Portuguese firm Abreu Advogados has set up an exclusive alliance in Mozambique with local firm Ferreira Rocha & Associados.

The alliance came into effect last week and will be co-headed by Abreu corporate partners Pedro Pais de Almeida and Luis De Gouveia Fernandes.

The two firms will work together to provide joint legal services to their clients in an effort to take advantage of the increase in Portuguese investment in the African country.

Ferreira Rocha is a 10-lawyer firm with two partners, and has been established in the region since 2005. Clifford Chance is also known to work with the firm in the country.

Pais de Almeida (pictured) said: "Mozambique is a market that we are looking to expand in because of its history as a Portuguese-speaking country in Africa where the legal regime is very similar and there is a big flow of investment from Portugal, which is increasing.

"According to the UN Organisation for Food and Agriculture report this year, it has one of the highest flows of economic activity on the African continent. After our partnership in Angola in 2007 this was the second most important market for us in the region."

The firm indicated that links with other Portuguese-speaking countries may be a possibility in future, but that it has no immediate plans to expand.

The Portuguese outfit set up an alliance with Faria de Bastos & Lopes Advogados in Angola three years ago in an effort to develop greater ties with the continent. The firm currently has three offices in Portugal, in Lisbon, Oporto and Madeira.

Abreu has a total of 170 lawyers, including 32 partners.