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João Coriel leads VCA’s Private Wealth practice and has been instrumental in the firm’s evolution into a boutique servicing high-net-worth individuals and families. His broad expertise, built over 30 years, makes him a trusted advisor to some of the wealthiest families in Portugal and internationally, many of whom rely on him for their most sensitive, complex, and cross-border matters.

João works at the intersection of wealth structuring, inheritance and succession planning, tax optimization, and relocation. He is known for his ability to mobilize and coordinate legal teams across departments — from tax and corporate to real estate, immigration, maritime, and art law — to provide truly holistic support to family offices, founders, and multigenerational clients.

He is also an active and respected member of the international legal community, now serving as Vice-Chair of the Senior Lawyers’ Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA) and Vice-Chair for Membership of the ABA International Law Section. He is also a member of CIArb (UK) and recently, of the STEP.

In light of the firm’s continued growth in this space and João’s deep involvement in leading high-end work and building long-term client relationships, we believe he continues to merit recognition among the leading individuals in this category.