Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia has an experienced litigation team, with key services including commercial and banking disputes, as well as handling construction arbitration proceedings. Lauded by clients as ‘highly skilled, proactive, and exceptionally organised,’ the team is equipped to handle high-profile disputes for multinational corporations across the banking, food and beverage, and energy industries. Miguel U. Silos heads up the team and has been noted for his ’deep and extensive experience in litigation.’ Rodel A. Cruz is experienced in tax litigation and insolvency matters, while John Jerico L. Balisnomo regularly appears before the Court of Tax Appeals. Elmar B. Galacio is skilled at handling alternative dispute resolution and criminal litigation, while Rogelio D. Torres, Jr. focuses on banking matters. Jon Anton Daryl Y. Chua has been praised by clients as an ‘exceptional lawyer; he is strategic, results-driven, and a highly effective leader’, while Jacques Lynn is another key name to note within the team.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Miguel Silos is very responsive to the client's needs and is very hands-on in managing the case, formulating legal strategy, and preparing pleadings and trial. His deep and extensive experience in litigation is very useful in helping the client navigate the complexities of the case.’
- 'Daryl Chua was particularly thorough and patient with explaining the legal options available backed by practical experience.'
‘The team's attorneys are highly skilled, proactive, and exceptionally organised; they are always quick to take action and deliver results. They have consistently secured favourable rulings in our cases, and their expertise continues to make a meaningful difference for our company.'
‘Daryl Chua stands out as an exceptional lawyer; he is strategic, results-driven, and a highly effective leader. He leads his team with speed, precision, and clarity, ensuring that every action is both timely and well-organised. Eric Dykimching has also played a key role in supporting and strengthening our legal position, and his contributions have been tremendously valuable to our cases.'
- 'Daryl and his team are not only highly skilled and knowledgeable, but also deeply committed and consistently responsive. Beyond securing favorable outcomes in litigation, they take a proactive approach, offering preventive legal strategies that help position our company for long-term protection and advantage. What truly sets them apart is the genuine care and dedication they extend. They are not just legal advisors; they are true partners in safeguarding and advancing our interests.’
- 'I value the following the most: (1) Senior continuity: partners remain closely involved throughout, avoiding partner rotation and preserving strategic memory.(2) Pragmatism over posture: they favour commercially sensible solutions rather than defaulting to protracted litigation.(3) Innovative delivery: routine use of alternative fee arrangements, tech-enabled case management, and co-located war rooms for high-stakes matters.(4) Responsiveness and clarity: timely, plain-language advice that enables fast decisions.(5) Exceptional judgement and calm under pressure: measured advocacy in high-stakes moments.'
- 'The team were highly responsive to our needs and practical considerations. They understood the legal landscape very well and offered timely and well researched solutions.'
- 'They are very professional. They will not promise or commit anything that they cannot deliver.'
- 'We like the team of Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia. This firm is well positioned in the local market.'
- 'CMT is very effective and capable in handling an important litigation for our company. They are able to mobilise an appropriately-sized team of partners and associates to work quickly on the case we referred to them. They can deploy legal strategies that are not often used in litigation (such as provisional remedies in criminal case) but very effective in putting pressure on our adversaries.'
Key clients
- Ayala Corporation
- Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association
- Secur Links Network and Technologies, Inc.
- Unicapital, Inc.
- Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines, Inc.
- Dole Food Company, Inc.
- Max’s Group, Inc.
- Yujuico Group of Companies
- Union Bank of the Philippines
- Redco Properties Group Limited
- QL Development, Inc.
- Ayala Corporation
- Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association
- Secur Links Network and Technologies, Inc.
- Unicapital, Inc.
- Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines, Inc.
- Dole Food Company, Inc.
- Max’s Group, Inc.
- Yujuico Group of Companies
- Union Bank of the Philippines
Work highlights
Represents the complainant, DATEM, Inc., in a complaint for a sum of money against Megaworld Corporation, one of the major real estate developers in the Philippines for unpaid amounts due to DATEM as agreed upon in a Mutual Agreement.
Advised a Commercial Bank in connection with the extrajudicial foreclosure of over 100 parcels of land in Camarines Sur, Philippines, mortgaged by a well-known local developer.
Represented a leading Philippine bank in enforcing its $2m credit claim against a prominent HMO that sought to prevent foreclosure through a rehabilitation petition.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Miguel U. Silos
Other key lawyers
Rodel A. Cruz; John Jerico L. Balisnomo; Elmar B. Galacio; Rogelio D. Torres, Jr.; Jon Anton Daryl Y. Chua; Jacques Lynn