OUR PRACTICE AREAS
Business & Corporate Law
We provide legal advice to individual and corporate clients on all aspects of their business, ranging from business start-up, mergers and acquisitions, to advice on reducing the impact of taxation and addressing tax issues.
We advise clients on a broad range of corporate services such as:
• Business formation – Formation of business entities (i.e., corporation, partnership, joint ventures, etc.)
• Corporate governance and compliance – We assist in the drafting of rules, policies, and procedures by which a corporation’s overall direction and performance is determined. We take into account the corporation’s various financial, legal, regulatory, institutional, and ethical responsibilities to its various stakeholders.
• Commercial transactions – We draft and review contract on various types of commercial transactions such as sale, lease, agency, financing, etc.
• Mergers and acquisitions – We can act as counsel for either the surviving or absorbed corporation in a merger and assist clients in negotiating and drafting the terms and articles of the merger, as well as obtaining regulatory approvals.
• Bankruptcy – We can represent and give advice to clients in connection with financial restructurings, suspension of payments, insolvency and rehabilitation proceedings, including advice to financial institutions regarding regulations and audit matters.
• Taxation – We give advice on tax laws compliance and minimizing tax implications. We likewise assist clients in securing tax rulings, opinions, and clearances from the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other appropriate agencies. We handle tax assessments, tax protests, and claims for refund and represent our clients in tax litigation before Philippine Courts.
Labor & Employment
We assist both employers and employees in labor and employment disputes. This practice area revolves around breaches in contracts of employment, failure to comply with the labor standards provided under the Labor Code, employee claims, pre-termination and termination disputes. We give advice concerning employment policies, review employment contracts, drafting, and review of collective bargaining agreements, strikes, lockout and other forms of concerted activities. We can also represent clients before the Labor Arbiters, the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court in matters relating to labor and industrial relations.
Family & Succession
We provide legal assistance on issues involving family and domestic relations including domestic and inter-country adoption, guardianship, estate planning, wills, probate of wills, partition of estate, and advice on the proper and most judicious remedies in every given situation. We also assist clients of their various concerns which include domestic violence, petition for protective orders, annulment and declaration of nullity of marriage, legal separation, property settlements, adoption, paternity and filiation, support, and habeas corpus to secure custody of minor children.
Real Estate & Construction
We advise clients on land acquisition, utilization, and disposition of real estate as well as real estate development, sales contracts, construction contracts, addressing regulatory issues, nationality restrictions on ownership, use of land and other specific issues regarding real estate and construction. We also facilitate documentation, registration and transfer of real estate.
We handle mediation and arbitration of construction disputes before the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission.
Intellectual Property & Information Technology
We extend legal assistance, legal advice and representation in opposition and cancellation proceedings; prosecution of patent, trademark, and copyright infringement cases, as well unfair competition and other violations of the Intellectual Property Code before the Intellectual Property Office and the regular courts.
We assist clients in ensuring compliance with the e-commerce law and data privacy protection laws and regulations, particularly compliance with the Data Privacy Act, its implementing rules and regulations, issuances and advisories.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
We provide legal assistance and representation on every area of litigation, from conducting trials before the Municipal and Regional Trial Courts to appeals with the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. We also conduct litigation services before administrative agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Housing and Land Urban Regulatory Board (HLURB), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), Energy Regulatory Board (ERB), among others.
We assist clients even during the preliminary investigation before the Office of the City Prosecutor. We represent them in trial and in collaboration with the prosecutor. As defense counsel, we help ensure our client’s constitutional and legal rights are respected. We believe in intensive preparation for the case to afford our clients the best defense possible.
We also aid in mediation, domestic and international arbitration, and other alternative modes of dispute resolution. We represent clients in disputes before the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission, Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, and other institutional and ad hoc sole arbitrators or arbitral tribunals.
We advocate early settlement of disputes over a prolonged legal battle where appropriate to reduce the costs and avoid delays often associated with litigation.
