Dower strengthens the business ecosystem with the launch of Dower Business Services

The session was attended by Pedro Passos Coelho, who discussed the challenges facing the European economy and Portugal’s role in global competitiveness.

Dower celebrated its anniversary with an event that brought together more than 250 people — including clients, partners, teams, and friends of the firm — in a moment that combined celebration, strategy, and a vision for the future.

The gathering, which featured a keynote speech by Pedro Passos Coelho, also served to share Dower’s growth and consolidation — a young firm sustained by the experience of its teams and its distinctive capacity for transformation.

Among the new initiatives presented was Dower Business Services, a new unit specializing in financial consulting, accounting, and fiscal and financial incentives, strengthening the firm’s integrated offering and consolidating its position as a one-stop shop for businesses.

With this expansion, Dower now offers a global response that combines legal, tax, and corporate expertise with strategic, results-oriented solutions — supporting companies and investors through every stage of their development.

Located in the ICON Douro, one of Porto’s most emblematic contemporary buildings, Dower also reflects in its spaces its brand philosophy: open, collaborative, and inspired by modernity and Portuguese culture. The environment embodies a balance between design, art, functionality, and technical precision — elements that mirror the identity of a firm that blends legal expertise with strategic creativity.

A commitment to innovation, sustainability, and social impact has guided the firm’s work through several cross-cutting initiatives, such as Dower Culture, DowerCast, and partnerships with academia, among others.

During the event, the crucial role of clients, teams, and partners was emphasized as the driving force behind the firm’s standards, innovation, and growth.

In the words of Pedro Passos Coelho, “Dower is an example of what Portugal needs: talent that takes risks, the ability to create value, and the will to transform the world around it.”

Strategic reflection on Portugal and Europe

The session featured a keynote address by Pedro Passos Coelho, who analyzed the major economic and political challenges of today, stressing the need to “face the worst-case scenario with realism and act on the structural knots that hinder growth.”

The former prime minister warned of Europe’s loss of economic dynamism, stating that “Europe has become accustomed to a certain institutional and budgetary comfort” in an increasingly competitive and fragmented global context. He called for faster energy and digital transitions, greater innovation funding, and the reduction of internal barriers within the single European market, urging the creation of a true capital markets union.

Regarding Portugal, Passos Coelho emphasized the need for microeconomic reforms and a long-term vision, advocating for the simplification of licensing processes and stronger support for businesses.

He also warned of the burden of public debt and the sustainability of social finances, stressing that “future generations cannot inherit an unsustainable model — without budgetary discipline and without growth, the risk of a new sovereign financing crisis will be real.”

His speech ended on an optimistic note, recognizing the talent and creativity of the Portuguese economy, which, he said, “only needs the State and regulators to let productive forces do their work.”