The Litigation Department provides prosecution and defense services, covering family law, criminal law, labor laws, and various litigation areas. As well as cross-border enforcement, disputes, proceedings, and immigration.

CROSS-BORDER AREAS OF EXPERTISE INCLUDE:

Marriage Nullity and Annulment. Our firm represents clients in petitions for the declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage under Philippine law, ensuring compassionate and strategic handling of sensitive family matters. Our lawyers assist both Filipino and foreign nationals in establishing grounds for nullity or annulment, addressing property and custody issues, and ensuring recognition of marital status in both Philippine and foreign jurisdictions.

Cross-Border Family Law. Our Cross-Border Family Law practice assists Filipino and foreign nationals in navigating complex family matters that transcend borders. We handle cases involving the recognition of foreign divorces and judgments, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements,  international marriage validity, custody and support disputes across jurisdictions, and estate or inheritance involving foreign elements.

• Recognition of Foreign Divorces and Judgments – We assist in the judicial recognition and enforcement of foreign divorce decrees and family-related judgments to ensure their validity and effect under Philippine law.
• International Marriage Validity – We advise on the recognition, registration, and legal implications of marriages celebrated abroad, ensuring compliance with both Philippine and foreign legal requirements.
• Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements – We draft, review, and enforce marital property agreements with cross-border implications, ensuring that clients’ rights and assets are protected under multiple jurisdictions.
• Custody and Support Disputes Across Jurisdictions – We represent clients in international custody, visitation, and child support cases, navigating conflicting laws and ensuring protection of parental rights across borders.
• Estate or Inheritance Involving Foreign Elements – We handle estate planning, probate, and succession matters where the decedent, heirs, or assets span multiple countries, ensuring proper administration under applicable international and domestic laws.

Technology Law.

Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement. Our firm offers Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement services designed to protect and maximize the value of our clients’ creative and commercial assets across various jurisdictions. Our services include administrative and judicial trademark, copyright, patent, and industrial design enforcement, protection of trade secrets and confidential information, as well as strategic IP protection and risk management. With a comprehensive understanding of domestic and international IP frameworks, we provide practical, results-oriented solutions that safeguard innovation and ensure full compliance with evolving global IP standards.

Data Privacy Rights Enforcement. Our firm provides end-to-end Data Privacy Rights Enforcement services to help our clients navigate the evolving landscape of data protection laws both locally and abroad. We assist in investigating, addressing, and remedying privacy breaches, unauthorized data processing, and misuse of personal information, ensuring compliance with the governing laws of a given jurisdiction. We offer strategic solutions that seek to uphold the rights of individuals, enforce and protect corporate integrity, and also strengthen the trust of stakeholders in the ever-growing digital environment.

Cross-Border Financial Disputes

• Anti-Money Laundering Litigation – Our firm provides skilled representation for money laundering cases, assisting clients locally and abroad to navigate and litigate on complex legal issues surrounding the prohibited acts provided for under various anti-money laundering laws internationally. We determine and ensure compliance with such laws and defend individuals and corporations in various proceedings such as asset freezes, civil forfeiture, and even criminal prosecution. 

Intra-Corporate Litigation. Our firm handles Intra-Corporate Litigation, representing corporations, shareholders, and directors in navigating and resolving disputes affecting the stability and governance of businesses. Taking a strategic and pragmatic approach with a deep understanding of corporate structures and corporate politics, our clients enjoy zealous representation in cases involving shareholder conflicts, breaches of fiduciary duties, management control disputes, corporate dissolutions, and derivative suits before the proper tribunals. 

Immigration, Visa, and Work Permit. Our firm assists individuals, families, and multinational corporations in navigating Philippine and international immigration processes. Our services include securing work and investor visas, special resident permits, alien employment permits, and dual citizenship applications. We also represent clients in deportation defense, visa extension, and immigration compliance matters. Our team ensures seamless mobility and lawful stay for foreign nationals, executives, and expatriates doing business or residing in the Philippines.

Labor and Employment. Our firm offers comprehensive Labor and Employment advisory and litigation services to untangle the complexities of Philippine Labor Law with clarity, confidence, and with the best interests of our clients in mind. We advise, mediate, and litigate on all aspects of employment relations and standards, such as employee termination and discipline, reorganization, collective bargaining, and compliance with prevailing laws, advisories, and issuances. Our labor practice is also intertwined with cross-border employment issues, such as processing Alien Employment Permits (AEP) for foreigners who wish to gain employment in the Philippines, as well as conducting due diligence for mergers and acquisitions of various corporations. 

Arbitration and Dispute Resolution. Our firm represents clients in domestic and international arbitration, as well as in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings such as mediation and conciliation. Our team is experienced in handling disputes under ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, and PDRCI rules, ensuring efficient, confidential, and enforceable outcomes that protect our clients’ interests across jurisdictions.

Wills and Probate. Our firm offers Wills and Probate services designed to assist our clients in effectively managing estate planning and matters of succession in the Philippines. We handle the preparation, validation, and enforcement of wills through probate proceedings in the proper courts of jurisdiction, which may involve local and foreign assets. In such cases, we ensure compliance with both local and applicable international principles of private law. 

Tax Litigation (Administrative and Judicial). Our firm assists clients with Tax Litigation services, representing corporations and individuals in administrative and judicial proceedings involving protests of tax assessments, claims of refunds, and enforcement of taxpayers’ rights under various Philippine tax laws, ensuring that strategic and data-driven defenses and put forth to protect our clients’ financial and reputational interests. 

Mergers and Acquisitions, and Anti-Trust. Our firm provides comprehensive legal services in mergers, acquisitions, and competition law, assisting clients in structuring, negotiating, and completing complex local and cross-border transactions. We combine transactional precision with regulatory foresight to ensure compliance with competition and antitrust regimes in the Philippines and abroad. Our lawyers handle merger notifications, antitrust reviews, and competition compliance programs while guiding clients through integrations and reorganizations. With a balance of commercial insight and legal rigor, STLAF helps businesses expand, consolidate, and compete confidently in a global marketplace.

Aviation, Maritime, and Energy Law. Our firm provides specialized legal services in aviation, maritime, and energy law, supporting clients in regulatory compliance, commercial transactions, and cross-border dispute resolution. Our lawyers advise airlines, logistics operators, shipping companies, port authorities, and energy developers on matters involving licensing, financing, operations, and infrastructure projects. We handle aircraft and vessel acquisitions, charter and carriage contracts, port management issues, environmental and safety compliance, and renewable and conventional energy development. With deep industry knowledge and global perspective, STLAF delivers strategic, practical, and compliant legal solutions that enable businesses to operate efficiently, manage risk, and achieve sustainable growth in highly regulated international markets.

Civil and Human Rights Law.