Expert in public law, particularly in infrastructures, concessions of public works and services, regulated sectors, energy and the environment, as well as in judicial reviews and arbitration (national and investment) relating to concessions and contracts, and to banking regulations; acts as arbitrator and member of selection panel for public law.

Lourenço Vilhena de Freitas has participated as a lawyer in various arbitration proceedings, some with an international component, particularly relating to public procurement. He has also acted as arbitrator in various arbitration proceedings relating to concession agreements and public procurement.

A member of the Portuguese Bar Association, he holds the association’s title of specialist in administrative law. He is a member of the group of experts at UNSCAD (United Nations Security Council Affairs Division), and a member of Centro de Estudos Fiscais, the International Law Association, the Sociedade Portuguesa de Direito Internacional and the Associação Portuguesa de Direito Europeu.

He has held several positions in the Portuguese government, including deputy secretary of state for Tax Affairs, deputy-substitute for the Cabinet Chief of the State Secretariat for Public Administration, and deputy state secretary for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. 

He was a member of the Portuguese government’s administrative reform committee (XVI Constitutional Government of Portugal). He advised on the legislative reform in the oil sector, the reform of the General Cultural Heritage Act in Portugal, and on the reform of judicial review in Guinea Bissau.

He is an arbitrator at the Arbitration Center of the Câmara de Comércio e Indústria Portuguesa and at CAAD – Centro de Arbitragem Administrativa. He was vice-chair of the Arbitration and Litigation Resolution Center at Universidade de Lisboa.

He is an associate professor at Universidade de Lisboa and assistant professor at Universidade Lusíada. He was an assistant professor at Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas and a lecturer of interdisciplinary legal practice (public law) at Universidade Nova de Lisboa.

He has taught subjects including public procurement, administrative procedures, energy, urban planning, EU law, international law and constitutional law. He has also lectured on several master and postgraduate programs covering energy, public procurement and arbitration in Portugal and abroad at various faculties of law, including at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Maputo), Universidade José Eduardo dos Santos (Huambo), Universidade Mandume Ya Ndemufayo (Lubango), Faculdade de Direito de Bissau, Universidade do Mindelo, and Universidade Agostinho Neto (Luanda).

He was director of the research project on energy law of the Center for Research in Public Law at Universidade de Lisboa.

He is the author of several manuals, publications and articles on energy and public procurement.



Education

  • Doctor of Laws (specializing in political and legal sciences)
    Universidade de Lisboa, 2011

    Master in Political and Legal Sciences (administrative law specialty)
    Universidade de Lisboa, 2003

    Bachelor of Laws
    Universidade de Lisboa, 1996

    Postgraduate studies in Business Management
    ISEG Lisbon School of Economics and Management, 2020

Directory Mentions

Recommended lawyer
Chambers Europe, Legal 500, IFLR1000 and Best Lawyers in Public Law, Project Development and Administrative Law