AccraLaw

Established 1972

Head Office: 22-26/F, ACCRALAW Tower

2nd Avenue corner 30th Street

Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Manila 0399, Philippines

Tel: +63 2 830 8000

Fax: +63 2 403 7007 / +63 2 403 7009

Email: accra@accralaw.com

Website: www.accralaw.com

Contact: Emerico O. de Guzman, managing partner (eodeguzman@accralaw.com); Regina Padilla Geraldez, co-managing partner (rpgeraldez@accralaw.com)

Number of partners: 45

Number of lawyers: 100

Languages: English, Filipino, Spanish, French, Mandarin

Practice Areas: Litigation; arbitration & dispute resolution; labour & employment; antitrust; capital markets/securities; public private partnership arrangements; project finance; corporate rehabilitation & restructuring; corporate/mergers & acquisitions; construction & real estate; mining & natural resources; intellectual property; patents; trademarks; franchising; banking and finance; tax planning; immigration; energy, oil & gas, renewable energy

ACCRALAW is a premier Philippine institutional full-service business law firm, celebrating over 40 years of excellence in the practice of law. It has two branches in the Philippines – in Cebu City and Davao City, with a global network of correspondent lawyers, law firms, and bar associations. The firm is reputed worldwide for its track record in the practice of law, its continuing responsiveness to client and industry needs, and for its innovative approach in providing its clientele with timely, creative and strategic legal solutions matched with cost-efficient administration and expert handling of clients’ requirements. The firm is known for its excellent handling of diverse significant and complex business projects and joint ventures involving multinational clients, as well as landmark litigation cases. Servicing the firm’s clients are seven practice departments:

Retainer department – renders legal services to the firm’s general retainer clients, including consultation and advice, preparation of ordinary contracts and legal documents, rendering opinions, and notarial services.

Intellectual property department – represents clients in all aspects of intellectual property protection (including registration and maintenance of intellectual property rights, and prosecuting or defending any litigation matter involving intellectual property issues) and assists in the preparation of documentation and the recordation of assignments, licensing agreements, franchise agreements, technology transfer agreements involving intellectual property rights, and related agreements.

Corporate and special projects department – performs legal services pertaining to establishment of business enterprises, foreign investments, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, restructuring, public private partnership arrangements, project finance, natural resources, securities, privatisations, construction and real estate, energy, build-operate-transfer (BOT) arrangements, legal audits, and corporate secretarial services for corporate retainer clients.

Labour and employment department – handles administrative investigation or litigation of cases involving dismissal and suspension of employees, money claims and damages arising from employer-employee relations, petitions for certification elections, intra- and inter-union disputes, collective bargaining agreements, unfair labour practices, preventive mediation/conciliation of labour disputes, strikes and lockouts, grievance handling, labour arbitration, labour-related civil/criminal cases, social welfare and security, overseas employment, codes of discipline, other employee-related programmes relating to compensation, hiring, rightsizing, and similar matters.

Litigation and dispute resolution department – supervises and monitors all litigation matters before regular courts of law, administrative agencies, quasi-judicial tribunals, and arbitral bodies, both international and local. ACCRALAW’s litigation lawyers have won many landmark cases decided by the Philippine Supreme Court.

Tax department – renders services encompassing the entire field of national and local taxation, customs and anti-dumping laws, estate and employee benefits planning, and, to a limited extent, international taxation.

Immigration department – represents clients before government agencies involved in defining the terms and conditions of an alien’s authorised stay in the Philippines, as well as representation before the courts in connection with petitions for the acquisition of Philippine citizenship.

Philippines

Banking & Finance

Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW) regularly advises lenders and borrowers on syndicated loans, loan restructuring arrangements and project finance. Teodoro Regala, Tadeo Hilado, Eusebio Tan, Judy Hao and Andre Navato Jr are the partners to note.

Capital Markets

Multi-service firm ACCRALAW has been actively involved in pre-initial public offering restructurings, IPOs and debt securities of various local companies. Judy Hao and Francisco Lim are important contacts.

Competition & Antitrust

ACCRALAW offers expertise in advising on civil, administrative and criminal litigation arising from alleged violations of anti-monopoly and competition laws. “They have foreign trained lawyers who are familiar with competition,” says a peer. Partners with expertise in the practice include Leland Villadolid and Chrysilla Bautista.

Construction & Real Estate

Victor Lazatin and George Aquino of ACCRALAW are representing DMCI Project Developers in a dispute in the Supreme Court regarding the Torre de Manila, a residential condominium development. The Order of the Knights of Rizal sued DMCI to demolish the Php2.7 billion development because of its effect on heritage preservation.

Corporate/M&A

ACCRALAW’s corporate practice is well known for its expertise in establishing complex business ventures, structuring corporate vehicles for foreign investments and resolving intra-corporate disputes. Senior partner Eusebio Tan and Tadeo Hilado are the names to note.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

ACCRALAW’s litigation and dispute resolution practice is highly reputable. Led by Ramon Samson, the team specialises in international and domestic arbitration, complex commercial litigation, and disputes in the energy and utilities industries. Victor Lazatin, former managing partner and now of counsel, is one of the best-known arbitration lawyers in the Philippines. He and George Aquino represented Smartmatic-TIM against the Commission on Elections about the validity of a Php1.72 billion contract of lease, with an option to purchase, for 23,000 machine readers. Samson and Antonio Nachura advised Flo Water Resources Iloilo on a Php97 million dispute with Metro Iloilo Water District over failure to pay for water delivered under a water supply contract.

Energy & Natural Resources

ACCRALAW advises government agencies and private sector entities on PPPs in the natural resources and power sectors. The practice is advising a number of clients on renewable energy projects. Eusebio Tan is the partner to note.

Intellectual Property

ACCRALAW receives unanimous praise from peers for its IP practice. “They have an extensive range of clients,” says a peer. Recognised for its strength in litigation, the practice is also noted for representing local and foreign clients in registering and maintaining trade marks. “It is a very well-established firm with a long history,” says a peer. Alex Fider, head of IP and senior partner, is recognised for his handling of contentious matters. “Alex is highly recommended,” says a peer.

IT, Telco & Media

ACCRALAW is known for its expertise in dealing with internet, privacy, fraud, cyberspace and information technology. The firm has advised media entities before regulatory bodies, such as the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board and the courts on advertising, entertainment and libel. Alex Fider is the leading lawyer for the practice.

Labour & Employment

ACCRALAW’s labour and employment practice advises on a wide range of labour issues, including disputes, administrative investigations, restructuring programmes and collective bargaining negotiations. “I would recommend them for the breadth of industries they cover,” says a peer. Emiterio Manibog is handling a number of disputes involving termination and labour standards for Coca-Cola. Ernesto Añasco is assisting Canon Business Machines on labour contracts.

Restructuring & Insolvency

ACCRALAW has a leading insolvency and restructuring practice. Senior partner Francisco Lim and Oliver Pantaleon represented STI Education Systems in a Php799 million restructuring matter. It involved filing oppositions against Philippine Women’s University and a petition for involuntary rehabilitation. The Rehabilitation Court issued an order denying the rehabilitation and commencement order, which would otherwise have restrained creditors such as STI from foreclosing on the university’s mortgaged properties.

Taxation

Ruby Yusi leads the tax department at ACCRALAW. The firm advises in a range of areas, including tax advisory matters, compliance audits, claims for refunds and representations in tax cases.