Centro de Arbitragem Comercial

What Centro de Arbitragem Comercial does

Centro de Arbitragem Comercial (CAC) is Portugal's oldest commercial arbitration center, founded in 1987 and administered by the Câmara de Comércio e Indústria Portuguesa (Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry). Headquartered in central Lisbon with 24 employees, CAC administers institutional and ad hoc commercial arbitrations, mediation proceedings, and alternative dispute resolution services primarily for Portuguese enterprises and international parties operating in cross-border and Lusophone contexts. The center operates six specialized committees covering Mediation, Internationalization, Angola, Mozambique, Future, and Diversity initiatives, and maintains a public directory of rigorously selected arbitrators and mediators.

The core service portfolio includes institutional arbitration administered under CAC regulations, ad hoc arbitration support services, mediation, and professional training programs such as the Intensive Arbitrator Course and the Annual Arbitration Congress (XIX edition scheduled for 2026). Supporting digital tools include an arbitration cost calculator, an arbitrator/mediator search directory, and a legislation and case-law database. There is no proprietary technology platform; the center relies on established legal-research partnerships (notably Jus Mundi) and standard web infrastructure.

CAC generates revenue through three professional-services streams: arbitration administration fees (scaled to dispute value via the public calculator), mediation administration fees, and course/congress fees from professional training. Case volume has grown modestly from 31 new cases in 2023 to 37 in 2025. Geographic expansion is concentrated in Lusophone Africa, with dedicated Angola and Mozambique committees and a core partnership with the Ordem dos Advogados de Angola (OAA). The organization is privately held under the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, has no external funding, and operates without a profit-maximizing mandate typical of independent commercial ventures.

Name

Centro de Arbitragem Comercial

Legal name

Centro de Arbitragem Comercial

Website

https://centrodearbitragem.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centro de Arbitragem Comercial (CAC) is Portugal's oldest commercial arbitration center, founded in 1987 under the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, administering institutional and ad hoc arbitration, mediation, and training services for Portuguese and Lusophone-Africa commercial parties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution Services

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Commercial arbitration
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Mediation services
• Institutional arbitration
• Arbitrator training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Arbitration Administration Services: CAC generates revenue through administering commercial arbitration proceedings, including case management, tribunal support, and procedural oversight services.
2. Mediation Administration Services: Revenue from administering mediation processes as an alternative dispute resolution service.
3. Professional Training Programs: CAC organizes and delivers professional training including intensive arbitrator courses, generating revenue from course fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CAC administers institutional and ad hoc commercial arbitration proceedings, providing case management, tribunal support, and procedural oversight to parties that have selected CAC in their arbitration clauses. It also administers mediation services as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism and delivers professional training programs, including intensive arbitrator courses and an annual Arbitration Congress.

Product overview

CAC operates as a unified platform for commercial dispute resolution offering institutional and ad hoc arbitration services, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution. The core portfolio includes specialized committees for Mediation, Internationalization, Angola, Mozambique, Future, and Diversity initiatives. Supporting modules include a cost calculator for arbitration fee estimation, a directory for finding arbitrators and mediators, a legislation and case law database, and professional training events such as the Intensive Arbitrator Course and annual Arbitration Congress.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Institutional Arbitration (Arbitragem Institucional) Administration of institutional arbitration proceedings for domestic and international commercial disputes under CAC regulations, including case management, tribunal support, and procedural oversight for parties that have selected CAC in their arbitration clauses.
• Ad Hoc Arbitration (Arbitragem Ad Hoc) Support services for ad hoc arbitration proceedings where parties seek professional administrative assistance, including procedural management, logistical support, venue, and procedural oversight without full institutional administration.
• Mediation (Mediação) Mediation services delivered through the Mediation Committee to resolve commercial disputes via alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, provided to companies and parties seeking amicable settlement of business conflicts.
• Internationalization Committee Services (Comissão de Internacionalização) Specialized committee offering international arbitration services and cross-border dispute resolution support for Portuguese and international companies engaged in cross-border investments and commercial relationships.
• Angola Committee Services (Comissão de Angola) Committee delivering arbitration services and development activities in Angola, promoting Lusophone arbitration practices and supporting arbitration capacity-building in Angolan-speaking markets.
• Mozambique Committee Services (Comissão de Moçambique) Committee providing arbitration services and promotion in Mozambique, supporting the development of arbitration practices within the Mozambican Lusophone market.
• Professional Training and Events (Formação Profissional e Eventos) Professional training programs including the Intensive Arbitrator Course (offered in Lisbon and Luanda) and the Annual Arbitration Congress (XIX edition), targeting legal professionals and arbitrators in the Lusophone arbitration community.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OAA - Ordem dos Advogados de AngolacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CAC collaborates with OAA (Angolan Bar Association) on joint events including the II Arbitration Congress in Angola and intensive arbitrator training courses held in Luanda, supporting the development of arbitration services in Angola and the broader Lusophone community.
• ICC - International Chamber of CommerceminorOthersICC is listed as a useful link, representing a major international arbitration institution with complementary services.
• APA - Associação Portuguesa de ArbitragemminorOthersAPA is listed as a useful link, representing the Portuguese Arbitration Association.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA): Major international arbitration institution serving commercial parties. Comparable services as institutional arbitration administrator, but with a London-based global brand and broader international caseload.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration: Global leader in international arbitration headquartered in Paris. Directly comparable as an institutional arbitration administrator, but at a much larger scale, competing for high-value international commercial disputes.
• International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID): World Bank-affiliated arbitration institution. Comparable provider of institutional arbitration services, but focused on investment treaty disputes rather than purely commercial matters.
• Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Institute (SCC): European institutional arbitration provider. Comparable administrator of commercial and investment arbitrations, particularly strong in the Nordics and Eastern Europe.
• Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC): Asia's leading international arbitration institution. Comparable institutional arbitration offering, with a strong focus on Asia-Pacific cross-border disputes and credible technical platform.
• American Arbitration Association / International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR): Major U.S. arbitration and ADR provider. Comparable institutional arbitration administration, with extensive international case management capabilities and a large arbitrator roster.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC): Regional arbitration institution in Asia. Comparable institutional arbitration administration services, handling cross-border commercial disputes, particularly those involving China-related parties.

Direct peers

• Madrid Court of Arbitration (Corte de Arbitraje de Madrid): Spain's main institutional arbitration center administered by the Chamber of Commerce. Most direct comparison to CAC as a regional/European commercial arbitration center serving Iberian and Latin American markets.

Others

• Jus Mundi: Legal-tech platform providing arbitration research and case law documentation. Listed as a partner of CAC and addresses the same arbitration professional community, but offers enabling research tools rather than competing case administration.

Regional players

• Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA): Regional arbitration center in the MENA region. Comparable institutional arbitration model, connected to its local Chamber of Commerce, serving both domestic and regional commercial disputes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-de-arbitragem-comercial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centro de Arbitragem Comercial