Criminal defence
Criminal defence in Portugal, with urgent matters first
Detention, arrest warrants, extradition, economic crime and every stage of Portuguese criminal proceedings. International experience, in English, with absolute confidentiality.
- Registered with the Portuguese Bar Association
- Service in English, worldwide
- Fast answers from our team
The first hours shape the whole case
A detention, an arrest warrant or a formal notification turns life upside down, and doubly so when it happens in a foreign country, in a language you do not fully master.
What is said and signed in the first hours conditions everything that follows. Having a lawyer who knows Portuguese criminal procedure, and who answers fast in your language, is the difference between reacting and improvising.
15+
years of international practice
1000+
cases handled
100%
professional secrecy, always
Situations we act in
Detention and flagrante delicto
Immediate action and first judicial interrogation.
Formal suspect status (arguido)
Representation from the very first act of the process.
Coercive measures
Response to pre-trial detention and other measures.
Extradition and European Arrest Warrant
Cross-border proceedings, treaties and tight deadlines.
Drug trafficking
Defence in trafficking and related proceedings.
Aggravated fraud
Fraud, breach of trust and financial schemes.
Money laundering
Complex economic and financial crime.
Trial and appeals
Preparation, defence in court and review of decisions.
How it works
1
Send us your situation
By WhatsApp or through the form. Tell us the essentials; documents help but are not required yet.
2
Case review
A lawyer reviews it and comes back with the legal picture: what is possible and what it will take.
3
Proposal and execution
Fees and steps agreed in writing before any commitment. Then we handle everything.
Criminal defence lawyer · Founding partner
Dr. Klaus Luchtenberg
A multi-jurisdictional lawyer specialised in criminal and immigration law, with over 15 years of international practice and cases handled in Portugal, Brazil and the United States.
Lead counsel in complex proceedings of international reach: cross-border drug trafficking, aggravated fraud and money laundering, among others.
It is in extradition and the European Arrest Warrant that this experience stands out: proceedings where jurisdictions, treaties and tight deadlines cross, and where the quality of the first response often shapes the outcome.
- Portuguese Bar Association · bar ID 58.638/L
- Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) · 40.102/SC
- Specialist in extradition and the European Arrest Warrant
- Cases in Portugal, Brazil and the United States
Founding partner · International legal consultant
Jeff Silva
Expert in the legal analysis of economic crime: aggravated fraud, financial fraud, money laundering and cross-border financial crime. He brings the fine reading of financial flows and documentation that underpins the defence strategy.
A law graduate of Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa with international practice between Portugal and Brazil, he works side by side with Dr. Klaus on the preparation of every case, from the first document to the decision.
- Expert in legal analysis of economic crime
- Law degree, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa
- International legal consulting, Portugal and Brazil
Prefer to leave your details?
Tell us the essentials in four steps. We register your request and, if you wish, the conversation continues right away on WhatsApp with your answers included.
Frequently asked questions
Someone was detained. What should I do right now?
Contact us immediately by phone or WhatsApp; urgent matters go first. Do not let anything be signed without a lawyer present, and gather any documents you have about the case.
Do you handle extradition and European Arrest Warrant cases?
Yes, it is one of the strongest areas of the firm, with cases handled in Portugal, Brazil and the United States.
Is the conversation confidential?
Absolutely. Professional secrecy covers everything you tell us from the very first contact, as the law and the Bar rules require.
Can you work with my lawyers abroad?
Yes. In cross-border cases we regularly coordinate with foreign counsel so the strategies in each country reinforce each other.
Ready to deal with your case?
Someone from our team will reply as fast as possible with the legal picture and the next steps.