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Lisbon
+351 213 821 200
João Lima Cluny is the partner responsible for the criminal, misdemeanour and compliance practice.
He is a leading lawyer in the field of sanctions law, particularly in economic and financial criminal law and administrative offences, and sports law.
He has participated in the most relevant criminal and administrative offence proceedings in Portugal.
He works with various sectors of the economy, including, among others, sports, energy, competition, occupational safety, the environment and finance, both with regard to sanctioning aspects and developing the preventive aspect (compliance and internal investigations), namely with regard to the duties of prevention of corruption and money laundering and regulatory enforcement, taking care of the strategic needs of its clients.
He is an arbitrator and mediator at the Portuguese Court of Arbitration for Sport.
He graduated from Nova School of Law, where he also completed his Forensic Master's Degree and where he was a Guest Professor until 2023.
Distinguished by Legal 500 (Next Generation Partners), Who's Who Legal (Recommended), Best Lawyers (Criminal Defence, Litigation, Sports Law and Lawyer of the Year 2022 Sports Law) Client Choice (Sports Law 2022).
Experience
João Lima Cluny joined Garrigues in September 2023, as head of the criminal law, misdemeanours and compliance practice.
He previously worked for 16 years at Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados, where he was a partner since 2022.
In the context of his activity, he participated in some of the most mediatic criminal cases that took place in Portugal (among others, Operation Marquês, Operation Fizz, Pedrógão Grande Fires, Bragaparques, E-Toupeira). He has also advised in several cases of so-called major administrative offences before the Competition, Regulation and Supervision Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union.
His practice is centred on economic and financial sanctions law, where he has represented corporate and individual clients.
He has also advised several clients on the implementation of compliance policies, in particular related to the prevention of corruption and money laundering.
He has extensive experience in advising on sports law, both in terms of dispute resolution and in the context of different transactions.
He has been an arbitrator and mediator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport since its establishment in 2015 and has held various positions with sports federations.
In addition to Portuguese, he speaks English and Spanish and has a good command of written French and Italian.
He has been a member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 2010, of the Portuguese Sports Law Association since 2009 and of the Criminal Forum - Association of Criminal Lawyers since 2016.
Academic background
- Law Degree (Nova University Law School, 2007).
- Elite Specific Training - Sports Law - Football Speciality (Quest - Soluções para o Desporto, 2009).
- Master's Degree in Forensic Legal Sciences (Nova University Law School, 2012).
- Advanced course on Data Protection (Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, 2013).
- Postgraduate course on Digital Evidence in Criminal Procedure (Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, 2019).
Teaching activity
- Visiting Professor at Nova School of Law, teaching Interdisciplinary Legal Practice, between 2014 and 2023.
- Participation in several conferences, courses, postgraduate courses and workshops as a speaker, namely in the field of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure and Sports Law.
Memberships
- Member of the Portuguese Bar Association since 2010.
- Member of the Portuguese Sports Law Association since 2009.
- Member of Fórum Penal - Association of Criminal Lawyers since 2016.
Distinctions
- João Lima Cluny has been recognised for his activity in the areas to which he dedicates himself by the main legal directories: Legal 500, Client Choice, Who's Who Legal and Best Lawyers.
- Legal 500 - Next Generation Partners - Fraud and White-Collar Crime;
- Who's Who Legal (Recommended) - Sports Law;
- Best Lawyers - Criminal Defence, Litigation, Sports Law;
- Client Choice - Sports Law.
Recent awards:
- João Lima Cluny was honoured with the Client Choice Award in Sports Law for 2022;
- João Lima Cluny was honoured as the 2022 Lawyer of the Year in Sports Law by Best Lawyers.
Publications
- The International Investigations Review (Ed. 11) - Portugal, Law Business Research, 2021 (with João Matos Viana and Tiago Coelho Magalhães).
- The International Investigations Review (Ed. 10) - Portugal, Law Business Research, 2020 (with João Matos Viana and Tiago Coelho Magalhães).
- Anti-sports betting, Encyclopaedia of Sports Law, Gestlegal, 2019.
- Qualified damage in the context of the sports spectacle (crime of), Encyclopaedia of Sports Law, Gestlegal, 2019 (with Rui Patrício).
- Necessary arbitrations: are they still "arbitration"? The case of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, X Congress of the Commercial Arbitration Centre, Almedina, 2017.
- The crime(s) of sports corruption, Liber Amicorum Manuel Simas Santos, Rei dos Livros, 2016;
- Notifications through Associations (Article 102 of FIFA Disciplinary Code). The Fernando Santos Case - World in Review, Football Legal - The International Journal Dedicated to Football Law, #5, June 2016, Editions Droitdusport (with José Maria Montenegro);
- FIFA's new regulation on working with intermediaries, Football Legal - The International Journal Dedicated to Football Law, #3, June 2015, Editions Droitdusport (with Dzhamil Oda);
- The "Hulk and Sapunaru" case - Before and after the recent changes to the Portuguese Professional Football League ("LPFP") regulations, Sports & Law, Sports Law Magazine, Year 7, no. 21, Coimbra Editora, May 2010.
- Advertising of Tobacco and Alcoholic Beverages in Sports, Sports & Law, Sports Legal Magazine, Year 5, no. 15, Coimbra Editora, May 2008 (with Jorge Morais Carvalho);
- The Basic Law on Physical Activity and Sport and Consumer Rights, Sports & Law, Sports Legal Magazine, Year 4, no. 11, Coimbra Editora, January 2007.