The team at Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALaw) advises a substantive number of leading corporations on labour and employment issues. Covering industries such as manufacturing, bottling, power generation and pharmaceuticals, it has specific expertise in inspection proceedings before the regional director and litigation before the Court of Appeals. Additional specialisms include advice on union interactions, redundancies, restructurings and compliance on Filipino contract law. Led by Clarence Darrow C Valdecantos , Neptali B Salvanera , and Emerico O De Guzman, it also fields of counsel Joy Leong-Pambid and senior associate Franchesca Abigail Gesmundo, noted for her work on advisory and contentious employment issues.
Labour and employment in Philippines
Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALaw)
Practice head(s):
Clarence Darrow C Valdecantos; Neptali B Salvanera; Emerico O De Guzman
Other key lawyers:
Joy Leong-Pambid; Franchesca Abigail Gesmundo
Key clients
24-7 Intouch PH Inc.
AGC, Inc.
Amdocs Philippines, Inc
Asian Transmission Corporation
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
Chevron Philippines, Inc.
China Banking Corporation
Clifford Chance Pte
Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines
CVC Capital Partners
ePerformax Contact Centers & BPO
Glaxo SmithKline Philippines
Hogan Lovells International
J&J Worldwide Services
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. – Philippine Global Service Center
Littler Mendelson
LizardBear Tasking
L’Oreal Philippines
Melco Resorts Leisure
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart P.C.
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation
PMFTC Inc.
Procter & Gamble Philippines Inc
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
SAP Philippines, Inc.
SC Reservations, Inc.
Sun Life Grepa Financial Incorporated
The British Council
The Conrad Manila
Total (Philippines) Corp.
Toyo Ink Holding Co. Ltd. No
Uber Philippines Centre of Excellence LLC
Martinez Vergara Gonzalez & Serrano
Martinez Vergara Gonzalez & Serrano acts for employers and employees across the key areas of labor standards, labour relations and immigration. Specifically, this includes expertise in matters such as pay and benefits, working hours, termination, union formation and the employment of foreign nationals. Reynaldo Dizon leads the team.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘They have a personal touch to every engagement. Everyone is easily accessible, from the partners down to the associates.’
‘Great people to work with, very efficient and knowledgeable. ’
Key clients
Citigroup Business Processing Solutions, Pte., Ltd.
Ubiquity Global Services, Inc.
Teleperformance Global Services Philippines, Inc. (formerly Intelenet Global Philippines, Inc.)
ADP (Philippines) Inc.
Sixtrees Viz Comms Pte. Ltd
Visa Philippines Business Processing Center, Corp.
Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels (FIFPro)
AO247 Fitness Management Consultancy, Inc.
Malayan Insurance Co., Inc.
Sungears Sales, Inc.
Work highlights
- Advised Sungears Sales, Inc. on COVID-19 policies.
Quisumbing Torres
Part of the global Baker Mckenzie network, Quisumbing Torres handles both contentious and advisory matters falling within Filipino labour law. Acting for domestic and multinational companies, it provides expertise in matter such as redundancy, working conditions and employee misconduct. In particular, the firm attracts a significant number of clients from the healthcare, consumer goods and energy spaces, areas in which it also covers the hiring of overseas workers, audit preparation and executive compensation. Led by Kenneth Chua, the team also includes Gil Zerrudo, Eliseo Zuñiga, Jr. , and Marianne Ko.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is highly knowledgeable in this practice area. The firm is up-to-date and provides excellent real time updates to its clients.’
‘Kenneth Chua- Always available, provides high quality practical and legal advice, flexible with fees. Dependable and trustworthy. Can be readily relied upon for critical thinking, analysis and practical solutions to difficult and complex problems. Responds promptly and is highly engaged. Makes a client feel valued. ’
Key clients
Alphabet (Google Inc.)
Forever 21 Incorporated
GlaxoSmithKline
GPay Network PH
Korea Water Resources
Prudential Plc
Raytheon Technologies Corporation
Sankyu Southeast Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd.
SBA Communications Corporation
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan assists key players from banking and manufacturing sectors with a wide array of legal matters. Particular areas of expertise include the migration of employees, collective bargaining negotiations, preventive mediation and disciplinary action. In addition, the team is well versed in representation pertaining to strike action and covers the complexities of pension schemes, stock option plans, and other benefit programs. Led by Dante Pamintuan, other key names include Amer Mambuay, Marianne Miguel, and Leslie Dy.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Amer Mambuay; Marianne Miguel ; Leslie Dy ; Russel Rodriguez
Testimonials
‘The team is very responsive and commercial. Our go-to local firm for anything critical or complex.’
‘Russel Rodriguez is very good.’
‘The team has the legal expertise that we seek. They are thorough and respond to queries and provide advice promptly.’
‘They are friendly and approachable. You won’t hesitate to reach out to them.’
‘They have extensive expertise across all areas where we need them.’
‘My dealings with Sycip are primarily related to labour litigation. I particularly appreciate their project management approach especially since courts in the Philippines are volatile with timelines. Good collaboration and insights on risk management, especially when handling difficult cases.’
‘Amer Mambuay – provides insight where management prerogatives will hold especially on new practices that we would like to implement within our company.’
Key clients
ABB, Inc.
ADP Philippines Inc.
Asian Development Bank
Boeing International Corporation
British Council
Cargill Philippines Inc.
City Savings Bank
Citizen Machinery Philippines, Inc.
EBAR, Inc.
ESS Manufacturing Company, Inc.
E-Trading Software Services
Federal Express
Firmenich Philippines, Inc.
Firstsource Solutions Limited – Philippine Branch
Flour Daniel, Inc. – Philippines
Ford ASEAN
Ford Group Philippines
Fordays Japan International, Inc.
G2 Ocean Ltd.-ROHQ
Gardenia Bakeries (Philippines), Inc.
Green Crosss Inc.
HAVI Logistics Philippines Inc.
HCL Technologies Ltd.
Innodata Knowledge Philippines, Inc.
Isuzu Autoparts Manufacturing, Inc.
LF (Philippines), Inc.
TELUS International Philippines, Inc.
Medical Doctors, Inc. (Makati Medical Center)
Metropac Trucking Company, Inc.
OceanaGold (Philippines), Inc.
Omnicom Media Group – Philippines
Philippine American Life & General Insurance Company
Qatar Airways
Quantrics Enterprises, Inc.
Quezon Power (Philippines) Limited
Refinitv Asia Pte. Ltd.
Sanofi
TDK Philippines Corporation
Thomson Reuters Corporation Pte Ltd
Tupperware Brands Phils., Inc.
UBase 1 Philippines, Inc.
Vibal Group of Companies
Work highlights
- Advised Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co on the transfer of employment, immigration laws and reorganization of FTAP relating to its acquisition of Frontier Tower Associates Philippines.
- Advised Island Quarry and Aggregates Corporation on a collective bargaining agreement.
- Advised Cargill Philippines on regularization and illegal dismissal cases.
Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law)
Gatmaytan Yap Patacsil Gutierrez & Protacio (C&G Law) provides advice on matters relating to labour standards, benefits compliance, terminations, internal investigations and various forms of misconduct. It also advises on the preparation and review of employment contracts, the formulation of company policies, redundancy and overseas deployment. The practice is led by employment litigation specialist Cesar E. Santamaria, Jr., and also includes Vladi Miguel S. Lazaro and associate Jamie Alexandria Santos.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Lawyers at the firm have extensive judicial expertise on employment terminations and the employment of Filipino personnel abroad under foreign principal, which translates into the ability to provide clients with strategical advice throughout the whole judicial proceeding and reliable risk assessments.’
‘Cesar E. Santamaria, Jr proved to be tremendously responsive and client-centric, with a valuable professional experience in the field that allows him to effectively lead the team to victory.’
‘Vladi Miguel S. Lazaro is extremely responsive and able to provide knowledgeable strategical advice in order to turn weaknesses into strengths when preparing the defence.’
‘Jamie Alexandria Santos is exceedingly responsive, timely, and client-centric. Despite having less years of experience compared to the other lawyers of the team we have been working with, she is able to handle complex cases well in an organized manner. Furthermore, she is hugely knowledgeable about the key points of what the defence should be based on and what our company would need to succeed at trial. ’
Key clients
Allegis Group
American Express International, Inc.
CalEnergy International Services, Inc.
Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corporation
Dell Global BV
Fieldcore Services Solutions International LLC
Givaudan Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Moet Hennessy Philippines, Inc.
OceanaGold Philippines, Inc.
OEP Philippines, Inc.
PACC Shipping Philippines, Inc.
Pepsi Cola Products Philippines, Inc.
Software One Philippines Corporation
SolarWinds Software Asia Pte. Ltd.
Steag State Power, Inc.
STMicroelectronics, Inc.
TeaM Energy Corporation
Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited
Webb Fontaine Group FZ LLC
Work highlights
- Advised a leading agro-industrial and food conglomerate on ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with a union representing 200 employees.
- Advised a global technology company on the ongoing transfer of all the employees of its 2 existing subsidiaries into a newly formed subsidiary.
- Advised a global technology operation on the discontinuation of the existing insurance coverage of its employees.
Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra
Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra acts for corporate clients in non-contentious and contentious labour matters. In particular, it specialises in overseas employment, sexual harassment in the workplace, mandatory government compliance, social security and workers compensation. On the contentious side, the firm is known for handling collective bargaining negotiations, money disputes and matters pertaining to unfair conditions. Ramon Andre Cedro and Francis Africa co-lead the team, both specialising in litigation.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The team is composed of savvy lawyers who take a holistic approach to our overall labour landscape.’
Key clients
Fitness First
Victory Liner
Business Process Outsourcing International, Inc.
Regent Foods Corporation
Javier Project Managers
Sarabia Optical
Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law)
Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law)
advises clients on matters pertaining to industrial relations, regulatory compliance, contracts, discipline and termination. It also advises in relation to collective bargaining agreements, contract and policy review and the immigration of foreign employees. Corporate restructuring specialist Alejandro Alfonso Navarro leads the firm.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Amazon Operation Services Philippines, Inc.
Autodesk Asia PTE. LTD. (Philippines Representative Office)
Twitter, Inc.
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
King & Spalding LLP
Taylor Vinters LLP
LF Philippines, Inc.
Tata Consultancy Services, (Philippines), Inc.
CommSec, Inc.
Tropical Focus Philippines, Inc.
Movenpick Resort & Spa Boracay
Work highlights
- Advised Amazon Operation Services Philippines on its entry into the Philippines and its operations.
- Represented Hijo Resources Corporation in the Court of Appeal, securing an injunction against the illegal unionization and attempt to force a certification election by employees of its independent contractors.
- Advising Twitter on various regulatory issues over the past year concerning different aspects of its operations in the Philippines.
Belo Gozon Elma Parel Asuncion & Lucila
Belo Gozon Elma Parel Asuncion & Lucila represents clients in compulsory and voluntary arbitration, collective bargaining negotiations, cases before the National Labour Relations Commission, and conflicts between employees and the management. Roberto Parel leads the team.
Practice head(s):
Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia
Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia has a strong record in advising on collective bargaining agreements between companies and unions. In addition, its expertise extends to helping clients complying with the statutory and reportorial requirements of domestic law, the drafting/review of contracts and advocacy before quasi-judicial bodies and appellate courts in the Philippines. Seasoned litigator Elmar B. Galacio leads the team, which also includes corporate reorganisation specialist Rogelio Torres, Jr.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The lawyers are very competent and professional. They have provided our company with exceptional legal services over the past years.’
‘The lawyers are very competent. In addition, the lawyers are always available to address our needs. The lawyers also find ways to achieve our objectives.’
Key clients
Technological Institute of the Philippines
Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation
Quality Corrugated Box Manufacturing Corporation
Collabera Technologies Private Limited, Inc.
Formula Sports Inc.
Yujuico Group of Companies
Principal
Del Rosario & Del Rosario
Specialising in shipping and marine matters, Del Rosario & Del Rosario provides labour advice relating to seafarers’ claims and industrial relations disputes. In particular, it handles claims and suits for death, disability, illness, illegal dismissal and related medical claims. Ruben Del Rosario and Arturo Del Rosario Jr. . co-lead the offering with support from Joseph Rebano, Herbert Tria, and Saben Loyola.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro & Leaño
Platon Martinez Flores San Pedro & Leaño is best known for its work in illegal dismissal cases before the National Labour Relations Commission and appeals heard before the Supreme Court. Equally adept at handling collective bargaining negotiations, the firm is particularly active in advising clients in the food and beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. Led by Grace Quevedo-Panagsagan, Israfel Fagela and Rachelle Aileen Santos, the team also includes Arturo Selim.
Practice head(s):
Grace Quevedo-Panagsagan; Rachelle Aileen Santos; Israfel Fagela
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Coca Cola Beverages Philippines Inc.
Lizardbear Tasking, Inc. (TaskUs)
Wells Fargo International Solutions – LLC (Branch Office)
Dole Philippines Inc.
Fairwind Harbor Services Inc.
Philippine Sinter Corporation
Shearwater Health Evolution Inc.
Telstra Philippines Inc.
Kawasaki Motors Philippines Corp.
Concentrix Services Corporation
Great Unity Philippine Trading, Inc.
Sivantos Pte. Ltd.