Three VdA associates team up to launch new IP practice

Sara Nazaré (36), Beatriz Lima (37) and Joana Piriquito Santos (36) have launched a new law firm, Nazaré, Lima, Piriquito Santos & Associados – NLP for short – in Lisbon. The new outfit also includes João Carlos Assunção and Filipe Gomes.

All five lawyers come from the full-service firm Vieira de Almeida, also based in Portugal. VdA has around 440 lawyers and is active through partner law firms in six other Portuguese-speaking countries, including Angola and Mozambique.

Nazaré, Lima and Piriquito Santos were managing associates in VdA’s well-known IP team before launching their own firm in May.

NLP specialises in IP and technology issues, concentrating on the three pillars of transactional IP, stratigic consultancy and litigation.

Focus on life sciences

Sara Nazaré (36) began her career as a trainee at Simmons & Simmons in 2006. She joined VdA in 2010, initially in the telecoms, media and IT space before moving on to intellectual property. Her work included patent litigation in various areas such as pharmaceuticals, telecoms and medical devices.

Beatriz Lima (37) also joined VdA in 2010. Like Nazaré, she first worked in the telecoms, media and IT practice before shifting her focus to IP. Here she conducted litigation concerning pharma and telecoms patents, for example.

Joana Piriquito Santos (36) holds a master’s in pharmaceutical science. She previously worked as innovation manager at the Instituto Pedro Nunes and as intellectual property consultant at Clarke Modet. Santos was also an examiner of patents and supplementary protection certificates in pharmacy, chemistry and biotechnology at the Portuguese National Institute of IP. In 2016, she became a managing associate at VdA.

In the past, the three NLP partners have focused strongly on pharmaceutical patent litigation. Most recently, for example, they played a role in important pan-European campaigns for blockbuster drugs on behalf of two originators.

In addition, NLP works with partner law firms that specialise in the fields of software, AI, chemistry, pharma, biotechnology, electronics and materials.

Sights on UPC

Nazaré, Lima and Piriquito Santos are also authorised UPC representatives. Portugal is one of 18 UPC member states.

Lisbon hosts a local division, as well as parts of the UPC-affiliated Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre. The centre has not yet opened, but the UPC member states have recently stepped up their planning.

According to UPC statistics, no parties have filed a complaint at the local division in Lisbon so far.