Caria Mendes Advogados law office was created in 1992 by the universal, competent and enlightened vision of Cecília Caria Mendes. Giving priority to the values that she never abdicated, such as seriousness, professionalism and dedication, she opened two offices, in Lisbon and Oporto, and surrounded herself with professionals with whom she identified and with whom she strengthened, over the years, relevant professional relationships in different fields of Law.

With her capacity for initiative and persistence, Cecília Caria Mendes has actively collaborated in the development and implementation of legislation that, in Portugal, since 2015, has allowed the right of return of Sephardic Jewish descendants (Jews descended from the ancient and traditional Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula) of Portuguese origin who so desire, by acquiring Portuguese nationality – Decree-Law no. 30-A / 2015, of 27-02.

The Portuguese citizenship, by naturalization, is granted to the descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews, provided that the following requirements are met:

a) Being over 18 years old or emancipated under Portuguese law;

b) Not have been convicted, with a final and unappealable judgment, for the practice of an offense punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding 3 years, in accordance with Portuguese law;

c) Demonstrate a tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin, based on proven objective requirements of connection to Portugal, namely nicknames, family language, direct or collateral descent.

Cecília Caria Mendes passed away prematurely in the summer of 2017, but her principles, teachings and values remain with her team, now part of a Law firm, Pereira Lopes & Associados, which maintains the two offices, Lisbon and Oporto, and the professionals who, over the years, have dedicated themselves to the practice of Law, continuing as members of PRAGMA International Network of Law and Consulting Firms.

Since the preparation and discussion of the mentioned law, Pereira Lopes & Associados has developed a hard work in this concrete area of Portuguese citizenship, having today the necessary know-how that allows the provision of all services in this concrete area of legal activity.

Doing their best in various areas of Law, not only regarding companies and their needs, but also private citizens, and operating in several countries, Pereira Lopes & Associados team pursues the values of Law and human dignity in the practice of Law.