José Luis Saragoca

My legal journey is not over yet

I am a lawyer specialised in transport law. My legal journey in the world of goods transport began 49 years ago.

I started in 1974 in Portugal’s Land Transport Administration, where I had the opportunity to help develop important laws in preparation of Portugal’s adhesion to the then European Economic Community.

In 1983, I began to collaborate as a legal consultant with ANTRAM, the largest association of goods carriers in Portugal. That’s when I realised the enormous importance of transport law as a tool to help companies prevent or minimise risks, particularly those related to cargo theft and damage.

My perception was reinforced through courses I taught at ANTRAM, both to managers and drivers.

In parallel, as an attorney for over 40 years, I have defended many transport companies, in most cases successfully. But each case further clarified to me the importance of preventing legal disputes.

I am now 70 years old, but my legal journey is not over yet. I recently published, in Portuguese, “The Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road - The CMR Convention”, which is the first monograph on this important subject.

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