GFDL ADVOGADOS
Your goals, our legal expertise.
Strategic and comprehensive legal advisory.
Our profile
GFDL Advogados is a Portuguese boutique law firm based in Lisbon, Portugal, composed of highly skilled advisors and lawyers, who have international experience.
We have the privilege of working with a select group of clients spanning a wide geographic range that continues to grow through our global platform.
We are experienced in all aspects of doing business and investing in Portugal and other Portuguese speaking jurisdictions.
We have close working relationships with law firms across the world, thus allowing us to combine intellectually rigorous work with unique insights of business and cultural practices at a local level.
The firm’s lawyers and staff are fluent in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, Hungarian and Romanian.
Our lawyers are often engaged to provide comprehensive legal advice for business and private client across several industries. We are engaged by a broad array of clients seeking innovative and solid solutions in traditional and disruptive areas of business.
In addition to technical solutions, we strive to know and understand the detail of our clients’ businesses and understanding the several vectors that influence their industries and markets. Our clients usually present complex needs, attractive projects and challenging requirements.
Our firm acts as a trustworthy legal bridge by providing business-focused advice that goes beyond borders and narrow areas of expertise. By working in niche areas of the legal arena, we remain at the vanguard of the industry as it adjusts to the innovations and complexities of business and life.
Not focusing excessively on a particular practice is key to provide comprehensive and business savvy legal, regulatory, compliance and governance counsel.
In our endeavor to provide the highest possible standard of legal service, we continuously monitor the legal and business arena to identify opportunities or challenges and provide prudent and tactical advice to clients.
The value we provide goes beyond the customary services of law firms because our relationship with clients relies on continuity and trust.
GFDL Advogados is the trade name of Gil Figueira & Devillet Lima – Sociedade de Advogados S.P. R.L., a limited liability law firm.
Our team
Rodrigue Devillet Lima
Partner
Rodrigue Devillet Lima (JD, LLM) is a public law lawyer and co-founder of GFDL Advogados. He is the head of the litigation department and leads all interactions with regulators.
Rodrigue advises private and public entities on public law and regulatory issues spanning from securities offerings, banking and payments, AML/KYC compliance, regulatory permits, and real estate zoning and development. He provides creative solutions to bridge the gap between corporate and private initiatives and public law conditions.
He has a strong litigation background and a complete understanding of corporate and administrative law. He is a seasoned litigator and often represents clients in matters such as white-collar crime, bet the company disputes, administrative and regulatory litigation, and international commercial disputes.
He is often engaged by clients to negotiate the acquisition of distressed assets and to represent shareholders in corporate litigation matters with a strategic approach.
Law degree – University of Lisbon (2008)
Master’s degree in Public Procurement and Public Law – Catholic University of Portugal (2010)
Rodrigue is a regular speaker and contributor regarding Real Estate and Cross-Border dispute matters.
He is fluent in Portuguese, French and English.
João G. Gil Figueira
Partner
João G. Gil Figueira (JD, LLM, MMgt) is a tax and business lawyer and co-founder of GFDL Advogados.
For 15 years, he has advised domestic and multinational businesses regarding cross-border aspects of taxation, investment structures, M&A deals, commercial transactions, licensing and IP deals, corporate litigation, and shareholder disputes.
João regularly assists established businesses in facing and adapting to innovative business methods while guiding disruptive enterprises across the traditional legal framework. His advice is often requested in niche fields in the TMT, Blockchain/Crypto, and FinTech industries. He also represents artists and media producers.
Additionally, he counsels Private Clients in relation to taxation, business migration, asset protection, estate planning, and wealth structuring matters. He represents individual investors and families before closely held businesses.
João started his law career in London and has Big Four experience.
Law degree – University of Lisbon (2008)
Master’s degree in Law & Management – Nova University, Lisbon (2012)
Postgraduate degree in Taxation (International Taxation) – Catholic University of Portugal, Lisbon (2013)
João has co-authored several books and articles on Real Estate, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency Offerings, Taxation, Corporate and M&A matters.
He is a regular speaker on Portuguese Taxation, Foreign Direct Investment in Portugal, and Cryptocurrency related matters at international events and seminars.
João has lectured several courses at Portuguese Universities, including the Nova School of Business and Economics (Corporate Taxation and VAT) and the Porto Business School (Regulation and Compliance).
He is fluent in Portuguese and English. Working languages also include Spanish and French.
Adrienn Menhart
Senior Consultant
Adrienn Menhart (JD) is a senior legal consultant with extensive experience in Immigration, Citizenship and Tax matters involving Portuguese speaking jurisdictions.
She has assisted hundreds of clients in investing or relocating to and from Portugal, coordinating legal and tax matters that are often connected.
Licentiate degree in Law – University of Lisbon (2016)
Bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and International Relations – Nova University of Lisbon (2018)
Postgraduate degree in Australian Migration Law – Griffith University of Brisbane (on-going)
Adrienn is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Hungarian. Working languages also include Spanish and Romanian.
Catarina Andrade Miranda
Junior Associate Lawyer
Catarina Andrade Miranda (JD, LLM, MMgt) is part of the Dispute Resolution and Corporate teams. Her practice is focused on Commercial Litigation, Corporate and Regulation matters. She is experienced in bankruptcy matters and distress assets deals.
Prior to joining the firm, she worked at Mota Pereira & Associados.
Licenciate degree in Law – University of Lisbon (2020)
Postgraduate degree in Bankruptcy Law – Universtiy of Lisbon (2020)
Master’s degree in Law & Management – Catholic University of Portugal (2023)
Catarina is fluent in Portuguese and English.
Beatriz Valério Pimenta
Junior Associate Lawyer
Beatriz Valério Pimenta (JD), is part of the Private Client and Corporate teams. Beatriz is experienced in assisting both business and individuals in investing and doing business in Portugal and has a strong Real Estate background.
Prior to joining the firm, she worked at Lamares Capela and at Fernando Neves Gomes & Associados.
Licenciate degree in Law – Catholic University of Lisbon (2018)
Master’s in Business Law – Catholic University of Portugal (2020)
Beatriz is fluent in Portuguese and English.
Carolina Mateus Monteiro
Trainee
Carolina Mateus Monteiro (JD) is a Trainee at the firm, currently working on Private Client and Litigation matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Carolina undertook an internship at a Lisbon Judicial court.
Licenciate degree in Law – University of Coimbra (2022)
Mediation course – Nova School of Law (2023)
Master’s degree in Litigation and Arbitration – Nova School of Law (2024)
Carolina is fluent in Portuguese and English.
Rita Ramos Carriço
Chief Financial Officer
Rita supervises all financial matters in the firm and provides excellent insight into accounting matters.
Prior to joining the firm she has worked both at accounting firms and as an in-house CPA.
Licentiate degree in Accounting – Santarém Polytechnic Institute (2011)
Master’s degree in Accounting – Santarém Polytechnic Institute (2013)
Postgraduate degree in Taxation – University of Lisbon (2018)
Rita is fluent in Portuguese and English.
Joana Gil Figueira
Knowledge & Business Intelligence
Joana provides both an Economics and a Tech perspective that is essential to the implementation of legal solutions and to address stakeholders. In addition to supervising Data Intelligence matters, she has assisted in matters related to the interaction of legal requirements and practical aspects of doing business in sectors such as HR or compliance.
Prior to joining the firm, she worked at Hit Management and E-Redes.
Bachelor’s Degree in Economics – Nova School of Business and Economics (2018)
Master’s degree in Integrated Decision Support Systems (MSIAD) – ISCTE (Ongoing)
Joana is fluent in Portuguese and English. She has also good command of Spanish.