NOVA Legal Reviews 

NOVA Legal has been an outstanding legal partner for our business. Their team combines deep legal expertise with a practical, business-oriented approach, making even complex topics like GDPR, corporate governance, and startup legal matters easy to understand and implement.

What really stands out is their responsiveness, attention to detail, and ability to provide clear, actionable advice instead of unnecessary legal jargon. They take the time to understand the business and deliver solutions that are both legally sound and commercially sensible.

If you're a startup, SME, or technology company looking for reliable legal support in areas such as GDPR, compliance, corporate law, or commercial contracts, I highly recommend NOVA Legal. Working with them has given us confidence that our legal foundations are in good hands.

Nearly €10,000 for what we estimate was about 20 hours of legal work, and a stressful exit process.

As an early-stage startup, we engaged this firm in 2024 under a "success-based" arrangement presented as founder-friendly risk-sharing. The work delivered over roughly 20 months (contract reviews, employment agreements, some corporate advice) amounted, by our own detailed estimate, to around 20 hours. We were never provided itemised timesheets.

After a while we simply didn't need many legal services anymore, and the open-ended success-fee arrangement no longer made economic sense for either side. So we approached the firm openly to terminate the engagement letter and settle fairly for the work actually delivered.

To be fair: the firm supported us at a stage when we couldn't pay regular fees, and we always accepted they deserved compensation above standard rates for taking that risk. Other Portuguese law firms quoted us around €120/hour for comparable work, which would value the roughly 20 hours at about €2,400. Recognising the risk they had taken, we offered €6,000, two and a half times that market value. A generous risk premium was always part of our proposal. What we ended up paying, roughly €500 per hour of work delivered, goes far beyond any fair premium.

That's when the real problems started. The firm claimed commissions calculated on funding amounts that were merely approved on paper, including project financing we had never actually received, even though the contract wording referred to investment amounts received. Over just three weeks, we were presented four different amounts: a "reference" figure of over €41,000, then a settlement demand of €10,000 + VAT, then a recalculation of €9,938, and finally a formal invoice of €8,438 + VAT, payable within 5 days and expressly NOT constituting a full and final settlement, with all further rights reserved. In a meeting, a figure of €25,000 was also raised. In our view, these constantly shifting numbers were used to pressure us into accepting an invoice we disputed.

To avoid a drawn-out fight that a young company cannot afford, we ultimately settled and paid close to €10,000 in total.

Our experience: unpredictable pricing, commissions claimed on money we never received, no transparency on hours, and heavy pressure when we tried to leave. We cannot recommend this firm to startups. If you do engage them, get every fee term capped and itemised in writing first. However, to be fair, the service they provided was good quality.

Great experience, kept me informed with all info etc.... would highly recommend Richmond office Sharmila and Aaqib

A forma franca e prática como fui aconselhada relativamente à venda da minha startup foi essencial para poder refletir no melhor negócio. Para quem precisa de insights válidos e estratégicos baseados na experiência com startups, esta é a vossa equipa legal!

They are with you for the long run, to grow with the company. They support us since day one and always! (no matter our good or a down moment on our startup life)

A NOVA Legal é muito mais do que uma sociedade de advogados, é uma extensão da nossa empresa. Um parceiro no dia-a-dia que me acompanha em tempo real. Um parceiro descomplicado, uma grande mais valia para o nosso negócio.

This legal office assigned to me a dedicated specific lawyer very soon so as foreign company, I could complete very straightforward the whole incorporation process for the new Portuguese facility. They will also take care of the very next steps offering a clear and smart proposal.

Muito eficiente e profissional, Recomendo

Highly attentive, knowledgeable and excellent communication. I would highly recommend Nova Legal for any PT legal needs.

The services of the company Noval legal made my experience great. As a person who has just incorporated a company newly for the first time in Portugal i found everything about the company so amazing. The company knows that the customers comes first in business and they are doing everything possible to ensure good and quality services so that the customers can feel satisfied and happy.

And if i am to talk about Mariana Machado the lawyer, her services, the way she manage and liaise with clients is top-notch and very professional. I just feel like no one should handle my company things except her 😊.

It was a good experience with Nova Legal team. With the first video call, everything was understood so as to proceed with the company formation. Mrs. Mariana has nice communication skills and also she provided timely updates. There was a short delay from the government permission, but I was updated about it and finally everything went well. All in all, a good experience.

Nova Legal did an excellent job in assisting me with opening my company. Their services were outstanding, and everything went smoothly. The support team was prompt and courteous in answering all my questions and addressing any concerns that I had. Nova Legal is an extremely reliable and trustworthy company that can handle even the most challenging situations with ease. Overall, I'm highly satisfied with their services.

I had a very good experience! The communication with Mariana was flawless. I recommend!

Excelente profissionalismo e um apoio muito personalizado.

Company has done very well as per our initial agreement. They understood our requirements and accordingly they delivered the expected services on time.

young team of dedicated professionals. Always a pleasure to deal with.

Working with Nova Legal has been excellent! They are always there for us at every step of the way and always deliver!