The Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and the Portuguese Bar Association (OAP) have begun negotiations to resume a cooperation agreement broken in July 2023The meeting took place in Lisbon on Friday, June 5th, and brought together representatives from both entities for the first time since the termination of the agreement.
The Secretary-General of the Federal Council of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), Rose Morais, and the president of the Special Commission on Lusophone Law, Alessandra Balestieri, They met with the president of the bar association. John Massano, who, since taking office in 2025, has signaled openness to dialogue. The conversation focused on building a new reciprocity treaty and on professional development initiatives for lawyers from both countries.
Why was the agreement broken?
In 2023, the Portuguese Bar Association unilaterally ended its reciprocity agreement with the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association). The justification given was that the existing system "did not ensure equivalent levels of professional qualification" and could be being used as an indirect route to access [professional qualifications]. European legal market.
With the end of the agreement, the automatic registration of Brazilian lawyers in Portugal was suspended. Professionals became obligated to complete an internship and pass an aggregation exam to obtain their license, which particularly impacted those working in Private International Law.
Four thousand Brazilians are members of the Portuguese Order.
Data from 2025 shows that 4.039 Brazilians They are part of the pool of qualified lawyers in Portugal, equivalent to 13% of the total of 32 professionals. The majority (60%) are concentrated in the Lisbon region.
For Rose Morais, the resumption of negotiations represents "an opportunity to expand the exchange of experiences and build initiatives aimed at professional development and the enhancement of the legal profession" in both countries. (With information from Público Brasil)
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