A partner at SNR Denton associate firm F Castelo Branco & Associados (FCB&A) has been appointed as Portugal's new Minister of Justice.

Paula Teixeira da Cruz has taken up the position following the country's June elections, in which Pedro Passos Coelho of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) was named Prime Minister.

Da Cruz, who has been a member of the PSD since 1995, has been a partner at FCB&A since 2006, where she coordinated the firm's department of public law, administrative and environment. Among her specialities are regulatory, planning, public markets, competition, energy, arbitration and litigation.

She served as a town councillor in Lisbon's city council before joining FCB&A and is currently vice-president of the PSD's national policy committee.

FCB&A banking and capital markets partner Vitor Marques da Cruz commented: "We are honoured that Paula was nominated to be the Minister of Justice for the Portuguese Government and we wish her great success in this prestigious new role."

As previously reported by Legal Week, SNR Denton formalised its association with FCB&A in February. The alliance deal saw five new firms brought into the firm's Africa network, which now covers 21 countries across the continent, including Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia and Sao Tome and Principe.