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Oporto
+351 226 158 860
João Soares Almeida is a partner in Garrigues' Employment Department.
He has extensive experience in corporate restructuring processes, namely collective dismissal and extinction of work position. In his career, he has advised, in the labour and social security areas, on company acquisition processes and on optimization and correction measures in accordance with the legislation in force.
On the other hand, he provides recurrent advice within definition of salary structures and working hours.
He participates in numerous conferences on labour and social security law. He is a guest lecturer on the Postgraduate Course in Labour and Social Security Law at the Portuguese Catholic University.
He participates, at the invitation of the Portuguese Inspectorate Authority (Centro Local do Grande Porto), in the "Ciclo de Conversas Informais", which constitute informative sessions for the Labour Inspectors and for the Senior Technicians of the Local Centres of Greater Oporto/Eastern Lisbon.
Leading lawyer in the field of Labour Law in the international directories Chambers Europe, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers over the last years.
Experience
João Soares Almeida is a partner in the Employment Department of Garrigues, a firm he joined in 2006 after having been a trainee lawyer at Gonçalves Pereira, Castelo Branco & Associados (currently Cuatrecasas). In his activity, he has been advising companies in large and complex operations, namely
- Hiring of employees (including senior management);
- Definition of working conditions applicable in the company;
- Drafting internal regulations and company policies on Human Resources;
- Audits to companies on labour and social security matters;
- Restructuring, including collective dismissals;
- Changes in working conditions;
- Lay-off procedures, such as suspension of employment contracts and reduction of normal working periods;
- Procedures for the transfer of a company, establishments or economic units belonging to a company;
- Disciplinary procedures.
He also has experience in advising and representing companies before structures of collective representation of workers, namely in:
- Negotiation of Collective Bargaining Agreements;
- Negotiating with workers' representative structures (works councils, trade union or inter-union committees, trade union representatives, etc.);
- Strikes and other collective disputes with workers' representatives.
He also has vast experience in representing companies in labour and social security legal proceedings, as well as in any procedure before public authorities (Authority for Working Conditions, Social Security, Commission for Equality in Labour and Employment, Institute of Employment and Professional Training, etc.).
He works with clients from various economic sectors, including finance, insurance, energy, telecommunications, retail, industry, etc.
He is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish.
Academic background
Law Degree from the Portuguese Catholic University (2005)
Postgraduate degree in Labour Law and Labour Process at the Portuguese Catholic University (2007).
Completion of the curricular part of the Master's Degree course in Labour Law and Social Security at the Portuguese Catholic University (2012).
Teaching activity
Guest lecturer in the Post-Graduation course in Labor Law at the Portuguese Catholic University.
Memberships
Ordem dos Advogados (Portuguese Bar Association).
Distinctions
João Soares Almeida has been annually recognised in his area of specialisation by Chambers Europe, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers.
Publications
- "Jusprático Laboral e Segurança Social”. Wolters Kluwer. 2007.
- "Reflexões sobre os novos caminhos da contratação a termo", Questões Laborais, 43, Coimbra Editora. 2013.