Our Practice

Taxation

One of the Firm's strengths lies in its tax practice. The Tax Department is composed of tax lawyers with a full range of experience in helping clients on various tax issues. The Firm assists clients in handling tax assessments, claims for tax refund, applications for tax treaty relief, settlement of estates, tax compliance audits and tax litigation. It also secures rulings from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Finance and other relevant government agencies.

The Firm also provides tax planning, i.e., income tax planning; capital gains tax planning for sales, transfers or exchange of shares of stock and real properties; estate planning and gifting strategies, tax planning related to mergers, acquisitions and tax-deferred reorganizations; and employee compensation packages. It assists clients on issues concerning value-added tax and other business taxes, documentary stamp tax, real property taxes and other local taxes, as well as issues on taxation of financial instruments, foreign tax and international transactions.

Corporate & Commercial Law

The lawyers of the Corporate Department have developed an expertise in a wide range of corporate and commercial law transactions. The Firm regularly provides legal advice and services on business formation; incorporation and registration of corporations, partnerships, foundations and associations; and establishment of branches, regional headquarters and representative offices. It advises foreign investors on issues related to doing business in the Philippines, including the suitable business structure that they may establish in the country, capital and equity ownership requirements, and entitlement to incentives. It also handles the registration and securing of incentives with the Board of Investments and the numerous economic zones in the Philippines.

The Firm also handles mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, divestitures and dissolutions; petitions for rehabilitation and insolvency; registration and listing of securities; and legal due diligence audits. The Firm's lawyers draft and review contracts relevant to all kinds of commercial transactions, including, among others, shareholders' agreements, joint venture agreements, and management agreements, and represent the clients in contract negotiations.

The Firm has developed an expertise in public procurement laws and regulations. The Firm advises clients on matters involving its participation in government procurement and public bidding activities, and in the course thereof, assists clients in the preparation and review of eligibility documents, represents them in proceedings before the procuring entity's Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and in preparing inquiries with the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB), renders legal opinions on issues raised during the proceedings, and reviews contracts.

Intellectual Property

The Intellectual Property Department renders a full scope of legal services in protecting its clients' intellectual property rights. It prosecutes trademark and patent applications with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), and copyright registration with the National Library. It drafts and reviews licensing agreements, and assists clients in the registration of said agreements with the IPO. Some of its clients include foreign publishers, food companies, software developers and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies.

In conjunction with the Litigation Department, the Intellectual Property Department represents clients in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the IPO, and in infringement and unfair competition cases.

Immigration

The Firm renders legal advice on immigration matters and assists foreign nationals and their dependents in securing visas and work permit requirements necessary for their continued stay and work or business in the Philippines. The Firm also represents clients in their applications for acquisition and recognition of Philippine citizenship.

Litigation

The Litigation Department provides legal representation in civil, criminal, administrative cases and disputes before administrative agencies, regular courts, arbitral bodies, the Court of Tax Appeals, Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. The Firm handles a vast variety of matters under litigation, including, among others, national and local taxation, intracorporate disputes, contract law, family law, personal injury and torts, real estate and property, banking, election law, and intellectual property infringement. It has successfully represented clients in cases which are of first impression, i.e., precedent-setting cases.

Labor & Employment Law

The Firm offers legal advisory services to the employer on labor and employment issues, labor standards and labor relations, and reviews company policies and regulations. It represents management in collective bargaining negotiations, labor disputes, and certification election cases. It also handles administrative investigation cases and labor litigation cases filed before the National Labor Relations Commission.

Special Projects

Accounts which do not squarely fall under any of the Firm's above practice areas are handled by a Special Project Group. These accounts generally refer to diverse, non-recurring and /or developmental projects that involve the collaborative efforts and expertise of lawyers from the Firm's various practice areas, and the development of legislative proposals.