Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad

Manuel Z. Gonzalez, Managing Partner of Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad (“MVGS”), explains how MVGS is adapting to its and continuing to provide value in an ever. He shares what makes MVGS distinct in the competitive legal landscape of the Philippines and the broader ASEAN region by highlighting its specialized and responsive legal services that is rooted in its understanding of local laws, business culture, and industry trends.   What do you see as the main points that differentiate Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad (MVGS) from your competitors?  As a ranking Philippine law firm, what sets Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad apart is our knowledge of the local legal and business environment, combined with our ASEAN regional reach through our membership in Drew Network Asia (“DNA”), a select legal network of law firms with presence in nine (9) ASEAN countries. We see to it that our Firm combines our local expertise, which enables us to address regulatory, commercial, and cultural considerations unique to the Philippines, with our cross-border capabilities through our DNA membership. With this alliance, we are able to seamlessly collaborate with trusted foreign counsels within the regional network and provide solutions to our clients that address both Philippine-specific issues with, if needed, coordinated cross-border legal strategies for transactions, challenges and disputes that span multiple jurisdictions. This positioning allows us to serve clients in a wide array of industries such as banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, technology, etc. and for various purposes whether corporate, . Our dedication to providing clients practical advice and is reflected in the fact that clients re-engage the Firm after the completion of a transaction for subsequent projects and matters. This, we feel, demonstrate our client’s preference to retain us as their trusted legal counsel and long-term legal partner.   Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that? In the coming years, we expect to see continued growth in technology law & data privacy, , and M&A. In the Philippines, we are seeing numerous technological innovations, increased utilization of artificial information, and rapid exchange of data, transforming how business is done in traditional sectors such as banking and finance, media, retail, and healthcare. These changes have prompted government agencies to amend existing frameworks to accommodate such developments in these industries and issue corresponding regulations, leading to a growing demand for legal services in the developing fields of data protection and cybersecurity. The expanding regulations and enforcement measures in data privacy and cybersecurity undoubtedly highlights the need for expertise in these areas. The necessity to keep competitive and stay relevant in this digital age also spurs a renewed focus on law, as businesses from these same fields race to develop and protect their proprietary software and creations. ESG-related work is also increasing especially in light of the sustained awareness on climate and social justice issues. This growth can be attributed to the evolving frameworks issued by regulators such as environmental compliance laws, sustainability and disclosure requirements, corporate governance rules, and labor and social protection regulations which all form part of the ESG landscape. Our corporate clients are recognizing the need for legal counselling on sustainability and corporate governance to enhance their social responsibility efforts and investments to align with shareholder expectations, regulatory requirements, and long-term value creation. M&A activities are expected to remain strong as companies, both in the Philippines and the ASEAN, continue to pursue consolidation and diversification strategies. We assess this growth is driven by market opportunities and the evolving business landscape. With our local legal expertise and ASEAN network insights, MVGS is well-positioned to manage these types of transactions.   What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients? The most significant changes we’ve made in recent years is our renewed focus on the Firm’s regional presence At the height of the pandemic, when corporations and other firms where downsizing, we made a strategic move to widen the Firm’s regional capability through our Drew Network Asia membership. This collaboration ensures that we can serve clients interests in key ASEAN jurisdiction by offering them cross-border solutions to their concerns. By working closely with our partner firms in other ASEAN countries, this regional reach allows us to offer our clients quicker turnaround times and most up to date, cost-efficient solutions, without compromising on legal quality or compliance with local laws and regulations. With both these efforts combined, we hope to be able to strengthen our ability to provide comprehensive, high-quality legal service across the region.   Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them? Most definitely! Technology has become a critical component of how we interact and service our clients. Technological innovations have improved and could only continue to improve our ability to offer efficient, high-quality service to our clients. With various online communication platforms and cloud-based tools, we are better able to ensure that our clients have quick and easy access to our team. With the same technology, our ability to virtually meet our clients have allowed us to service their needs across the Philippines and the ASEAN, regardless of their geographic location. This is especially important in the post-pandemic era, where remote or hybrid work arrangements are now commonplace for clients, and they have better resources of managing dispersed teams. Technology has been a game-changer in enhancing communication with our clients and improving service delivery.   Can you give us of how you have helped a client to add value to their business? One concrete example of how we have added value to a client’s business is our work advising a leading publicly listed infrastructure and construction company in connection with multiple large-scale public–private partnership (“PPP”) projects in the Philippines. We advised and guided the client throughout the bidding and procurement processes, coordinated closely with relevant regulatory authorities, and structured and prepared the legal and financing documentation required for the successful implementation of the projects. Our team provided a key role by strategically advising the client on its successful bids for five PPP projects of the Philippine Government, across transport, social infrastructure, and public facilities. This included end-to-end legal support, from bid submission and regulatory compliance to contract negotiation and financial close. As a result of our involvement, the client strengthened its market position as a key participant in the PPP space and secured long-term, revenue-generating projects that contributed its growth objective and enhanced investor confidence. Our integrated approach of covering project finance, regulatory coordination, and contract structuring enabled the client to manage complex transactions efficiently, mitigate risk, and execute projects in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. We have also added value to a client’s business by assisting it in a project to create a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), normally suited for offering to the public through a real estate company, and adopted it in the renewable energy space. Under our laws, REIT companies, normally real estate companies, are specifically created to offer shares to the public of a company which pays annual dividends to investors based on the company’s lease returns. Specifically, shareholders of a REIT are given a significant share of the lease revenues through dividends on a regular basis. The Firm working with a client, a renewable energy firm, was able to convince both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange to allow the listing of a subsidiary of this renewable energy client to list as a renewable energy REIT (“RE REIT”). Under this scheme, all of the properties owned or leased by the RE Client for its power plants were transferred to an RE REIT and then leased back to the RE Client. The lease revenues realized by the RE REIT, earned from leasing back the properties to the RE client were distributed to shareholders of the RE REIT. By creating this RE REIT, we addressed an important need to create an important revenue stream by utilizing otherwise idle properties. This listing of the RE REIT was the first of its kind in the Philippines and opened our stock market to listing of other RE REITs.   Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time? Yes, clients nowadays are looking for more than just lawyers—they want stable, strategic partners who can guide them through a dynamic and complex legal landscape. MVGS is this partner. There is no lack of capable and talented legal professionals in the Philippines. However, what our Firm has to offer is our For local clients, this regional perspective is particularly valuable as many Philippine companies are expanding or looking to expand into ASEAN markets, partnering with foreign investors, or operating within supply chains that are influenced by regional regulation trends, investor expectations, and market standards. This allows us to provide our clients robust, strategic, and forward-thinking advice that is responsive not only to our clients’ immediate legal needs but also to their possible long-term business development. In three years, we envision MVGS as a leading legal partner for cross-border ASEAN clients. We will continue to strengthen our expertise in Philippine law while at the same time expanding our regional reach. Our vision is to remain an essential partner of our clients that not only solves their legal issues but also helps them grow and thrive in a fast-changing legal environment. These answers showcase Martinez Vergara & Gonzalez Sociedad’s commitment to providing exceptional service as it skilfully navigates the legal environment in the Philippines and ASEAN region. It is surely on its way to establishing its regional footprint all while adapting to the evolving needs of its clients.