Macau’s MdME Lawyers has announced the appointment of Rui Pinto Proença as Managing Partner, for a three-year mandate.
Proença, head of MdME’s gaming practice, follows Gonçalo Mendes da Maia, who held the position from 2006 to 2019.
As Managing Partner he will be responsible for overseeing the strategy of the Macau and Hong Kong offices, supervising a team of 55 people, including 25 fee-earners.
His foremost priority will be maintaining the leading position of MdME in the Macau market, as well as steering the firm in its ambitious plans to expand its international reach, the company said in a statement. This will include strengthening the firm’s regional vocation in the context of the Greater Bay Area as well as furthering MdME’s position as the go-to firm in assisting Chinese investment into Portuguese speaking countries.
“This is a great sign of trust, and I am humbled by my partners’ choice to lead our firm,” Proença said. “We have a top-of-the-class team, which makes us rightfully recognized as the go-to firm in many sectors, having worked on high profile and complex cases and transactions. I will do my very best to honor this position and to meet its responsibilities.”
Proença is qualified to practice in Macau, Portugal and Angola and has been a partner of the firm since 2011. He is recognized by peers as a top tier corporate lawyer, having been deeply involved in Macau’s thriving gaming sector.
Proença is ranked as a leading lawyer in the most prestigious directories, having been awarded the “M&A Deal of the Year” in the “IFLR Asia Awards 2015” and distinguished as “Emerging Leader of the Year” in the “Asia Gaming Awards 2017”. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions and often acts on private equity transactions, having a significant track record across a range of different industries.
MdME is a member of Morais Leitão Legal Circle, an international alliance of law firms created by Morais Leitão.