ABOUT THE FIRM
A different kind of international law firm.
OUR STORY
Founded on a refusal to compromise.
VLO Law Firm was founded in 2011 in Lisbon to fill a gap that traditional regional firms could not — coherent, senior-led representation across multiple jurisdictions in a single mandate.
A decade and a half later, we still operate as a boutique by design. No mid-level delegation. No matter handled by anyone less than a senior practitioner. No expansion at the cost of partner attention.
Our clients are international C-suites — General Counsel, CFOs, CEOs of EU, MENA and CIS-linked groups — who need their cross-border counsel coordinated, not committee-driven.
- -1-
2011
Founded in Lisbon
- -2-
35+
Jurisdictions
- -3-
12
Partners & Senior Counsel
- -3-
0
Junior-delegated matters
HOW WE OPERATE
Four operating principles
PARTNER-LED
Every mandate is owned and worked by a partner. No leverage model. No delegation to associates without partner oversight.
CROSS-BORDER NATIVE
We coordinate vetted local counsel across jurisdictions. Clients deal with one team and receive consolidated reporting.
BOUTIQUE BY DESIGN
We choose matter selectivity over headcount growth. The firm stays small on purpose — it is not a stepping stone.
CONFIDENTIAL BY DEFAULT
No press releases without written client permission. Public references only with explicit consent.
LEADERSHIP
Founding leadership
OUR VALUES
Four commitments to every client
- INTEGRITYHonest assessment of merits, costs and probable outcomes — even when the conclusion is "do not litigate". Our reputation depends on the quality of our advice, not the size of our retainer.
- DISCRETIONEnhanced confidentiality protocols. Encrypted communications by default. No identifiable references on this site without written client consent.
- PRECISIONNative-level expertise in each jurisdiction we touch. We do not improvise on procedure, local rules, or applicable law.
- INDEPENDENCENo corporate affiliations, holding structures or referral arrangements that create structural conflicts. Counsel free to give the answer the client needs.