Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra > The Legal 500 Rankings

Philippines > TMT Tier 1

Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra stands out for its first rate fintech, blockchain, and e-commerce work and is the trusted advisor of many major names such as Binance and DragonPay and is lauded as a 'tech-savvy innovative firm'. Advising one of the largest tech projects in the Philippines to date, the firm is assisting China Design Group with the establishment of the Urban Traffic Brain, providing comprehensive smart-city traffic solutions in metro Cebu and Cebu province. Mark Gorriceta and Kristine Torres are key individuals in the practice and are the go-to lawyers for many of their clients.

Philippines > Labour and employment Tier 2

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.

Philippines > Tax Tier 2

Spearheaded by Vincent Paul Saavedra  and Mark Gorriceta, the tax practice at Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra has substanial experience assisting domestic and multinational companies with the tax implications of their transactions, tax assessments, customs law compliance and cases filed before the Court of Tax Appeals. The group is also particularly effective at advising on cross-border tax planning involving high-value estates. Senior associate Dyan Angela de la Fuente is the standout practitioner for complex tax issues.

Philippines > Capital markets Tier 3

Philippines > Intellectual property Tier 3

Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra primarily advises clients on trademark registration and enforcement. The firm takes a proactive approach with clients by anticipating potential infringements suits, providing advice on the continued protection and monitoring of IP rights. The practice is lead by Lucas Niccolo Cauton and Ramon Andre Cedro .

Philippines > Projects and energy Tier 3

With a particular focus on large infrastructure projects, Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra is handling some of the Philippines’ most important projects. The firm notably advises Manila Electric Company in the development, preparation, and drafting of MERALCO’s nationwide site acquisition and right-of-way policies, rules, and guidelines for electric distribution facilities in all 22 cities and 89 municipalities. In 2018, the firm established a legal precedent involving a method of computing the depreciation expense of capital expenditure-related service concession assets. Mark Gorriceta is Managing Partner at the firm and leads the special projects practice group alongside partner Anthony Edsel Tupaz .

Philippines > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

The corporate team of Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra has built a strong reputation for providing advice in the technology and banking sector. It has extensive expertise in FinTech, blockchain, smart contracts, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, cybercrime, and data privacy. Managing partner Mark Gorriceta has comprehensive experience in the tax sector, including tax structuring, investigations, and ruling applications. Junior partner Kristine Torres specialises in corporate and business law, M&A, capital markets, banking, finance, and securities law. Micaela Kristina V. Galvez is a senior associate with broad expertise in corporate, commercial and securities law.

Philippines > Dispute resolution Tier 4

Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra’s dispute resolution team handles contentious matters for corporations from a wide range of sectors, including real estate, tourism, water, energy, and banking, in addition to handling cases of family disputes. Francis Africa is an expert in the data privacy and cybersecurity and co-heads the practice with Ramon Andre Cedro , who focuses on civil, criminal, and commercial litigation.