Ms Kristin Charisse Siao > Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law) > Manila, Philippines > Lawyer Profile

Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law)
V&A LAW CENTRE, 11TH AVENUE CORNER 39TH STREET
BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY 1634
METRO MANILA, MANILA
Philippines

Work Department

General Corporate, M&A, Tax, Real Estate, TMT, Capital Markets, Private Client

Position

Partner

Career

In her general corporate practice, Atty. Siao has advised and assisted clients on the full spectrum of legal issues in business concerns and in all aspects of regulatory compliance. She has extensive experience in the drafting, negotiation and review of all kinds of commercial contracts – ranging from the simple promissory notes and deeds of sale to the complex omnibus loan & security agreements and sale & purchase agreements.

 

As a CPA-Lawyer, Atty. Siao is also an expert in the field of Taxation – where she is able to provide her clients with adept advice on tax structuring and planning, transactional tax issues, as well as in tax audits and disputes. She has given lectures on numerous tax matters in various forums such as the basics of corporate income taxation, the effects of TRAIN on wages and benefits, estate planning and wealth management, and taxation of M&A transactions.

 

Atty. Siao also specializes in Mergers & Acquisitions and has actively participated in transactions spanning a wide variety of industries. Her other key practice areas include Property Development & Real Estate Transactions, Capital Markets, Technology Media and Telecoms (TMT) and Private Client. She serves as director and corporate secretary of a number of corporations.

 

Some of her recent work highlights include:

 

  • Provides comprehensive legal advice and assistance to Fountel Corp. on its significant investment in Professional Services Inc. (“PSI”), a public company which operates The Medical City (one of the largest hospital in the Philippines with operations all over the country and in Guam), beginning from its Cooperation and Shareholders Agreement in 2013 with a Singapore-based investor, through the increase in its shareholding within the next 5 years, the financing of such PSI share acquisitions, a proposed Mandatory Tender Offer (“MTO”) which it intends to launch together with the Singapore-based investor, and the successful holding of an election of a new board of directors amidst one of the more controversial intra-corporate disputes in the Philippines.

 

  • Acted as counsel for Jolliville Holding Corporation (“JOH”), a Philippine Stock Exchange (“PSE”)-listed company, in the block sale by JOH of its entire shareholding in Philippine H2O Ventures Corp. (“H2O”), another PSE-listed company to Udenna Corporation, including the clean-up of H2O’s assets through the spin-off of its water business.

 

  • Provides routine and transactional advice for Ayala Land, Inc., a leading property developer in the Philippines, on a broad spectrum of issues concerning its residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.

 

  • Provides tax advice (routine, structuring and transactional) to a wide range of clients, such as Emperador Distillers Inc., Ayala Land Inc., Seaoil Philippines Inc., Bank of Singapore, Credit Suisse, among others.

 

  • Assists businesses engaged in tech and e-commerce, such as Lalamove, Lalafood, Shopee and Garena, in navigating complex Philippine regulatory requirements concerning their structure and operations.

 

  • Provides routine advice and consultation to foreign companies with operations or subsidiaries in the Philippines, such as the Lee Kum Kee Health Products Group.

 

Advised a well-known international hotel brand on its contracts with Philippine partner for a proposed luxury island resort in the Philippines.

Languages

English and Filipino

Memberships

Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Tax Management Association of the Philippines

Inter-Pacific Bar Association

UP Women Lawyers’ Circle

UP Portia Sorority

Philippine Bar Association

Education

Juris Doctor, University of the Philippines College of Law (2008)

BS Accountancy, Silliman University (2003)

Lawyer Rankings

Philippines > Real estate and construction

Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law)‘s group is experienced handling the broad scope of work, from advising its clientele on transactions relating to the establishment of large infrastructure projects, including acquisitions and joint ventures, to advising on the finance aspects of such projects. Procedural and regulatory assistance provision also forms a significant portion of its workload. Commercial expert Raoul R. Angangco helms the team alongside Sylvette Y. Tankiang and Juanito L. Sañosa, who joined the practice in April 2024 from private practice. Kristin Charisse C. Siao has expertise handling project development matters. Former team lead Franchette M. Acosta departed in January 2024.

Philippines > Tax

The group at Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law) advises a broad range of clients, which features both domestic and international entities, on the plethora of tax matters, both contentious and non-contentious. The team’s workload includes advising in complex corporate rehabilitation cases, on the tax aspects of the structuring of transactions and investments, and on the remit of business transactions, from joint ventures and corporate restructurings to M&A and large-scale infrastructure projects. Corporate and M&A specialist Raoul R. Angangco oversees the practice alongside Sylvette Y. Tankiang and Juanito L. Sañosa who joined the practice in April 2024, following the January 2024 departure of former co-head Franchette Acosta. Kristin Charisse C. Siao is regarded as ‘standout’ by clients.

Philippines > TMT

The team at Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law) is very experienced in advising on the full range of TMT work for a client roster of prominent domestic and international entities. The group is co-led by commercial law expert Raoul R Angangco, Sylvette Y. Tankiang and Juanito L. Sañosa, who joined from private practice in April 2024. Kristin Charisse C. Siao has expertise in handling acquisitions and investments. Franchette Acosta left the firm in January 2024.

Philippines > Corporate and M&A

(Next Generation Partners)

Kristin Charisse C. Siao – Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law)

Noted for its ‘commendable commitment’ to its clientele, the team at Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law) is well equipped to handle the broad range of complex work. Such work includes assisting with significant joint ventures, the development and construction projects of considerable scale, and with divestments and sales of high-value. Raoul Angangco has significant experience handling work in the real estate, energy and construction sectors, Sylvette Y. Tankiang’s areas of specialism include taxation, and power and energy, while Kristin Charisse C. Siao provides end-to-end support across the array of complex and high-value transactions. The three lead the practice alongside Juanito L. Sañosa, who joined in April 2024, following the January 2024 departure of former co-lead Franchette Acosta.

Philippines > Antitrust and competition

Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law)‘s practice assists local and international clients with PCC procedures and regulations, including industry-specific competition restrictions as well as acquiring merger review clearance. Raoul R. Angangco heads the practice alongside Sylvette Y. Tankiang, who has expertise in corporate, contract and transaction structuring, Juanito L. Sañosa, who joined the team in April 2024, and corporate and M&A specialist Kristin Charisse C. Siao. Former co-head Franchette M. Acosta departed in January 2024.

Philippines > Banking and finance

Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law)‘s team advises on the full gamut of project financing issues, from development through to operation, in both domestic and cross-jurisdictional contexts. The group is co-headed by commercial expert Raoul R. Angangco; transaction structuring, corporate and contract specialist Sylvette Y. Tankiang; and Juanito L. Sañosa, who joined the team in April 2024 following the departure of former co-lead Franchette M. Acosta in January 2024. Kristin Charisse C. Siao and Richard Henrick I. Beltran are noted as being ‘very efficient and professional’ by clients.

Philippines > Projects and energy

Noted as ‘the leading firm on matters involving energy efficiency law in the Philippines’ by clients, the team at Villaraza & Angangco (V&A Law) is well-regarded for its broad experience in projects and energy. Regulatory and tax compliance are aspects of significant projects the group advises its clients on, in addition to complex transactional and financing issues. Raoul R. Angangco specialises in corporate, M&A, construction, infrastructure and M&A, Sylvette Y. Tankiang is a tax expert, and Kristin Charisse C. Siao advises on project development across the tech, transport and real estate sectors; all three head up the practice alongside Juanito L. Sañosa, who joined from an in-house role in April 2024 following the January 2024 departure of former co-lead Franchette Acosta.