Speakers

Steering Committee

Millicent Joie Desiderio-Dime, managing director, global counsel ethics and compliance, Accenture
Miscen Desiderio-Dime draws on 27 years of diverse legal experience across litigation, corporate practice, and technology. She began her career at the influential Becca Bar law firm, handling high-stakes cases involving kidnapping, arson, and post–Martial Law political unrest, work that honed her agility and courtroom rigour. After leading complex prosecutions, she transitioned to the corporate and tech sector, where she now champions thoughtful, responsible use of legal technology while mentoring young lawyers in adaptability and sound judgment. Miscen joined Accenture in 2012 where she built the local legal team from the ground up and led it for over 13 years.  She is now Managing Director, Global Counsel, Ethics and Compliance, where she works on enterprise-wide compliance strategy with a focus on Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest and where she  champions a culture of integrity across Accenture’s global operations.

Steering Committee

Ryan N. Espiritu, regional data protection officer & legal counsel (APAC/ME), Western Union

Ryan N. Espiritu is currently Western Union’s Regional Data Protection Officer and Legal Counsel supporting APAC and the Middle East. He possesses an IAPP Certification as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for Asia (CIPP/Asia). He has been an attorney for more than 18 years specializing in data privacy, labor & employment, litigation and intellectual property.

Steering Committee

Cecily Nerisse (Chel) C. Ramirez-dela Cruz, Asia+ CBG General Counsel, Philippines and GSC General Counsel, 3M Philippines

Chel Ramirez-dela Cruz is 3M’s Asia+ Consumer Business Group General Counsel, Philippines and Global Service Center General Counsel, and Country GAM Liaison. As part of the leadership team of the business and the country, she helps identify and address key policy, enterprise, and other risks to protect the company’s brand and operations while supporting growth.
Prior to joining 3M, she was a Senior Associate at Puno and Puno Law Offices, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, special projects, taxation, and energy law, where she served for 9 years. Before that, she was an associate in the oldest and one of the most prestigious law firms in the Philippines, Sycip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan, and prior to that, she interned at the equally reputable Zambrano and Gruba Law Offices.
She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2008, after she completed her Juris Doctor degree with honors at Ateneo de Manila University – School of Law in 2007. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Legal Management at Ateneo de Manila University in 2003, with a minor in history.

Steering Committee

Kristian Nico Calugay Acosta, general counsel and head of legal (GUESS Group) and director (Legal Management Council of the Philippines), GUESS Group

Nico is the general counsel and head of legal department of the GUESS Group. He also serves as a director of the Legal Management Council of the Philippines, the country’s premiere association of legal professionals. Throughout the years, Nico has successfully represented his past and present principals before various quasi-judicial agencies, trial courts, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Because of his solid advocacies on ESG and intellectual property awareness, Nico is often invited as a lecturer and resource speaker by various government agencies, educational institutions and international organizations such as the International Trademark Association, EU IPO, World Intellectual Property Organization and the Asia Pacific Corporate Counsel Alliance. Moreover, several legal publications, such as AsiaLaw, the Asian Legal Business and Legal 500, has consistently commended him for his exemplary legal works. During his law firm days, Nico has been cited by Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner, and he has been consistently included by the publication’s General Counsel (GC) Powerlist Magazine in its lists of leading in-house lawyers across Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Just last year, Nico has made it to Legal 500 GC Elite Philippines, which recognized the country’s Top 20 most prominent and seasoned in-house lawyers. On his days off, Nico enjoys working out at the gym and car racing.

Steering Committee

Mary Rose S. Tan, associate general counsel and assistant corporate secretary, San Miguel Corporation

Mary Rose S. Tan is an Assistant Vice President – Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary of San Miguel Corporation, one of the Philippines’ biggest diversified conglomerates, where she has been with the Office of the General Counsel for 20 years handling corporate governance and compliance, capital markets and corporate financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, as well as disputes and litigation management. Prior to joining San Miguel Corporation, Ms. Tan was a law clerk at the Supreme Court of the Philippines with the Office of the Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr., and an associate at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan. She obtained her Master of Laws degree from the University of Sydney in 2009 as an Endeavour Postgraduate Award scholar of the Australian Government. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2002. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from University of the Philippines in 2001 and her degree of Bachelor of Arts major in Psychology from the same university in 2001. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the UP Women Lawyers Circle for 2024-2026, and the Assistant Corporate Secretary of the UP Law Alumni Foundation.

Steering Committee

Bernard Malibiran, legal services director, Manila Water

Bernard “Bong” Malibiran is the Legal Services Director of Manila Water, bringing extensive experience from senior in-house leadership roles, including previously serving as Vice President for Legal, Compliance & Security at Republic Cement. A strong advocate of entrepreneurial thinking within the legal function, Bong champions the evolution of corporate legal teams, from traditional risk gatekeepers into proactive business partners and solution providers.

Known for valuing innovation, commercial awareness, and cross-disciplinary insight, Bong believes effective legal advice must balance legal rigour with a deep understanding of financial, operational, and strategic business realities. In an increasingly unpredictable global environment shaped by technological disruption, regulatory change, and geopolitical uncertainty, he emphasizes resilience, adaptability, and foresight as essential skills for modern in-house counsel. This approach positions the legal team as a critical enabler of sustainable business growth, while maintaining strong governance and risk management.