organised by the European Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), at the San Pablo-CEU University in Madrid. Furthermore, she is one of the promoters of the Women@Linklaters initiative that aims to promote the debate on issues inherent to the female career. Further in this ambit, she participated in the female leadership program, and as mentor in the career progression program for lawyers in the beginning of their career, both organised by Linklaters.

Vera holds a Law Degree of the Catholic University of Lisbon (2005). She is a Member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 2008.

Vera speaks Portuguese, English and Spanish.