Guiomar Lopes
Partner
Guiomar Lopes is a founding partner of FBL Advogados, having her work focused particularly on Financial and Natural Resource Law.
Lawyer with extensive experience in Oil and Gas Law, with a professional career spanning several years in the Angolan oil sector, working for Concessionária Nacional (then Sonangol) and later for ELF Exploration Angola that would become Total E&P Angola.
Currently practising mainly in the area of Financial Law. Over a number of years, assisting, either directly or in collaboration with international firms, the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Angola in transactions concerning lending to the Government.
In the same context, she has assisted several international banks and financial institutions in transactions with Angolan public or private entities. In particular, regularly working on financing operations for Oil & Gas projects in Angola.
Participated in several legislative review/reform processes, namely the initial package of oil sector laws still in force, the reform of the commercial law, the law on business activities and the law on business recovery and insolvency.
For several years, acting as professor of Public International Law. More recently, lecturer in the first master's degree course in Law of the Sea at the School of Law of Universidade Agostinho Neto.
Practice Areas
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Banking and Finance Law
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Corporate, M&A and Private Equity
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Natural Resources Law, Oil & Gas, Energy and Mining
Idiomas
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Portuguese
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English
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French
Contact
Experience
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In the oil industry, direct assistance or in collaboration with international corporations in farm in or farm out and other types of operations;
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In this industry too, after taking part in the negotiations of a significant part of the blocks still in operation, she also provided general legal assistance to several key operators in the Angolan market, and to other operators and associates in different national and foreign oil blocks;
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Provided legal assistance to the Angolan Government's largest creditor in China in negotiating debt restructuring agreements of more than USD 15 billion;
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Advising international banks in the amendment of existing financing contracts to adopt a new interest rate after the LIBOR was discontinued;
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Advising in Angolan law matters in connection with ICC arbitration proceedings of over USD 100 million;
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Coordinator of team of advisors to public company on the structuring and launch of a debenture loan of USD 150 million.
Recognitions
Education
Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Agostinho Neto
Law Degree (1987)
Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa
Masters in Law (1998)