NOVA Legal

What NOVA Legal does

NOVA Legal, founded in 2019 in Guimarães, Portugal, is an Alternative Legal Services Provider (ALSP) delivering legal services to startups, SMEs, entrepreneurs, and businesses. Registered with the Ordem dos Advogados as Neves Ferreira, Rocha Alves & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados, SP, RL, the firm operates from two offices (Guimarães headquarters and Lisbon) and serves clients across healthcare, urban mobility, SaaS, energy and renewables, international retail, and AI/artificial vision, spanning engagements from company formation and employment law through GDPR compliance, IP management, fundraising, and corporate governance. Founders Rui Neves Ferreira (Co-Founder and Managing-Partner) and Ana Rocha Alves (Partner – Head of Employment, Litigation & Public Law) lead a 13-person team that includes a COO & Head of People, a Senior-Lawyer/Recoveries Manager, a Junior-Associate dedicated to Privacy, AI & Digital Legal Ops, and additional corporate and IP counsel.

The firm's core technology is MLT – My Legal Team®, a proprietary client-facing legal-tech portal that delivers "Legal Department as a Service" with contract management, legal compliance management, e-signature, automated contract generation, document archiving, and AI-assisted document review. In 2023, NOVA Legal introduced Speak UP, a whistleblowing channel solution built on a technology partnership with Whistleblower Software, providing ISAE 3000-certified and ISO 27001-hosted infrastructure with GDPR-compliant external case management. MLT – My Legal Team® and NOVA LEGAL® are registered trademarks; Speak UP is a branded sub-product. AI is deployed narrowly within text/document review processes and is not positioned as an autonomous legal reasoning engine.

NOVA Legal generates revenue through subscription retainers, fixed-fee project pricing, and a tiered SaaS product (Speak UP priced at €70–€285/month billed annually, plus a €1,370 one-time implementation fee). Distribution is primarily inbound: a content-driven resource hub, active presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, and the #LawsOfChange Discord community, direct website consultation requests, and government-ecosystem referrals through the Startup Voucher program (IAPMEI, Startup Portugal, Portugal Digital, Compete 2020). The firm is privately held with no publicly disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or external institutional ownership.

Name

NOVA Legal

Legal name

Neves Ferreira, Rocha Alves & Associados, Sociedade de Advogados, SP, RL

Website

https://novalegal.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NOVA Legal is a Portuguese Alternative Legal Services Provider (ALSP) offering subscription and fixed-fee legal services to startups, SMEs, and entrepreneurs through its proprietary MLT – My Legal Team® platform, the Speak UP whistleblowing solution, and AI-assisted document review.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration Law (BPAHAAAL)

Keywords

• Legal services provider
• Corporate legal advisory
• Contract management
• Whistleblower compliance
• Startup legal support

Headquarters

HQ city

Guimarães, Guimarães

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Subscription Plans (Value-Billing): NOVA Legal operates on a value-billing model (contrasting with traditional hourly billing). Clients subscribe to monthly or project-based fixed-fee plans that define scope and pricing upfront. This model provides pricing predictability for clients and shifts focus from billable hours to client outcomes.
2. Fixed-Fee Legal Projects: Individual legal projects are priced with fixed fees agreed in advance with the client, covering specific deliverables and scope. This includes services such as company setup, contract drafting, GDPR compliance, IP registration, fundraising support, and M&A advisory.
3. Whistleblower Platform Subscription: The Speak UP whistleblowing solution is offered as a subscription service with tiered monthly pricing based on company headcount (€70 to €285/month), billed annually, plus a one-time implementation fee of €1,370.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NOVA Legal is an Alternative Legal Services Provider (ALSP) that delivers corporate, employment, immigration, IP, GDPR/data protection, and contract legal services to startups, SMEs, and entrepreneurs in Portugal. Services are sold on subscription plans and fixed-fee project pricing through its proprietary MLT – My Legal Team® legal-tech platform and the Speak UP whistleblowing compliance solution.

Product overview

NOVA Legal is an Alternative Legal Services Provider (ALSP) that offers legal services using non-traditional methods, technology, and process innovation. The company operates through its core MLT – My Legal Team® platform (a proprietary Legal Department as a Service portal providing contract management, compliance, e-sign, automated contracts, and AI document review) and the Speak UP whistleblowing solution. Combined with subscription plans and fixed-fee legal service offerings across startup support, company setup, immigration, employment, corporate governance, contracts, web3, SaaS/IT, debt collection, and public procurement, NOVA Legal positions legal as a competitive advantage for businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MLT – My Legal Team: A proprietary legal-tech platform developed by NOVA Legal that provides clients with a Legal Department as a Service solution, including contract management, compliance management, e-signature capabilities, automated contracts, legal updates, and AI-powered document review.
• Speak UP

Products and services

• MLT – My Legal Team® Proprietary legal-tech platform offering Legal Department as a Service to NOVA Legal's clients, providing a virtual legal department with contract management, compliance management, e-signature, automated contract generation, legal updates, and AI-powered document review accessed via the client portal at portal.mylegalteam.ai.
• Speak UP – Whistleblower Channel Comprehensive whistleblowing solution for organizations (typically 50+ employees) requiring whistleblower channels under EU/Portuguese directive, including whistleblower protection scheme implementation, GDPR-validated procedures, encrypted reporting technology with 2-factor authentication and full audit trail, and external case management, offered via tiered subscription pricing plus a one-time implementation fee.
• Debt Collection International International debt collection legal service offered by NOVA Legal with fixed pricing, a free consultation, and deep knowledge of Portuguese laws and regulations for cross-border recovery matters.
• Contratação Pública (Public Procurement) Legal advisory and support service for public procurement procedures, including strategic advice, document preparation, and contract execution support for organizations participating in Portuguese public tenders.
• Legal Services – Start Up, Company Set up, Immigration, Employment, Corporate & Governance, Contracts, Web3, SaaS & IT Fixed-fee and subscription-based legal service lines offered by NOVA Legal covering startup support, company setup, immigration to Portugal, employment, corporate governance, contracts, and specialized areas including GDPR compliance, public procurement, IP/brands & patents, Web3, and SaaS/IT legal matters for businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Client testimonial: 'NOVA Legal has been an invaluable partner to our company's operations in Portugal, providing exceptional legal services and strategic guidance that have helped us navigate local laws and achieve our business goals.'
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Whistleblower SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationNOVA Legal partners with Whistleblower Software to deliver its Speak UP whistleblowing solution. The technology platform is provided by Whistleblower Software (certified ISAE 3000, hosted in ISO 27001 data center) while NOVA Legal provides the legal implementation, policy design, staff training, and ongoing external case management. This is a core component of NOVA's compliance service line.
• IAPMEIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIAPMEI (Instituto de Apoio às Pequenas e Médias Empresas e à Inovação) is a Portuguese government agency supporting SMEs and innovation. NOVA Legal references IAPMEI as a partner in the Startup Voucher program, providing legal guidance to startups that receive Startup Voucher funding.
• Startup PortugalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStartup Portugal is the national entity driving the Startup Voucher program in partnership with IAPMEI, Compete, and Portugal Digital. NOVA Legal assists entrepreneurs navigating the Startup Voucher application process and provides post-voucher legal support.
• Portugal DigitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPortugal Digital is a government initiative supporting digital transition in Portugal. It partners with Startup Portugal and IAPMEI on the Startup Voucher program. NOVA Legal refers to this partnership in the context of the Startup Voucher legal support it provides to qualifying startups.
• Compete 2020minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompete 2020 is a Portuguese operational program for competitiveness and internationalization. It is one of the partners in the Startup Voucher program alongside IAPMEI and Portugal Digital, providing funding and framework support for startups in Portugal.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Axiom: Global Alternative Legal Services Provider offering tech-enabled legal talent and managed services to in-house teams. Most comparable to NOVA Legal's ALSP positioning, value-based pricing, and focus on serving businesses (including high-growth companies) with scalable legal support.
• UnitedLex: Data-driven ALSP combining legal talent with proprietary technology and AI for corporations. Comparable to NOVA Legal's ALSP model, AI-assisted document review via MLT, and enterprise-oriented service delivery.
• Elevate: ALSP delivering legal, compliance, and consulting services with technology enablement. Comparable to NOVA Legal's blend of human legal expertise, subscription/fixed-fee pricing, and proprietary technology for contract and compliance workflows.

Emerging players

• LawVu: Legal operations platform for in-house teams, with contract management, matter management, and outside counsel collaboration. Comparable to NOVA Legal's MLT platform concept of giving clients a virtual legal department on a subscription basis.
• LinkSquares: AI-powered contract lifecycle management and analytics platform for legal and business teams. Comparable to the AI-assisted document review and contract automation features inside NOVA Legal's MLT offering.
• SpotDraft: AI-native contract lifecycle management platform with automated drafting, review, and repository features. Comparable to MLT's automated contract generation and AI document review capabilities targeted at business clients.
• Brightflag: AI platform for legal spend analysis, matter management, and outside counsel collaboration. Adjacent to NOVA Legal's value-billing subscription model and MLT's role in giving clients transparency and control over their legal workflows.
• Whistleblower Software: Provider of the encrypted, ISAE 3000 / ISO 27001 certified whistleblowing platform that powers NOVA Legal's Speak UP product. Directly comparable on the whistleblower compliance product side, with NOVA Legal reselling/implementing its technology under a partnership.

Broad incumbents

• Clio: Leading legal practice management SaaS platform with document automation, e-signature, and AI features. Comparable to NOVA Legal's MLT platform vision (contract management, e-signature, AI document review) but at much larger scale and serving law firms broadly rather than a niche ALSP.

Regional players

• PLMJ: One of the largest full-service Portuguese law firms, with deep coverage of corporate, employment, IP, and regulatory matters. Comparable as a Portuguese-headquartered competitor for SME and corporate mandates that NOVA Legal also targets with its subscription/fixed-fee ALSP model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/legaladvantageforcompanies
• Instagraminstagram.com/nova.legal

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 NOVA Legal