Clifford Chance has an established reputation for its work on a variety of high-profile inward and outward investment projects in the Philippines, and a strong record of acting for lenders on deals relating to asset and acquisition financings as well as real estate and project financing mandates alongside a large international arbitration practice. Singapore-based Paul Landless specialises in structured finance, derivatives and other financial markets projects, while Cameron Hassall has a vast amount of experience in Asia-related international arbitration proceedings and litigation, particularly those involving cross-border investments, joint ventures and shareholder issues. Melissa Ng is an important member of the corporate and M&A group and has considerable sector expertise in energy and resources. Paul Sandosham and Johannes Juette are also well regarded.

Latham & Watkins LLP plays an integral part in some of the country’s largest transactions and is adept at handling inbound and outbound deals, leveraging its strong capital markets practice. The team is also regularly instructed on significant project financing matters as well as arbitrations and disputes. Hong-Kong based Benjamin Carale is dual qualified in New York and the Philippines and heads up the department; he garners praise for his capital markets expertise and is a key contact for major M&A work, project finance issues and disputes. Diana Dizon is a native Philippine speaker who is also qualified in both the Philippines and New York and is a registered foreign lawyer in Hong Kong; she is an active member of the team who has been involved in a variety of local debt and equity capital markets transactions.

Hong Kong-based James Grandolfo and Singapore-based James Murray co-head the department at Milbank, which is praised for having ‘a lot of experience globally’; it receives plaudits for its work on a myriad of cross-border M&A, capital markets and financing transactions as well as for its considerable strength in power projects. Clients comment that it is ‘extremely competent in debt and EPC contracts for projects’ and the group has been particularly active in advising on REIT IPOs. The team is mostly based in Hong Kong with strong support from its Singapore office as well as Seoul and Tokyo. Of counsel Desiree Woo has worked on several sponsor-side mandates for projects in the Philippines, and Paul Pery has a wealth of experience in capital markets work.

Under the leadership of Wade Coriell, the team at King & Spalding LLP has particular expertise in the energy, power and natural resources sectors and garners additional praise for its experience in the transport, infrastructure and technology industries. The group continues to be busy advising on various key projects, disputes and M&A matters locally and across the region, and has also been active in helping clients with the financing aspects of significant deals, projects and distressed investments. Andrew Brereton and Simon Cowled are also highly regarded.

Shearman & Sterling LLP fields a ‘very organised team’ that ‘keeps a very good track of what is happening on the projects that it works on’. It has considerable cross-border capabilities and regularly works with major conglomerates in the Philippines on key infrastructure projects and continues to be active advising Philippine clients on outbound investments. Bill McCormack has a broad range of experience in advising lenders, sponsors and other project participants and has particular strength in renewable projects, while David Clinch is a highly regarded name for energy, natural resources and infrastructure projects and deals. Philip Cheveley also plays a pivotal role in the department and Li Chen is a key name to note in the firm’s M&A practice who oversees a varied caseload of M&A, corporate and private equity matters.

Stephenson Harwood LLP counts a broad range of banks, financial institutions and multinational corporations as well as private equity funds and airlines on its client roster. George Cyriac; Tom Platts and Saugata Mukherjee head up the department, which has advised many large and high-profile listed and unlisted international businesses on their investments into the Philippines; it also has a strong private wealth practice as well as a notable asset finance group, which continues to work on various complex financial structures and large aircraft orders in Asia. The team’s sector expertise spans the power and infrastructure industries as well as other areas including the mining, aviation and shipping arenas.

White & Case Pte. Ltd. fields a ‘very active’ team that enjoys a steady flow of work on major energy, infrastructure and natural resources matters. It continues to advise on a whole host of inbound investments from international corporates as well as increasingly working on the outbound investments of Philippine-based conglomerates. Recent work highlights have included advising multinational companies and private equity houses on their investments in the country and on cross-border activities that involve the Philippines. The ‘excellent’ Matthew Osborne, who is ‘very easy to work with’, leads the team; he specialises in large-scale power and infrastructure projects in the energy, resources, utilities, oil and gas and transport sectors. Senior associate Audrey Lim is another notable member of the team.