Team
PROFESSOR · JURISCONSULT · ARBITRATOR
Began his academic career in 2004 and has been an Associate Professor at Faculdade de Direito de Lisboa (University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law) since January 2023.
Costa Gonçalves also collaborates in Postgraduate and Master’s courses with Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Catholic University of Portugal) and with other higher education institutions in Brazil and Angola.
His areas of research and professional practice are centred on Private Law, in particular on Law of Obligations and Commercial Companies and Capital Markets Law. He also develops research work related to Civil Law History and Methodology and Philosophy of Law.
In addition to Portuguese jurisdiction, Costa Gonçalves frequently works with jurisdictions in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe, as a legal expert, arbitrator and in scientific research projects.
José Maria Cortes
JURISCONSULT
José Maria Cortes is a jurist, Guest Lecturer at Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa (University of Lisbon, Faculty of Law), as well as a doctoral scholarship holder at Centro de Investigação de Direito Privado (Centre for Private Law Research). He has developed his academic and professional activity mainly in the field of Private Law, with a particular focus on legal opinions, civil and commercial litigation, and arbitration.
Since 2025, he has worked as a Jurisconsult in the areas of legal opinions and arbitration, in collaboration with Diogo Costa Gonçalves. Alongside his professional practice, he maintains regular academic activity at Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa.
He is the author and co-author of numerous publications in legal journals and collective works. He has also participated in international arbitration and international law competitions.
BIOGRAPHY
José Maria Cortes was born in Lisbon in 1998.
He graduated from Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa in 2020. José Maria Cortes completed a Postgraduate Course in Corporate Governance at the same Faculty, and also attended Postgraduate Courses in Corporate Finance and in Administrative and Tax Litigation.
He has completed the taught component of the Doctorate in Civil Legal Sciences at Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa and is currently preparing his thesis.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Since 2025, he has worked as a Jurisconsult in the areas of legal opinions and arbitration, in collaboration with Diogo Costa Gonçalves.
Between 2024 and 2025, he served as legal adviser to the Minister of the Presidency of the XXIV Constitutional Government.
Between 2020 and 2024, he was an associate lawyer at Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados, where he was part of the civil and commercial litigation department and gained experience in domestic and international arbitrations.
He also completed traineeships at Linklaters LLP, in Lisbon and London, as well as at Campos Ferreira, Sá Carneiro & Associados and Galp — Oil & Gas Upstream.
INSTITUTIONAL CONNECTIONS OF A SCIENTIFIC NATURE
He holds a doctoral scholarship at the Centro de Investigação de Direito Privado.
ACADEMIC ACTIVITY
At Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa
Guest Lecturer (since 2021), having taught the following subjects:
- Introduction to the Study of Law.
- Labour Law.
- Law of Obligations.
- Philosophy of Law.
Tutor in Introduction to the Study of Law between 2017 and 2018.
