WHO WE ARE

Cavaleiro Machado & Associados is a civil law firm incorporated under Portuguese law, whose sole purpose is to practice law. Registered with the Portuguese Bar Association since August 25, 2010, under number 76/10, exercising and governing its activity under the Statute of the Bar Association (Law 145/2015 of September 9) and other Portuguese legislation, as well as the Code of Conduct of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE).

Cavaleiro Machado & Associados is the result of the friendship and joint legal practice of its partners and associates. It is dedicated to providing legal advice to businesses, particularly in the world of franchising and entrepreneurship in general, and startups in particular, as well as supporting them in their internationalization.

Based on the founding partner’s extensive experience in franchising, in order to find the best legal solutions for those who wish to develop their business under the franchising system, or through any other form of entrepreneurship, the firm has assembled a cohesive and multidisciplinary team of lawyers, bringing together a range of legal skills and expertise, enabling it to provide prompt legal advice tailored to the specific needs of each client.

From supporting a startup in the early stages of the business, where we work together to help the entrepreneur assess the internationalization potential of their brand, define the legal form under which it should operate in the market, its corporate structure and internal organization, as well as considering the most advantageous tax regime, through to negotiating franchise and/or master franchise agreements in Portugal or abroad; negotiating real estate contracts (particularly with shopping malls), employment contracts (including collective bargaining and negotiations with trade unions), litigation in general (administrative, tax, labor, and arbitration in particular) debt collection, responding to administrative offenses with ASAE, ACT, AT, AIMA, Social Security, and other public entities, up to and including representation in criminal proceedings involving economic crimes, Cavaleiro Machado & Associados, mindful of the relevant national and international legal framework, is committed to finding the solutions that best meet the needs of its clients and their businesses.

Although focused on the business world, because companies are made up of people, the firm’s area of practice has been extended to private clients, in order to ensure individual legal assistance whenever requested, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 99 of the Statute of the Bar Association (EOA), which regulates matters relating to conflicts of interest of lawyers.

With the aim of providing and ensuring the best and most efficient legal advice and representation to its clients, Cavaleiro Machado & Associados has developed a system of close and preferential partnerships with other law firms and lawyers in private practice, both nationally and internationally, which, due to their geographical location, experience, and knowledge in specific areas of law, allows it to offer its clients the best possible service. with other law firms and individual lawyers, both nationally and internationally, which, due to their geographical location, experience, and knowledge in specific areas of law, allow us to offer our clients a wide range of legal resources, centralized and coordinated for their specific case.

Internationally, Cavaleiro Machado & Associados, through its partner Cavaleiro Machado, representing the Portuguese Franchising Association (APF), provides pro bono legal services to the World Franchise Council (WFC) and the Ibero-American Franchising Federation (FIAF) and, nationally, to the Portuguese Franchising Association (APF), as Legal Director of these entities.

It is also a member of the Legal Committee of the European Franchise Federation (EFF).