The new Issue 138 of PM Services Magazine features Sandra Jardim Fernandes - lawyer, entrepreneur and founder of SjF Immigration & Investments - on its back cover, marking a career shaped by 35 years of legal practice, leadership and international vision.
In this issue Sandra talked about her experience in immigration, investment, Real Estate and Corporate Law, and the expansion of her work into new international markets.
A conversation about experience, entrepreneurship, internationalization, strategy, and the importance of building safer paths for individuals, families, and investors.
The original feature was published in the September 2026 issue of PM Services Magazine, available here (pages 6–8).
Below you can find the English translation.
Sandra Jardim Fernandes: 35 Years of Legal Practice Building Bridges Between People, Investment and New Beginnings
Some careers are built through professional choices. Others are built through a vision of life. Sandra Isabel Trindade Jardim Fernandes’s journey belongs to the latter category. At the age of 59, born in Lisbon and with 35 years of experience practising law, Sandra Jardim Fernandes has consolidated a career shaped by law, entrepreneurship, adaptability and, above all, a profound understanding of people and the projects they embark upon.
A lawyer, entrepreneur and founder of SjF Immigration & Investments, Sandra has built a career spanning more than three decades that goes far beyond the traditional practice of law. Her experience in different areas of law - particularly real estate law, corporate law, management, immigration and international investment - has enabled her to develop a broad perspective on the challenges faced by individuals, families, entrepreneurs and investors in an increasingly globalised world.
Behind the internationally recognised professional, known for her legal expertise and international presence, is a woman deeply connected to people, family and each individual’s freedom to forge their own path.
Determined, intuitive and resilient, Sandra believes that technical knowledge is essential, but not enough on its own. It is necessary to know how to listen, to understand what is truly at stake, and to find solutions that make sense for each person’s circumstances.
“Behind the lawyer is a woman deeply connected to people, family and each individual’s freedom to forge their own path,” she says.
This human dimension has accompanied Sandra since the beginning of her career. Throughout 35 years of legal practice, she has worked across different professional areas and gone through personal phases that have contributed to an increasingly comprehensive understanding of the role a lawyer can play in the lives of those seeking their services.
When law began to look at life as a whole
Her specialisation in immigration arose naturally, as a consequence of a career already deeply connected to real estate law, corporate law and investment.
From 2013 onwards, Sandra began devoting herself more intensively to immigration and quickly realised that international clients were seeking much more than a visa or residence permit.
Very often, behind an immigration process lies a move to another country, a family, an investment, a company, the acquisition of a property, tax and asset-related matters, and plans for the future.
It was precisely within this complexity that Sandra found an area capable of bringing together several of her professional passions.
Immigration came to represent not merely a legal matter, but an opportunity to accompany people at decisive moments in their lives.
“In this field, I found the combination of everything that has always interested me professionally - law, investment and strategy - with a very strong human dimension,” she explains.
For Sandra, immigration is not simply about handling procedures. It concerns people in transition and decisions that can change an entire life. For that reason, each client is assessed individually, taking into account their objectives, family, financial and professional circumstances, and what they intend to build in the medium and long term.
More than cases, life projects
Responsibility takes on an even greater dimension when working with immigration. Behind every case are expectations, fears, investments, families and, very often, years of preparation. Even when the objective is business-related or financial, there is always a human dimension.
Sandra believes that one of the main responsibilities of her profession is to provide clarity and security at a time that may be marked by uncertainty.
In her view, clients should not feel that they are simply handing documents over to a service provider. They should feel that there is a team that knows their project, understands their objectives, anticipates difficulties and responsibly accompanies every stage.
This philosophy has become one of the foundations of SjF Immigration & Investments.
An integrated vision of law and investment
Sandra’s accumulated experience in real estate and corporate law has become particularly relevant to clients who seek Portugal not only as a place of residence, but also as a place in which to invest, conduct business and build a new life project.
An immigration decision may involve establishing or acquiring a company, entering into contracts, purchasing or leasing property, making financial investments, dealing with asset-related matters and family planning.
This is why Sandra advocates an integrated approach
Obtaining a residence permit is not enough if the corporate structure is unsuitable. Making an investment is not enough without properly assessing its legal protection. Nor is it enough to choose an immigration solution without understanding its tax, family and asset-related implications.
It is precisely this comprehensive vision that SjF seeks to offer its clients, also drawing upon specialised professionals and trusted partners whenever a project requires expertise across different areas.
Obtaining a residence permit is not enough if the corporate structure is unsuitable. Making an investment is not enough without properly assessing its legal protection. Nor is it enough to choose an immigration solution without understanding its tax, family and asset-related implications.
It is precisely this comprehensive vision that SjF seeks to offer its clients, also drawing upon specialised professionals and trusted partners whenever a project requires expertise across different areas.
Entrepreneurship as a family legacy
Sandra’s entrepreneurial dimension also has deep roots in her family history.
Born into an entrepreneurial family, Sandra belongs to the third generation of female entrepreneurs in her family - a particularly significant fact considering the time in which the previous generations built their careers.
Her maternal grandmother, a Belgian woman born in Brussels in 1917, moved to Portugal after falling in love with a Portuguese university student. An independent and entrepreneurial woman, she forged her own path at a time when such a course was far from common for women.
Sandra’s mother was also an entrepreneur.
Today, Sandra and her sister represent the third generation of this female legacy.
This influence meant that an entrepreneurial mindset accompanied Sandra throughout her career. Even as a lawyer, she never regarded a law firm merely as a place in which to practise law. For her, an organisation requires strategy, management, innovation, processes, an understanding of the market and the ability to anticipate clients’ needs.
When she founded SjF, this vision gained a new dimension.
The challenge was to transform a personal vision, built over decades, into a structure capable of growing through a team without losing what she considers essential: quality, trust and human closeness.
Growing without losing closeness
Building a company also means learning to stop doing everything alone.
For Sandra, one of the most important aspects of SjF’s development was precisely learning how to delegate, train people, organise procedures and create a structure capable of operating beyond her direct involvement in every matter.
Today, she seeks to focus increasingly on strategy, international relationships and guiding the team.
However, there is something she has no intention of losing: closeness.
Sandra seeks to remain accessible to clients and partners and makes a point of maintaining a direct relationship, including through WhatsApp.
This choice reflects one of the qualities she values most in the way she works: the human dimension.
A brand that crossed borders
The internationalisation of Sandra’s career did not happen overnight.
Since 2014, she has participated as a speaker at international conferences related to immigration and foreign investment and, since 2015, has regularly participated as a speaker in initiatives organised by the International Bar Association.
Her presence in international networks, recognition among professionals from different countries, recommendations and invitations to participate in conferences were signs that her work had already gone beyond the boundaries of traditional legal practice.
The internationalisation of Sandra’s career did not happen overnight.
Since 2014, she has participated as a speaker at international conferences related to immigration and foreign investment and, since 2015, has regularly participated as a speaker in initiatives organised by the International Bar Association.
Her presence in international networks, recognition among professionals from different countries, recommendations and invitations to participate in conferences were signs that her work had already gone beyond the boundaries of traditional legal practice.
It was within this environment of relationships and trust that SjF found fertile ground in which to grow.
For Sandra, a brand is not born merely from a name or a visual identity. It is built through the way one works, the relationships established and the values that are reflected in every interaction.
When clients and professionals from different countries recommend and recognise not only a lawyer but a particular way of working, a reputation is built. And from that reputation, a brand is born.
Brazil and Nigeria: an international strategy
SjF’s growth strategy currently involves an international expansion supported by local partnerships.
In Brazil, the firm established a partnership with Santo Global Advisory, creating a bridge between Portugal and Brazil in the fields of immigration, investment, tax planning, real estate and corporate structuring.
In Nigeria, SjF established a partnership with Zenith Travel Group, which acts as its representative exclusively in that market.
For Sandra, these partnerships do not merely represent geographical expansion.
They represent the ability to bring SjF closer to those clients through professionals who have an in-depth understanding of local realities, cultures, markets and people’s needs.
Internationalisation is therefore regarded not merely as a presence in new territories, but as the building of relationships founded on trust.
The United States and the new concept of mobility
Among the markets regarded as strategic for SjF’s next stage of development is the United States.
Sandra identifies growing interest among US citizens, families and entrepreneurs in establishing a connection with Europe, often as a means of diversifying their assets, increasing international mobility or creating what has become known as a “Plan B”.
Not everyone intends to move immediately to Portugal.
Some are simply seeking the possibility of establishing a European connection while maintaining their personal and professional lives in the United States.
Within this context, the ARI - Residence Permit for Investment Activity, internationally known as the Golden Visa - can play an important role for certain investor profiles, always depending upon individual eligibility and analysis of each particular case.
Sandra emphasises, however, that there is no universal solution.
The strategy must begin with an understanding of the client’s profile, objectives, financial structure, family circumstances and future intentions.
Immigration, investment & taxation: decisions that cannot be separated
In a world where economic and professional borders are increasingly fluid, Sandra believes that immigration, investment and internationalisation must be considered together. A person may move to another country, establish a company, acquire a property or make an investment - and each of these decisions may have tax, legal and financial consequences.
For this reason, she considers it essential that advice be provided before any decision is made, rather than only after all the steps have already been taken.
Where does the person intend to live? Where will they retain their economic interests? How are their income and assets structured? What are the family’s objectives? Which country is intended to become part of their life project?
These questions may determine whether a particular strategy is appropriate.
“The true value of professional advice lies in bringing the different specialist areas together from the outset and building a legally secure, carefully considered tax strategy that is consistent with the client’s life project,” she argues.
The future of a woman who continues to build
The future of a woman who continues to build
At the age of 59, Sandra Jardim Fernandes looks to the future with the same willingness to learn, create and transform that has marked the most recent decades of her career.Over the next five years, she intends to consolidate SjF Immigration & Investments as an internationally recognised Portuguese brand in the areas of immigration, investment and global mobility. However, she does not seek growth at any cost.
She wants a solid, technologically prepared organisation that remains human at the same time. A structure capable of offering personalised solutions and maintaining a relationship of trust with every client. She also intends to devote increasing time to strategy, international relations and passing on the experience accumulated over 35 years, thereby contributing to the growth of her team and of younger professionals.
Ultimately, her vision for the future is not limited to expanding a business. It is also a way of perpetuating a particular approach to practising the profession.
A form of legal practice that combines knowledge and strategy without losing the ability to listen. A company that grows internationally while preserving closeness. A professional who has built a solid career but remains aware that every client represents a different story.
Sandra Jardim Fernandes began her legal career 35 years ago. Today, her work crosses borders and connects different dimensions of contemporary life: immigration, investment, mobility, assets, entrepreneurship and family. And perhaps it is precisely this ability to understand that, behind every case, there is a person with dreams, fears and plans for the future that best defines her legacy. Because, for Sandra, crossing a border does not simply mean moving from one country to another.
It may mean beginning a new chapter in life. And it is at that moment of change that she has chosen to be present: helping people and families transform complex decisions into safer, more structured paths capable of opening up new opportunities.
At the age of 59, Sandra Jardim Fernandes looks to the future with the same willingness to learn, create and transform that has marked the most recent decades of her career.
Over the next five years, she intends to consolidate SjF Immigration & Investments as an internationally recognised Portuguese brand in the areas of immigration, investment and global mobility. However, she does not seek growth at any cost.
She wants a solid, technologically prepared organisation that remains human at the same time. A structure capable of offering personalised solutions and maintaining a relationship of trust with every client. She also intends to devote increasing time to strategy, international relations and passing on the experience accumulated over 35 years, thereby contributing to the growth of her team and of younger professionals.
Ultimately, her vision for the future is not limited to expanding a business. It is also a way of perpetuating a particular approach to practising the profession.
A form of legal practice that combines knowledge and strategy without losing the ability to listen. A company that grows internationally while preserving closeness. A professional who has built a solid career but remains aware that every client represents a different story.
Sandra Jardim Fernandes began her legal career 35 years ago. Today, her work crosses borders and connects different dimensions of contemporary life: immigration, investment, mobility, assets, entrepreneurship and family. And perhaps it is precisely this ability to understand that, behind every case, there is a person with dreams, fears and plans for the future that best defines her legacy. Because, for Sandra, crossing a border does not simply mean moving from one country to another.
It may mean beginning a new chapter in life. And it is at that moment of change that she has chosen to be present: helping people and families transform complex decisions into safer, more structured paths capable of opening up new opportunities.
