Raquel is a senior counsel in the Public Law practice and has more than 30 years’ experience as a lawyer. She focuses on administrative law, especially environmental law, and public procurement.

Raquel advises Portuguese and international clients from various industries and sectors, in particular, paper pulp, packaging production, healthcare, the chemical industry and mass catering. She also has extensive experience in analysing environmental issues relating to the energy sector.

Raquel has completed a postgraduate courses in European studies at Institut des Hautes Etudes Européennes - Université Robert Schuman, Strasbourg, the new Public Procurement Code at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto), and public regulation and competition at the Faculty of Law of the University. She has also taken a number of other specialisation courses.

Since 2011, Raquel has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition Sciences of the University of Porto, on the degree and master’s courses in public procurement. She also lectures a seminar entitled Introduction to Environmental Law at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto).

Before joining PLMJ, she was a lawyer in the public law practice of the law firm Cuatrecasas.

Bar Admissions
Admitted to the Portuguese Bar Association, 1997

Education
Law degree from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, 1993.
Postgraduate course in European Studies at the Institut des Hautes Études Européenne - Université Robert Schuman, Strasbourg, 1994
Postgraduate course in ‘The New Public Procurement Code’ at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, 2009
Specialisation course in public procurement and the evaluation of proposals in tender processes at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra (CEDIPRE), 2009
Postgraduate course in public regulation and competition at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra (CEDIPRE), 2010
Specialisation course on the municipal business sector at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra (CEDIPRE), 2010
Short course on concessions and public-private partnerships at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, 2011
Specialisation course in environmental law, spatial planning and urban development at the Centre for Spatial Planning and Urban Development Law, 2016

Significant Accomplishments
Chambers Europe
2024 - Raquel Freitas Public & Administrative Law
2024 - Raquel Freitas, Public Law – Band 3 Porto
2023 - Raquel Freitas, Public Law - Associates to Watch Porto
2022 - Raquel Freitas, Public law - Associates to Watch Porto
2021 - Raquel Freitas, Public Law - Associate to Watch Porto
The Legal 500
2023 - Raquel Freitas Public Law
2023 - Raquel Freitas, Rising stars Oporto Market
2022 - Raquel Freitas Planning Law
2022 - Raquel Freitas Public Law
2022 - Raquel Freitas Oporto Market
2021 - Raquel Freitas Projects and Project Finance


Professional Activities and Experience
Senior associate at the law firm Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira (Porto), 2019
Trainer of Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, in the area of public law on the subject introduction to environmental law, since 2017
Trainer of Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, in the area of public law on the subjects of public procurement and protective measures in administrative litigation between 2008 and 2016
Trainer at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition Sciences of the University of Porto, on the degree and master’s courses in public procurement, since 2011.
Legal adviser at Civibral – Sistemas de Construção, S.A., 2005