Elsa de Freitas

Elsa has practised in Timor-Leste since 2016 and is frequently instructed in complex litigation and high-value disputes, alongside her corporate and commercial practice, which encompasses commercial contracts and transactions, business establishment and foreign private investment, corporate structuring and governance, company secretarial matters, and ongoing legal support to companies across a wide range of industries.

She advises international and local clients on foreign investment, employment and labour matters, regulatory issues and dispute resolution, and has acted for companies operating in sectors including aviation, oil and gas, mining, banking and finance, fisheries, hospitality, real estate, among others.

Her work also includes ongoing corporate support to international companies, NGOs, international organisations and public/institutional bodies, as well as the supervision and training of Timorese lawyers and junior legal staff.

Elsa obtained her Licentiate Degree in Law from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, in 2001, followed by a postgraduate Diploma in Corporate and Business Law from the same University.

Alongside a demanding legal career, she continued to broaden her academic and professional expertise through further studies in areas closely connected to her practice over the years, including International Environmental Law, Combating Corruption in Extractive Industries, Contract Law, Project Management and European Business Law. She later obtained an LLM (Master of Laws) in Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy Law, with Distinction from Robert Gordon University Law School in Aberdeen, Scotland, where she was also awarded the Best Student Award for the 2022/2023 academic year.