Ms Leah Abutan > SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan > Manila, Philippines > Lawyer Profile

Ms Leah Abutan

+632 8982 3500 lcabutan@syciplaw.com

Work Department

Special Projects, Banking, Finance & Securities and Corporate Services practice groups. Her practice areas include investments, mergers and acquisitions, corporate services and business transactions, securities and construction and infrastructure

Position

Leah C. Abutan is a partner in SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan.

Career

Ms. Abutan has participated in a number of projects involving acquisition of interests in various industries, including advertising, manufacturing, mining, financial services, transportation and communications, real estate, energy and power, and oil and gas. She has vast experience in conducting legal due diligence on corporate acquisitions and other forms of investments; investment structuring; drafting and reviewing transaction documents; contract negotiations; rendering advisory opinions on day-to-day corporate matters; and corporate secretarial duties. She regularly advises financial institutions on the regulatory requirements governing products and services to be distributed in the Philippine market. Her representative projects include: • re-bidding for the Manila LRT1 Extension, Operations and Maintenance Project by the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Light Rail Transit Authority, • acquisition by Coca-Cola FEMSA of a controlling interest in Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (now Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Inc.), • MERALCO PowerGen’s acquisition of 20% interest in Global Business Power Corporation, • sale of Kingdom Hotel Investments’ interest in the developer and operator of the Fairmont Hotel and Raffles Suites & Residences Makati, • sale by Wyeth LLC of its interest in Wyeth Philippines, Inc. to Nestlé S.A., • acquisition by the Dairy Farm Group of a 50% interest in Rustan Supercenters, Inc., one of the largest retail chains in the Philippines, and • Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company’s acquisition of Digital Telecommunications Philippines, Inc., a listed telecoms company. Ms. Abutan is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Languages

English, Filipino

Education

Ms. Abutan received her law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University (Second Honors and class valedictorian). She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2010.