Macau

Mid-sized Macau firm António Ribeiro Baguinho Advogados was established by António Ribeiro Baguinho and assists clients on litigation, corporate and finance matters. Baguinho was a senior counsel for the Macau government when it was a Portuguese colony and has continued to work with it and other civic organisations since its handover to the PRC in 1999. The firm’s banking and finance team has acted for a large number of local and international financial institutions and corporate lenders on mortgage loans and other related security documentation. 

C&C Lawyers’s banking and finance group has a solid track record advising on complex financing operations in the hospitality and gaming industries, often representing a single lender, a syndicate of lenders or the borrower. Clients also retain the firm to provide regulatory advice and conduct due diligence. Nuno Sardinha da Mata is a well-known partner.

Rita Martins leads the banking and finance practice at DSL Lawyers where she mainly focuses on project finance and corporate finance. She advised an issuer on drafting ancillary documents and applying for the Monetary Authority of Macau’s authorisation for a multi-billion dollar multicurrency deal. Her team also advised international and local banks on their new branch and day-to-day operations in Macau. Commercial banks, international financial institutions, insurance companies and investment banks account for a large portion of the firm’s client base. “Carlos D Simões is a dedicated lawyer and a hard worker. We worked together several times on a financing project. He knows how to protect clients’ interests and is good at negotiation,” says a peer.

Henrique Saldanha A&N’s flagship practice is banking and finance and is a popular choice for casino operators and public utility companies seeking legal advice. Henrique Saldanha, the founding partner and finance expert, advised lenders on a five-year $2 billion financing for MGM China for the development of a five-star luxury resort and casino in Macau’s Cotai area. “The firm always comes up in very important banking transactions,” says a peer who encounters the firm often in banking and litigation matters.

Jorge Neto Valente Advogados is well-established and the biggest firm in Macau. Jorge Neto Valente, the founding partner, is “one of senior lawyers in the practice”, says a peer. He is adept at providing legal advice on corporate matters, banking and finance, and litigation. The firm is advising a Portuguese international bank on due diligence matters. Banking and finance mandates come from Macau, mainland China, Australia and the US.

Manuela António has a robust banking and finance team featuring managing partner Manuela António and Hugo Ribeiro Couto. The team provides day-to-day operational guidance and also advises on sophisticated transactions for leading global investment and commercial banks, including Credit Suisse and APRIL Group.  A client who has used the firm for more than 10 years says it “can always provide practical advice in a fast turnover time”. Another satisfied client highly recommends the firm’s “professional and customer-oriented service” in banking and finance.

MdME is a full-service firm, with banking & finance as one of their core practice areas. Gonçalo Mendes da Maia, the founding partner, jointly heads the department and has a solid standing in the construction and infrastructure industries. Some of the projects he worked on include the development of Macau Light Rail, Macau Airport, and the multi-billion dollar Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. He is also experienced in debt financings, syndicated loans, real estate financing, local securities and derivatives transactions.

Rato Ling Lei & Cortés has extensive knowledge assisting local banks on finance-related regulatory and compliance matters. Pedro Cortés assisted with the due diligence on Novo Banco during Anbang Insurance’s proposed acquisition of the Portuguese bank which did not take place in the end. Macau’s international bank Banco Luso Internacional is also one the firm’s clients. “The firm has an in-depth understanding of technical knowledge and the jurisdiction,” says a client. Another client recommends the firm for its “timely and quality service”.

Led by managing partner João Nuno Riquito, Riquito Advogados is a strong player in banking and finance. Bruno Almeida and Riquito are advising on a cross-border financing deal for real estate companies in Macau and Portugal that roughly amounts to €190 million ($215 million). The team is also providing corporate and M&A legal advice in this deal.

C&C Lawyers has assisted companies from diverse industries and business stages to raise capital and achieve their corporate goals. The firm acted as the Macau legal counsel on a pre-IPO reorganisation and restructuring, including due diligence, documentation and negotiation, regulatory approval and filing.

DSL Lawyers has acted as Macau legal counsel to underwriters or issuers involved in listings on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the team also served as counsel to Portuguese and local companies and financial institutions in debt offerings in Macau.

Henrique Saldanha A&N has acted as counsel to the underwriters, bond trustees and project loan facility arrangers, including ANZ, Bank of America, Bank of China, Citigroup, Crédit Agricole CIB, Deutsche Bank, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and UBS, on the $825 million high-yield bond issuance and related $1.4 billion senior secured loan facility for the development of Studio City in Macau.

Full-service firm Jorge Neto Valente Advogados regularly advises on IPOs in Hong Kong, especially for companies with Macau entities. “It’s the biggest firm in the market with a very good reputation in work quality,” says a competitor. Jorge Neto Valente, the founding partner, plays an important role in the practice. He is often called upon to conduct due diligence and advise domestic companies on their public listings on stock exchanges outside Macau, as well as to work with underwriters or issuers in overseas equity and debt offerings.

“Manuela António is a firm with true law practitioners but not businessmen. They are honest, sincere, and knowledgeable in law,” says a peer. The firm covers the full range of capital markets transactions, securitisation and IPOs. The firm is involved in IPOs on the HKSE. In a recent such transaction on the main board, the firm acted as the Macau counsel to the company and conducted due diligence for its Macau subsidiaries.

MdME has carved out a top standing for its corporate and M&A practice in Macau. Rui Pinto Proença regularly advises clients with Macau interests on their portfolio investment. Proença also has an active gaming industry practice, providing corporate and regulatory assistance to junket operators, gaming equipment manufacturers, service providers and gaming concessionaires’s equity holders. The team also assists lenders and investors throughout pre-insolvency and insolvency stages, including advising on debt restructuring, distressed asset sales and assisting during insolvency filing and proceedings.

Rato Ling Lei & Cortés has a stellar reputation in successfully assisting clients on IPOs, not only in Hong Kong, but also Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taiwan.  Pedro Cortés acted for AP Rentals, an equipment rental service company in Hong Kong, on its HK$113 million ($14.6 million) global offering and main board listing in Hong Kong. He also advised on Chinney Kin Wing’s spin-off from Chinney Alliance Group and its separate listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE) main board, raising HK$252 million.

João Nuno Riquito manages Riquito Advogados’s capital markets practice. He has acted on a large number of overseas IPOs, with the majority listing on the HKSE main board. The firm also acts as Macau legal counsel to clients’ spin-offs from their parent companies and re-listings on the stock exchange. Other services include advising on tax, regulatory and other issues related to offshore restructuring and listing.

DSL Lawyers is one of a few players in Macau’s construction and real estate field. “They have very knowledgeable partners with years of Macau practice experience”, says a client. Carlos Simões holds the reins in this practice. He is advising a Hong Kong developer on preparing and operating a new project, where his team assisted in drafting the legal documentation, offered advice on the pre-sale stage and property transfer, and negotiated with potential buyers in the Greater China region.

Strong and competitive in construction and real estate, MdME advises owners, contractors, subcontractors and consultants on a full range of construction and infrastructure advisory work. Some of its notable matters include the Macau Light Rail project and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. The firm often works on the region’s roads, telecommunication, electricity, water, waste and industrial projects. Gonçalo Mendes da Maia and José Leitão are key partners.

António Ribeiro Baguinho Advogados is one of Macau’s best-known full service law firms, comprising a combination of experienced Portuguese and Chinese lawyers, fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. Founding partner António Ribeiro Baguinho used to serve as a legal adviser to the economic department of the Macau government and has maintained a good network with government agencies. Baguinho focuses on general corporate law and regularly advises on corporate structuring and restructuring, joint ventures, strategic alliances and M&A.

Nuno Sardinha da Mata spearheads C&C Lawyers’s corporate practice. The firm advises domestic and overseas clients who either seek to operate business in Macau or invest capital there. Most of its clients are from the gaming, hospitality and insurance industries.

David Silva Lopes heads the corporate and M&A practice at DSL Lawyers which is often entrusted by banks to advise on regulatory and corporate issues. The team offers advice on M&A, cross-border transactions, international investments, joint ventures and shareholder agreements. A client praised the firm’s “responsiveness and in-depth knowledge in the industry”. The firm participated in Baring Private Equity Asia’s acquisition of a majority stake in Vistra Group from major shareholder IK Investment Partners. Another case the firm provided Macau law services for was CommScope’s $3 billion acquisition of TE Connectivity’s telecoms, enterprise and wireless businesses, a leader in fibre optic connectivity for wireline and wireless networks. “The firm has so many experienced lawyers in corporate, banking and finance,” says a peer. 

Jorge Neto Valente Advogados is a well-respected full-service firm in Macau. Managing partner Jorge Neto Valente established the firm more than 30 years ago, and it has grown into the largest firm in Macau. In corporate and M&A, the firm is frequently appointed to conduct due diligence analysis in domestic and cross-border M&A in the public and private sectors. Under Valente’s guidance, the team uses its legal knowledge and industry know-how to devise creative deal structures, design acquisitions and disposition programmes, and implement strategies for acquirers, sellers or acquisition targets.

Managing partner Manuela António and Hugo Ribeiro Couto are the main contacts for corporate and M&A mandates at Manuela António. Apart from representing corporations to conduct due diligence on corporate transactions, the firm is well placed to advise on management buyouts, restructurings and reorganisations, share capital increases and corporate governance. Recent clients include Aruze Gaming America and Crown Resorts. “We choose the firm mainly due to Ms Manuela António. She is an influential person in the market and knows inside out of Macau law,” says a client.

MdME provides full-perspective services in corporate and M&A, including foreign investment, corporate governance, regulatory and compliance, capital management, restructuring and insolvency, and corporate litigation. Rui Pinto Proença acts on M&A and other corporate transactions, boasting an enviable track record in the gaming, hospitality and insurance industries. Other sectors the firm is adept at include construction & engineering, energy, pharmaceutical & healthcare, real estate, retail, technology, media & telecommunications, and transportation.

Rato Ling Lei & Cortés has a robust corporate practice, supported by two outstanding partners Pedro Cortés and Filipa Almeida Santos. Clients include Asian Lux, Saraiva + Associados and Geocapital. Cortés acted as the Macau legal counsel to private equity firm Investindustrial in its purchase of Italian shoemaker Sergio Rossi from Kering Group. Cortés is “highly capable, and always available,” says a client. Working closely with Cortés is Santos, who advises on corporate matters on a regular basis for Loro Piana, a high-end Italian clothing company, in Macau.

João Nuno Riquito, the founding partner, and Rui Filipe Oliveira play a leading role in Riquito Advogados’s corporate practice. “Riquito is a good lawyer who has a solid corporate and banking law understanding. He is a strong player in the market,” says a peer. The firm advised the Macau branch of US gambling company Scientific Games in its $3.3 billion acquisition of Bally Technology, a slot machine and other gaming technology manufacturer. The firm also advised on gaming, corporate, and labour law.

António Ribeiro Baguinho Advogados has a competitive dispute resolution practice. The firm has a good combination of Portuguese, Chinese and US lawyers to advise domestic and international clients on litigation and arbitration in areas such as labour, employment, IP and financial matters. António Ribeiro Baguinho, the name partner, is a former legal adviser to the economic department of the Macau government and is seen as good at lobbying governmental authorities. 

Dispute resolution has long been C&C Lawyers’s strength. Clients are predominantly from the banking and finance, insurance, gaming, hospitality and telecommunications industries. Álvaro Rodrigues holds the reins and has a solid standing as a criminal lawyer and civil lawyer.

Julia Brockman leads DSL Lawyers’s dispute resolution practice. Her expertise lies in arbitration as both counsel and arbitrator, in particular in proceedings that involve the construction, infrastructure, telecommunications, IT and media industries. Other areas of her practice include civil and commercial litigation. Carlos Simões is best known for his intellectual property (IP) dispute resolution capabilities. A peer praised Simões as “a very focused lawyer and has very good clients, especially in dispute resolution”.

“Jorge Neto Valente is second to none in the dispute resolution practice”, says a peer. The founding partner of Jorge Neto Valente Advogados has more than 40 years of experience advising on disputes in general business, employment, insurance liability, debt recovery on banking and gaming activities, fraud and white-collar crime. As the managing director of Galaxy Casino, his knowledge of the gaming industry is widely acknowledged. The firm’s dispute lawyers have a respectable record in handling complex civil and administrative cases, and help clients with suitable and timely legal assistance in all litigation, arbitration, regulatory and mediation matters.

Peers repeatedly recommended Hugo Ribeiro Couto from mid-sized law firm Manuela António, for litigation. He has worked on several cases concerning civil, corporate, real estate, insurance and administrative matters. “Hugo is a stabilised litigator with a track record of good results in a number of cases,” says a competitor. A client is satisfied with Couto’s “professional delivery and practical advice”.

MdME represents clients at all levels of the Macau courts and has advised on international arbitrations in Macau and Hong Kong. The firm’s dispute resolution team also assists clients at home and abroad in investigations and prosecutions conducted by the Macau regulatory authorities. Francisco Leitão oversees the firm’s dispute resolution practice. His expertise lies in corporate and property litigation, commercial and construction disputes, bankruptcy proceedings, labour litigation and white-collar criminal proceedings.

Founding partner Frederico Rato of Rato Ling Lei & Cortés has accumulated in-depth experience in handling disputes in Macau since 1984, particularly in the commercial, corporate, energy, real estate, IP, labour and gaming sectors. Pedro Cortés represented LT Game in a patent infringement dispute involving gaming systems in Macau against defendant SHFL (Asia) Entertainment, a Macau subsidiary of US-based SHFL Entertainment.  The case is still under way, though the client has won some favourable decisions so far. Another client praised Cortés him for his “excellent technical knowledge”.

“Definitely tier one on litigation”, Riquito Advogados is “a firm that practitioners will be afraid to be their counterparty in a dispute”, peers comment. Founding partner João Nuno Riquito is a well-respected litigator and arbitrator in Macau who is particularly knowledgeable on the real estate industry. “Riquito is a strong, professional, and strategic litigator,” says a peer. The firm has been advising a leading gaming operator in litigation with the Macau government over the lapse of a concession contract for development of a plot of land worth HK$1 billion in Macau.

C&C Lawyers’ IP team consists of practice head Lu Zhao and senior partner Rui Cunha. The firm is a one-stop-shop for clients who want to protect their assets in Macau and abroad, advising on prosecution, enforcement, licensing and franchising matters in trade mark, patent, and copyright. In the patent sphere, the firm is particularly experienced in topographies for semiconductor products. The team also assisted trade mark clients to conduct anti-counterfeiting campaigns and customs actions.

DSL Lawyers’s outstanding performance in IP was attributed to Carlos Simões’s in-depth technical knowledge and broad client network. Simões has managed some of the largest IP portfolios in Macau, advising on registrations, and enforcement strategies for trade marks, patents & designs, and copyright. A client says Simões is a “knowledgeable, patient, and skilled negotiator”.

João Encarnação of MdME is regarded as an IP expert who has assisted clients on filing trade marks, designs, and patents in Macau and overseas. Encarnação advises on trade mark oppositions, cancellations and court appeals in civil and criminal cases. He is particularly familiar with IP matters, particularly licensing, in the technology, media, and telecommunications industries.

Riquito Advogados is widely known for its top-tier litigation and transactional capability in IP. Peers regard founding partner João Nuno Riquito highly for his trade mark and patent enforcement skills. The firm advised a US gaming supplier making its debut in the Macau market on patent clearance and several relevant disputes.