Mid-sized Portuguese firm Azevedo Neves Benjamim Mendes & Associados (ANBM) has expanded after combining with a 14-lawyer team from the former Abreu Cardigos to form a new practice.

Former Abreu Cardigos name partner Pedro Cardigos – a banking and finance specialist – and intellectual property (IP) partner Bessa Monteiro are joining ANBM along with a number of other lawyers to form Azevedo Neves Benjamim Mendes Bessa Monteiro Cardigos & Associados.

The new firm will focus on areas including finance, IP and employment law and boasts clients including Coca-Cola and Deutsche Bank.

The news comes after Cardigos quit his former firm last month, prompting the practice to re-brand as Abreu Advogados.

Commenting on the tie-up with ANBM, Cardigos said: "We see the merger working on a number of levels. Most importantly we have a complementary skill set that will improve the services we can provide our clients. ANBM has a very strong core corporate/commercial practice, which will be significantly enhanced by the addition of more specialist skills such as structured financed transactions, IP and IT."