The Legal 500

Ricardo Romulo heads the excellent corporate team at Romulo, which remains one of the most active in the market. Highlights for the team included advising Digitel Telecommunications Philippines Inc (DTPI) on the sale of a controlling interest in DTPI to Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT). The firm also advised China Huaneng Group on the Philippine aspects of its $1.2bn acquisition of a 50% stake in InterGen, which included the Philippines-based Quezon Power Plant. Perry Pe and Agustin Montilla are both active.

SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan’s market-leading corporate group regularly finds itself on the country’s largest transactions. A recent highlight was representing PLDT on its landmark acquisition of a controlling stake in DTPI. The firm was also local counsel to ING Bank on the $1.46bn sale of its Asian private banking business to Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation. Andres Maria heads the excellent team.

Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW) is highly recommended for its general corporate advice where it draws from a deep talent pool, including senior partners Eusebio Tan, Teodoro Regala and Avelino Cruz. The firm is especially strong in restructuring and insolvency matters. Past clients include Dell, Del Monte and Philips.

Established in 1987, Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos has a strong foothold in the Philippine corporate market and is regularly instructed on joint ventures, privatisations, restructurings and M&A, as well as day-to-day commercial advice. Clients include ABC Development Corp, Petron Corp, Mitsubishi, San Miguel, Toyota Motors, Kirin Brewery and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum. Name partner Antonio Picazo is recommended.

Quiason Makalintal Barot Torres Ibarra & Sison represents numerous major international corporations, including several from the UK and US, on their Philippine investments. Senior managing partner Eduardo Makalintal heads the well-regarded team.

Quisumbing Torres has a very strong transactional practice and also represents clients on their regular day-to-day matters. The firm is particularly experienced in the energy, pharmaceutical, BPO and mining sectors. Jocelyn Gregorio-Reyes heads the six-partner team, which also includes energy and natural resources expert Pearl Liu. Other partners include Maria Christina Macasaet-Acaban, Dennis Quintero and Lourdes Echavez-De Leon.

Name partner Noel Laman of Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon & San Jose is an extremely well-regarded corporate lawyer. The firm regularly represents international investors on their Philippine interests. The firm is also recommended for insolvency work and day-to-day commercial advice.

Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro & Leaño’s highly rated team recently represented ON Semiconductors Philippines on its acquisition of Sanyo Marketing Corporation. Carlos Platon heads the team, which also includes Rachelle Aileen Santos. Major clients include Chevron and Cargill Philippines.

Regina Jacinto-Barrientos, Virginia Viray and Maria Raquel Chavez jointly head the quality team at Puyat Jacinto & Santos Law Offices. Recent highlights include advising Aboitiz Power Corporation on the acquisition of four power barges from Duracom Mobile Power and East Asia Diesel Power.

Villaraza Cruz Marcelo & Angangco is highly recommended for insolvency work, where it regularly represents the creditors. Corporate head Sylvette Tankiang is noted for her ‘mastery of corporate law’, and senior partner Raoul Angangco comes highly recommended. Recent clients include Reynolds Philippines Corporation, RAMCAR and Stanford Microsystems.

Renato Calma heads the team at Ortega Del Castillo Bacorro Odulio Calma & Carbonell, which also includes Gregorio Ortega. Recent highlights include representing Fil-Star Maritime Corp in its acquisition of a stake in the real estate company San Marcel Realty.

Poblador Bautista & Reyes acts for a range of major clients, including TNT Express Worldwide, which it advised on the restructuring of its local subsidiary. Other clients include Daikin Industries and Top Frontier Investment Holdings. Alexander Poblador, Mario Bautista and Raymund Rodriguez are recommended.

Regis Puno is one of the lead partners in Puno & Puno Law Offices’ highly rated corporate team. The firm has an impressive clientbase in the energy, infrastructure and mining sectors, including First Philippine Balfour Beatty, Manila Electric Company and Phoenix Petroleum.

The well-regarded Edgardo Balois heads the corporate practice at Siguion Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako. Recent clients include Ayala, Cathay Pacific, Kraft Jacobs Sucard, Monsanto and Siements.

Belo Gozon Elma Parel Asuncion & Lucila Law Office is known for its experience advising clients in the TMT, energy and mining sectors. Roberto Rafael Lucila is recommended. Clients include San Miguel, Time Life and Petron Corporation.

‘The overall level of service is superb’ at Carag, Jamora, Somera & Villareal Law Offices, which has a strong focus on the logistics, fashion and TMT sectors. Recent clients include Bosch, Nike, Nintendo and Gianni Versace. Maria Trinidad Villareal ‘has definitely got her pulse firmly fixed on the commercial world’.

Cochingyan & Peralta Law Offices acts for several international clients in the fast food, manufacturing and energy sectors. Name partners Jose Cochingyan and Anthony Peralta are recommended for corporate and M&A.

Del Rosario & Del Rosario regularly advises its shipping and transportation clients on corporate issues.

Escaño Sarmiento & Partners Law Offices is best known for IP work, but also advises clients on general corporate matters. Robert Abadilla, Genevieve Yu and Rene Chester Pangan are experienced.

Roderick Salazar of Fortun Narvasa & Salazar is highly experienced in corporate matters. Clients include the Philippine Gold Processing and Refining Corporation and LG International.

JGLaw acts for healthy mix of domestic and international clients, regularly advising on joint ventures, spin-offs, M&A, restructurings, as well as more day-to-day advice. Jose Jimenez is the main corporate contact.

Kapunan Garcia & Castillo Law Offices acts for several major clients including Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines and CDO Foodsphere (a major Philippine food producer). Irene Joy Besido-Garcia is active in this area.

Migallos & Luna Law Offices’ name partners Barbara Anne Migallos and Troy Ang Luna are both experienced on corporate matters.

Name partners Carlos Ocampo and Manolito Manalo are recommended at Ocampo & Manalo, which provides corporate advice to a broad range of clients.

Palma Ybañez & Teleron is a leading Cebu-based firm with a corporate practice that regularly competes with firms in Manila.

Ponce Enrile Reyes & Manalastas advises an impressive array of major corporations, including Nike, Pfizer, San Miguel and Sun Microsystems. Eleazar Reyes has a good reputation.

Quasha Ancheta Peña & Nolasco acts for several international clients including Lego, Marsh, British Airways, BP Chemical and Fuji-Xerox.