Ms Kristine Bongcaron > Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad > Manila, Philippines > Lawyer Profile

Kristine Bongcaron and Shirley Alinea co-head the department at Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad, which is adept at assisting clients from a broad-range of sectors with all aspects of their IP rights. The team’s areas of focus range from advising on rights protection, to advising on the administration and maintenance of said rights. It is skilled at handling the IP registration process, which includes helping with trademark and patent searches, as well as advising on trademark infringement litigation. The group also manages its clients’ IP portfolios. In addition, it is well-placed to advise on the international registration of marks with the World Intellectual Property Office.

Well-regarded for its expertise in labour and industrial relations, Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad‘s team’s workload includes advising on employment contracts, government notices, and termination notices. Head of the team Reynaldo Dizon is knowledgeable of statutory and reportorial requirements as well as labour policy manuals and employee handbooks. Kristine Bongcaron is proficient in assisting clients with union-related concerns and often advises foreign clients on the direct hiring of Filipino nationals. Miguel Sevilla’s practice encompasses occupational safety and health standards in addition to social security law compliance.

Jointly spearheaded by Eduardo Martinez and Shirley Alinea, the versatile team at Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad is experienced in all areas of criminal and civil law, in addition to commercial and administrative litigation. It also has a strong practice in commercial arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. Martinez, who is an appeals court mediator accredited by the Philippine Judicial Academy, is also actively involved in the firm’s family law practice. He covers civil, criminal and commercial litigation. Alinea specialises in debt restructuring, as well as arbitration and other alternative modes of commercial dispute resolution. Kristine Bongcaron is also recommended. She heads the firm’s intellectual property team and co-heads the commercial arbitration, alternative dispute resolution, data privacy and security practice groups. In addition, Bongcaron is a trained arbitrator of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.